JPS61129945A - Remote diagnostic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To minimize turnaround for maintenance or the like of a manufacture/ test equipment by providing the manufacture/test equipment having a control computer and a host computer existing at a remote location and incorporating a diagnostic program. CONSTITUTION:When a fault generating notice relating to the manufacture/test equipment 1 from the user is given to a device manufacturer or a maintenance service agent A, the A uses a display DP22 to give an identification number (i) of an object control comuter CC12 thereby starting a diagnostic program incorporated in a host computer HC21. The diagnostic program gives a diagnostic command to a CC12i of the user side through a path of 24i-30i-13i, the control computer 12i receives it and applies processing as commanded, returns the resulting data in the opposite path, and the HC21 displays the said return data on the DP22 or prints out it on a printer 23. The CC12 executes the diagnostic command by returning the read result of each device status in the equipment 1 and giving the operation command to each device in the equipment 1 through a process input/output device 11.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention mainly relates to manufacturing/testing of industrial products.
The present invention relates to a remote diagnostic device for controlling a servo mechanism and a process in a test device using a control computer.

[Technical background of the invention and its problems] Conventionally, industrial product manufacturing/testing equipment, such as semiconductor manufacturing equipment, has been viewed by users as nothing more than a tool for manufacturing the products therein, such as semiconductors. You only need to know the handling methods necessary for manufacturing. on the other hand,
The manufacturer or maintenance service provider of the manufacturing/testing equipment must know everything about the manufacturing/testing equipment, and must be able to deliver similar manufacturing/testing equipment to multiple users, and to manage the user's equipment installation. The usual form is that the locations are both far and near. Therefore, if an abnormality occurs in the manufacturing/testing equipment installed at the user's side that the user is unable to repair or even diagnose, for example, a service person must first carry the equipment to diagnose the abnormality and bring it to the user's side. There are many situations where a person has to rush to the installation site, find the cause of the abnormality, return once, and then return to the installation site for recovery (repair) measures.

[Objective of the Invention 1] The present invention provides for the maintenance of the manufacturing/testing equipment as described above, that is, the diagnosis and recovery measures when an abnormality occurs, by the manufacturer of the manufacturing/testing equipment or the maintenance service provider of the manufacturing/testing equipment. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a remote diagnostic device that can minimize the number of trips to the installation site.

[Summary of the Invention] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention manufactures or tests an industrial product, and includes a manufacturing/testing device having a control computer, a communication adapter connected to the control computer, and a communication adapter connected to the control computer. A host computer located in a remote location away from the manufacturing/testing equipment and containing this diagnostic program, a communication adapter connected to this host computer, a communication adapter of this host computer, and a communication adapter of the control computer. a first means for transmitting state information of the manufacturing/testing equipment obtained on the control computer to the host computer; and a first means for transmitting control operation instructions from the host computer to the control computer. It consists of two means.

[Embodiment of the Invention] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing this schematic configuration.

An example of a manufacturing/testing apparatus that is considered here is one that produces a product (test product) 3 from a product material (product under test) 2. The manufacturing/test bag [1] is located on the user side and includes a control computer system 10, which includes a process input/output device 11 and a control computer 12, and this control computer 12 is equipped with a control computer communication adapter 13. have. A control computer 12 drives each device in the manufacturing/testing apparatus 1 and reads their status via the process input/output device 11 according to instructions from a built-in program. On the other hand, a host computer system 20 installed at an office of a device manufacturer or a maintenance service provider includes a host computer 21 with a built-in diagnostic program and a display 22 for service personnel to interact with the host computer 21.
and a printer 23 for recording diagnostic results, and a host computer communication adapter 24. A communication line 30 is connected between the communication adapter 24 and the communication adapter 13, thereby forming a communication path between the host computer 21 and the control computer 12. Generally, the number of communication adapters 24 and communication lines 30 on the host computer side is equal to the number of communication adapters 13 of the control computer 12 installed, depending on the type of communication line used. be.

Note that FIG. 1 depicts only one set of the user's control computer/communication adapter.

Hereinafter, the operation of the remote diagnostic device configured as described above will be described in a second manner.
This will be explained using the flowchart shown in the figure.

When a user reports an abnormality regarding the manufacturing/testing equipment 1 to the equipment manufacturer or maintenance service provider (hereinafter referred to as "intermediate"), Party A uses the display 22 to display the identification number i of the target control computer 12. The diagnostic program built into the host computer 21 is activated. This diagnostic program issues a diagnostic command 24r-3 to the control computer 12i on the user side.
0i-13i, and when 121 receives this, it performs the operation as instructed and returns the resulting data via the reverse route, and the host computer 21 displays the returned data on the display 22 or sends it to the printer 23. Print. The meaning of the above-mentioned diagnostic command varies depending on the division of procedures between the diagnostic program in the host computer 21 and the program in the control computer 12, the diagnostic procedure, and its type, but in any case, The control computer 12 returns the results of reading the status of each device in the manufacturing/testing device 1 based on the diagnostic command, and issues operational commands to each device in the manufacturing/testing device 1 through the process input/output device 11. This is accomplished by.

As stated above, Party A can know the status of the manufacturing/testing equipment 1 from the results output to the display 22 or the printer 23 while staying at his/her own office, and may be able to take measures depending on the cause of the abnormality. This will minimize the number of times Party A has to travel back and forth to the user to diagnose and treat abnormalities in the device.

Note that the equipment configuration diagram shown in Figure 1 shows the case where communication lines are connected using a direct connection method between two points, but if a switching method is used, there is no restriction on the number of physical lines and costs can be reduced. can. In addition, the diagnosis (treatment) flowchart shown in Figure 2 shows an example in which the serviceman of Party A starts the diagnosis, but when the control computer detects the occurrence of an abnormality, he himself sends the abnormal data to the host computer. You may also send it.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention described above, the manufacturer or maintenance service provider of the manufacturing/testing equipment can perform diagnosis and recovery measures when an abnormality occurs in the manufacturing/testing equipment. It is possible to provide a remote diagnostic device that minimizes trips to and from the site.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a remote diagnostic device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the present invention in detail. 1... Manufacturing/testing equipment, 2... Product materials, 3...
Product, 10... Control computer system, 11.
...Process input/output device, 12...Control computer, 13...Control computer communication adapter, 20
... host computer system, 21 ... host computer, 22 ... display, 23 ... printer, 24 ... host computer communication adapter,
30... Communication line. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue Figure 1 Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] A device for manufacturing or testing industrial products, where a manufacturing/testing device having a control computer, a communication adapter connected to the control computer, and the manufacturing/testing device are located in a remote location, and A host computer incorporating this diagnostic program, a communication adapter connected to this host computer, a communication line connecting the communication adapter of this host computer and the communication adapter of the control computer, and a product obtained on the control computer. / A remote diagnostic device comprising a first means for transmitting status information of a test device to the host computer, and a second means for transmitting control operation instructions from the host computer to the control computer.