ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE MACHINE AND MACHINING METHOD THEREFOR

A method and apparatus for detecting and controlling the operation of an electric discharge machine for machining a workpiece. The machining is conducted by generating pulse discharges at a machining gap formed by a machining electrode and the workpiece opposed to each other. The alternating-current components or high frequency components of at least one of the current, voltage and impedance of the machining gap, the rectified components thereof, or amplitude, frequency or other signal characteristics thereof are detected and processed for control of the machining. The processing may include frequency analysis, pulse counting, threshold detection and the like using analog and digital processing.