As a key technology in the field of advanced manufacturing, an open architecture controller is studied. In order to develop an open architecture software-CNC system on personal computer (PC) according to open modular architecture controllers (OMAC). First, the software and hardware platform is chosen and software realization methodology for the CNC system is determined. Second, static modeling methods of an open architecture controller inclusive of object-oriented (OO) programming technology, dynamic link library (DLL)technology and system modules partition are investigated. Third, the dynamical behavioral modeling and the data flow representation of open architecture controller are discussed, which are both described in hierarchy finite state machine (FSM) model. Fourth, a reusable software module model is established to develop software function module library. Finally, a 3-axis milling machine tool test-bed, named for HIT-CNC, is successfully designed by means of the constructed software function module library and the system configuring method.The experimental results show that, besides increasing the degree of reusability and openness, application of above-mentioned methodology leads to significant decrease of development time as well as maintenance cost.