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papt_141.txt
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1997-09-18
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*** PERSONAL APT V1.41 ***
NC/CNC Part Programming System
(C) Copyright Digital Manufacturing Systems 1985 - 1989
P.O. Box 1079 Rogers, Ar 72757
WHAT IS PERSONAL APT?
PERSONAL APT is a complete NC/CNC programming and tape preparation
system.
PERSONAL APT offers 2 1/2 axis NC part programming capability and a
powerful set of mathematical functions and geometry descriptions to aid
in the solution of complex problems that are often encountered in
Engineering, Design and Drafting functions. PERSONAL APT uses a subset
of the most powerful and most widely used NC programming language, APT.
Compatibility with APT provides users of PERSONAL APT an upward growth
path as their work increases in complexity without having to learn a new
programming language. Also, PERSONAL APT is so easy to use that it is
ideal for learning the APT language and programming concepts. Text
editing and graphic display of tool paths are built-in features of
PERSONAL APT.
DISTRIBUTION FILES
README------------Initial instructions
PERAPT.EXE--------The executable program
PERAPT-H.COM------CGA simulator for Hercules graphics
PERAPT.DOC--------PERSONAL APT Mini-Manual
MILLEXMP.APT------Sample milling program
LATHEXMP.APT------Sample lathe program
REGISTER.TXT------PERSONAL APT registration form
INVOICE.TXT-------Invoice form for PERSONAL APT registration
SCHOOLS.TXT-------Educational discount policy
FILES.TXT---------This list of files & descriptions
*.APT-------------Miscellaneous PERSONAL APT part programs
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
1. IBM PC/XT/AT or compatible computer.
2. Minimum of 384kb memory (512kb for complete system).
3. Minimum of one 360kb floppy disk. Two 360kb floppy
disks, or one floppy and a hard disk are recommended
and are required in order to use postprocessors. One
720kb or higher capacity floppy disk is also sufficient
to run the complete system.
4. Optional IBM CGA and Color Monitor, Hercules graphics
or compatible graphics capability for plotting.
HOW SHOULD I PROCEED?
Before you do anything else, make a backup copy of the PERSONAL APT
distribution disk. This may be accomplished by typing "diskcopy a: b:"
at the DOS prompt. Your computer will instruct you when to insert the
SOURCE (distribution) disks and the TARGET (backup copy) disks.
Next place the PERSONAL APT distribution disk in a safe place and use
the backup copy.
Then place the backup disk in the A drive and type A: at the DOS
prompt. To print the 44 pages of documentation, make sure your printer
is turned on and then type this command at the DOS prompt:
PRINTDOC
Next read the documentation thoroughly and follow the instructions.
NOTE: You must delete some files from the disk (you did make a backup,
didn't you) in order to make room for the output files that are
created by PERSONAL APT when it is run. If you didn't make a
backup disk, you better do that now. You may delete the
following files:
PERAPT.DOC PRINTDOC.BAT SCHOOLS.TXT
REGISTER.TXT INVOICE.TXT FILES.TXT
For those of you who just can't wait to get started, or who don't have
a printer, you should type PERAPT-H if you have Hercules graphics
capability. Type PERAPT if you have CGA or compatible graphics or no
graphics capability at all. PERAPT-H is a program to simulate CGA
graphics on a Hercules graphics board and, as with all simulation
programs, causes PERSONAL APT to run approximately 15% slower. However,
the time required to load PERSONAL APT under the simulation program is
approximately 4 times longer (1 min vs. 15 seconds from a floppy).
Context sensitive help is available by typing Alt-f1 whenever PERSONAL
APT is waiting for input.
Please report any problems you may have to:
Digital Manufacturing Systems
P.O. Box 1079
Rogers, Arkansas 72757
Good computing,
Bob Drewry
***************** CHANGES IN VERSION 1.2 *********************
The following changes and enhancements have been made in this
version of PERSONAL APT.
1. Fixed a problem that caused a diagnostic from a
GO/spattern,"any_modifier" statement.
2. Added line definition format:
XLARGE
LINE/XSMALL,TANTO,scircle,ATANGL,angle [,sline]
YLARGE
YSMALL
3. Fixed a problem that caused erroneous CL data for circular
motion when a MIRROR matrix was used for TRACUT.
4. Fixed a problem with the automatic scaling of Perspective and
Isometric plotting.
5. Added Foreground/Background color selection to CONFIGURATION
MENU.
6. Added context sensitive screen help (Alt-f1) panels.
7. Added the THETAR alternative to RTHETA in point definitions.
8. Fixed a bug that produced erroneous results in a one or two
surface GO statement where the surface was a circle and the
tool was already in contact with the circle.
9. Added XAXIS and YAXIS alternatives to a line in ATANGL line
definitions.
[,sline]
LINE/P1,ATANGL,angle [,XAXIS]
[,YAXIS]
10.Fixed bug in YZPLAN point definitions.
11.Added directory window of *.APT files for LOAD command.
12.Moved the vocabulary list to an external file VOCAB.BIN. This
is in preparation for providing a user maintained vocabulary
in a future release.
13.Fixed the scrolling problem displayed by some CGA compatible
graphics boards when plotting.
14.Added CGA simulation for Hercules graphics boards. This is
a licensed product from Athena Digital and will work only
with PERSONAL APT.
15.Changed the PROCESSING MONITOR display to accommodate 80
character program lines.
******************** Changes in Version 1.3 ***********************
The following problems have been resolved, and enhancements added,
for PERSONAL APT V1.3.
1. Fixed an obscure problem that sometimes caused the computer to
lock up when you tried to plot after exiting from the Editor.
2. Fixed a problem in the Mass Substitution process in the Editor
that caused the string just changed to be searched. This caused
recursive substitution.
3. Fixed a problem in the Editor that appeared when adding lines to
the end of the text that were automatically indented.
4. Fixed a problem in the Editor that caused a problem in scrolling
when adding a line following line 23.
5. Fixed a problem in the Editor that failed to adjust the cursor
column posistion when it was beyond the end of the cursor line
after a line deletion.
6. Fixed a problem that caused "Symbol: xxxxxx" to overwrite a
portion of the screen header when a multiply defined symbol
was diagnosed.
Changes:
1. Now accepts the Esc key for a Zero menu command to abort.
2. Added the major word INPUT. INPUT allows for keyboard entry
of variables like you might want for a master program. The
format of the new statement is:
INPUT/"your prompting message",VARIBL
When the INPUT statement is read, the prompting message is
displayed on the screen inside a box. you then type a numeric
value. The symbol name (VARIBL) will be added to the symbol
table with the value you enter from the keyboard.
3. Added four new functions: INTF, LOG10F, LOGF, ROUND
INTF ---- Returns the integer portion of a scalar argument.
A = INTF(scalar)
LOG10F -- Returns the base 10 logarithm value of a scalar
argument.
A = LOG10F(scalar)
LOGF ---- Returns the natural logarithm of the argument.
A = LOGF(scalar)
ROUNDF --- Rounds the numeric argument to the resolution
specified.
A = ROUNDF(scalar, resolution)
************ Changes in Version 1.3a **************
1. Fixed a problem with the INSERT FILE command in the editor
that caused an extra line-feed character to be added to the
end of the inserted text when the inserted file did not end
with the End-of-File character (ASCII 26).
2. Fixed a problem in MACRO variable processing sometimes caused
variables to be diagnosed as undefined or, in unique instances,
caused the variable to be returned as NULL value.
********** Changes in PERSONAL APT VERSION 1.3b ***************
1. Fixed a problem that did not allow a comment following a MACRO
definition with no variables:
M1=MACRO/ $$ COMMENT
The above statement was diagnosed as "Invalid MACRO variable". It
now processes without a diagnostic.
2. Changed computations of motion envelop used for automatic plot
scaling to exclued any DNTCUT motion.
3. Changed the text search in the Visual Editor to be case insensitive.
********** Changes in PERSONAL APT Version 1.4 **************
1. Added READ capability to read and process part program segments.
The statement syntax is:
READ/2,'[path]filename[.ext]'
The 'filename.ext' is any valid file name. The path is required
only if the file is in a directory other than the PERSONAL APT
directory. If the file extension is omitted, an extension of
.RED is assumed.
Discussion: The READ/2,.... statement causes a part program
segment, stored in a unique file, to be read and processed
sequentially. Any valid PERSONAL APT statement may appear in
the part program segment except those statements that would
cause non-sequential processing. The statements that are not
allowed are; CALL, GOSUB, IF, JUMPTO, MACRO, READ, and RETURN.
Also, PARTNO and MACHIN statements are ignored during the
processing of the READ statement.
If an END or FINI statement is found in the part program segment,
processing is terminated and any main program statements follow-
ing READ will not be processed.
This feature allows you to store commonly used program sequences
for subsequent use in other part programs without typing them
again. One good use of this feature is to store your own list
of synonyms in a file and invoke them with the READ statement
thus: READ/2,'SYN'. Even though SYN is a vocabulary word, it may
be used as a file name. In this example PERSONAL APT would
expect to find a file named SYN.RED in the present directory.
Another good use of this feature is to process APT source
statements output by various CAD systems. APT language source
programs output by most CAD programs are very basic and contain
no looping, branching or MACRO statements. Providing these programs
adhere to PERSONAL APT syntax, they should process without problem.
The size of the part program segment is unlimited since PERSONAL
APT does not attempt to hold the text in memory. A sample program
that could be used to process a complete part program segment
might be as follows:
PARTNO (your program identification information)
MACHIN/MMPOST,33
READ/2,'filename.ext'
You don't even need to include the END or FINI statement when
they are part of the program being read.
Of course, there are many other uses of this capability. I'm
sure you innovative programmers will use this feature a lot.
NOTE: Nested READ statements are not allowed.
2. Increased maximum part program size to 32254 characters (almost
double what it was).
3. Fixed start-up code to properly diagnose attempts to use a
drive or check surface that is not either a line or circle.
4. Fixed a problem that did not allow postprocessing following
exit to an external program for Editing, Plotting or Tape
Punching without re-processing the program.
5. Tape punching will now replace an '=' sign with a Rewind Stop Code
in EIA mode.
6. Fixed a problem that did not allow comments following the "$"
continuation character.
****** CHANGES IN PERSONAL APT V1.41 *****
1. Added the following new definition formats;
POINT/ spoint
LINE/ sline
PLANE/ splane
CIRCLE/ scircle
MATRIX/ smatrix
VECTOR/ svector
This allows copies of predefined elements to be defined. For
example, you may want to use a copy of a geometry element in
a MACRO to avoid modifying the passed element.
2. Changed the tape punching routine to convert a semi-colon
character appearing in the tape file as a tab character
in the punched tape.
3. Fixed a problem that sometimes caused output of arcs as
chords when using TRACUT with a MATRIX defined as 180 degrees
rotation in any plane. This problem was caused by a number
significance situation that caused the test for arcs in the
X-Y plane to fail.