The invention provides a method of operating a machine tool, e.g., an electrical discharge machine (4), and a machine tool system comprising a machine (4) for machining a workpiece wherein at least one of controlling, monitoring and carrying out of the machining of the workpiece is performed by a plurality of configurable modules (DRIVE; GEN; CONTROL), said modules (DRIVE; GEN; CONTROL) are arranged on the machine (4), and said modules (DRIVE; GEN; CONTROL) are so linked by a data network (6) to a node (5) for at least one of sending data to said node (5) and receiving data from said node (5). |