The post processor’s Post Blocks are made up of individual Post Lines that each contains variables, command variables, and string literals for output. 

Definitions:

Variable – A placeholder that represents a value yet can change during processing. Example the variable “x” represents the modal X axis position for the current Post Line.

 

Command Variable – A command variable is a variable that does not output a value but instead causes a setting to change in the posting engine itself. An example of a command variable would be to use “force_x”. When “force_x” is defined in a Post Line the posting engine does not output any value for the “force_x variable itself but instead will force the output for the X axis variable when it is next seen. This is a way of overwriting modality.

 

String Literal – A string literal is a string of characters to be output into the NC program. The values will not change and modality does not apply to string literals. Every time a string literal is encountered by the posting engine the text will be output. String literals are output using the “ “ characters.

 

Example:

n, x, y, z, “this is my string literal”, feed_rate

 

NOTE: Hard Coded is another reference term for the output that has been created using String Literal output.

 

Smart Variable - This is a variable that based on the current state of an associated option, the variable will have different output. An example is the cc variable for machine diameter compensation. Depending on what line in a cut path is being processed the cc variable to call different postblocks when encountered in a post line.