1. What is a programmable logic controller?
2. Identify and briefly describe the three basic components of a numerical control (NC) system.
3. What is the difference between point-to-point and continuous path in a motion control system?
4. What is the difference between absolute positioning and incremental positioning?
5. What is the difference between an open-loop positioning system and a closed-loop positioning system?
6. Under what circumstances is a closed-loop positioning system preferable to an open-loop system?
7. Explain the operation of an optical encoder.
8. Why should the electromechanical system rather than the controller storage register be the limiting factor in control resolution?