Fanuc question

Can someone give me a quick synopsis as to what Fanuc is? I know they are a machine tool manufacturer, that has a very large share of the CNC machine tool market (at least for their controllers). Is the reason i see them everywhere because they are the Microsoft of CNC tools? Like wise what makes a Fanuc controller better/different from say a hydropath control? G-code is G-code right? I understand that there are certain G and M commands that some controllers do not recognize, but is there a fundamental difference to how they control the hardware that makes some controllers incompatible with some servos/steppers?

sorry for so any question at once, just trying to fill in some of the gaping holes in my understanding..

FWIW this all came up because I was in my school department heads office the other day, and there was a sales rep from a local equipment dealer. Apparently the school is buying as new Bridgeport VMC machining center. The chairman wants to be able to have MasterCAM Workstations that are ethernet connected to the machine shop. The apparent hitch to this is, that there is enough money in the budget for the machining center with the Bridgeport control, but not with a Fanuc control. I just need to be brought up to speed on what the differences between the two are? The sales rep says that Fanuc has 80% of the installed controller market and the students should be familiar with that system. Though we agree, I don't understand why, if i can write G-code and run the MHP Hydropath systems we have, I can't handle a Fanuc machine if i go somewhere else?

Thanks
Peter-



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