Systems and methods for wireless communications between components of a material processing system
A material processing system includes a power supply in electrical communication with a cutting head. The power supply includes a control processor and a wireless communications control circuit configured to establish a web server for wirelessly communicating with a client device via a first communications interface. The wireless communications control circuit is configured to receive a request from the client device for a first web resource. The wireless communications control circuit is configured to request, via a second communications interface, a set of material processing system parameters from the control processor. The set of material processing system parameters is based on content of the request. The wireless communications control circuit is configured to serve, via the web server over the first communications interface, the first web resource to the client device. The first web resource includes web page formatting information and the set of material processing system parameters.
1. A material processing system comprising:
a cutting head; and
a power supply connected to the cutting head, the power supply including:
a control processor configured to control operation of the power supply;
a wired communications interface configured to receive one or more commands from the control processor and to communicate the one or more commands to a wireless communications control circuit;
a wireless communications control circuit connected to the control processor through the wired communications interface, the wireless communications control circuit receives one or more commands from the control processor to operate as a web server to process requests from a client device; and
a wireless communications interface configured to provide a wireless network connection between the wireless communications control circuit and a client device.
2. A material processing system comprising:
a power supply in electrical communication with a cutting head, the power supply comprising a control processor and a wireless communications control circuit configured to:
establish a web server by receiving one or more commands from the control processor, the one or more commands operative to configure the wireless communication control circuit to operate as the web server, the web server for communicating with a client device, the client device in wireless communication with the wireless communications control circuit via a first communications interface;
receive, via the first communications interface, a request from the client device for a first web resource;
request, via a second communications interface, a set of material processing system parameters from the control processor, the set of material processing system parameters based on content of the request for a first web resource; and
serve, via the web server over the first communications interface, the first web resource to the client device, the first web resource comprising web page formatting information and the set of material processing system parameters;
receive via the first communications interface, a second request from the client device; and
extract via the wireless communications control circuit a set of material processing system control parameters from the second request, the set of material processing system parameters including at least one of a current output setting for the power supply, a gas pressure setting, a gas type, gas mixture information, a cutting head motion setting, a cutting head speed setting, a current status of the material processing system, or an error history of the material processing system, diagnostic information based on operation of the material processing system, or parameters of a network connection, the set of material processing system control parameters being transmitted to the control processor via the second communications interface for modifying a mode of operation of the material processing system.
3. The material processing system of claim 2 further comprising at least one sensor in communication with the control processor, the sensor providing a signal to the control processor indicative of a performance parameter of the power supply.
4. The material processing system of claim 2 wherein the material processing system is a plasma arc cutting system and the cutting head is a torch.
5. The material processing system of claim 2 wherein the request for a first web resource is generated by a web browser executing on the client device.
6. The material processing system of claim 2 wherein the wireless communications control circuit has an external antenna.
7. The material processing system of claim 6 wherein the antenna has a power gain of less than about 2.5 dBi.
8. The material processing system of claim 2 wherein communications between the wireless communications control circuit and the client device are formatted in HTTP.
9. The material processing system of claim 2 wherein the power supply is free of physical mechanical controls.