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Computer Controlled Machines, Machine Control
Computer controlled machines pervade our society. As I look around my house I see a DVD player and video tape recorder that both have internal computer control. Ditto for the microwave, dishwasher and refrigerator. So why are these computer controlled machines? The answer is that there is a computer inside controlling many of the device's functions. This isn't a computer exactly like the computer on your desk, but rather a very small relative known as a microprocessor. A microprocessor is an electronic device that understands a defined set of instructions. The sequencing of these instructions define the behavior of the microprocessor. Thus the same type of microprocessors can behave very differently depending upon how their instructions are programmed.
A modern automobile may have twenty to thirty different microprocessors controlling much of the car's functionality. This functionality includes the anti-lock brakes, the engine timing and the air conditioning to name but a few.
Virtually every machine in a modern factory will have at least some of their functionality controlled by microprocessors. These machines include: welding, milling, turning, molding, tire-making, food-making, electronic assembly, painting, conveying, bottling, boxing and palletizing. I could go on, but I think you get the idea. Often the microprocessor controlling these machines will be part of a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC).
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