CN108663951B

CN108663951B - Actuator control system, robot, and press working device

Info

Publication number: CN108663951B
Application number: CN201710193722.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 村上博行
Original assignee: Yaskawa Electric Corp
Current assignee: Yaskawa Electric Corp
Priority date: 2017-03-28
Filing date: 2017-03-28
Publication date: 2021-08-27
Anticipated expiration: 2037-03-28
Also published as: CN108663951A

Abstract

The invention provides an actuator control system capable of reducing load of a controller and suppressing delay of response time of an actuator. The invention provides an actuator control system, a robot and a press working device, wherein the control system comprises: an actuator; a controller that generates and transmits a first control instruction of control instructions for controlling driving of the actuator; an I/O commander that transmits I/O data; and an amplifier that stores in advance a second control command that is a control command other than the first control command among the control commands and that corresponds to the I/O data, the amplifier controlling the driving of the actuator in accordance with the first control command received from the controller and controlling the driving of the actuator in accordance with the second control command corresponding to the I/O data received from the I/O commander. This reduces the load on the controller and suppresses delay in the response time of the actuator.

Description

Actuator control system, robot, and press working device

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of industrial control, in particular to an actuator control system, a robot and a stamping device.

Background

With the progress of technology and the improvement of living standard of people, precise operation of robots is required to complete the processing of devices in many industries.

It will be appreciated that the robot is made up of a plurality of arms, one actuator for each arm, which drives the arms to perform the corresponding movements. Including, for example, the angle of rotation of the arm, the length of the telescoping, etc.

The control command generated by the controller is generally sent to an amplifier, which controls the driving of the actuator according to the received control command, and the corresponding arm movement is completed. Further, as the number of amplifiers and actuators increases, the controller has to generate a plurality of control commands to control the driving of the plurality of actuators, and therefore, not only the load on the controller becomes heavy, but also the processing time of the controller is delayed, resulting in a delay in the response time of the actuators.

Disclosure of Invention

In order to solve the above technical problems of the prior art, the present invention provides an actuator control system, a robot, and a press working apparatus capable of reducing a load on a controller and suppressing a delay in response time of an actuator.

The actuator control system provided by the invention comprises: an actuator; a controller that generates and transmits a first control command of control commands for controlling driving of the actuator;

an I/O commander that transmits I/O data; and an amplifier that stores in advance a second control command that is a control command other than the first control command among the control commands and corresponds to the I/O data, the amplifier controlling driving of the actuator in accordance with the first control command received from the controller and controlling driving of the actuator in accordance with the second control command corresponding to the I/O data received from the I/O commander.

The actuator control system according to the present invention controls driving of the actuator in accordance with a control command, and controls driving of the actuator in accordance with the second control command corresponding to the I/O data received from the I/O commander.

Preferably, the actuator control system includes: a plurality of the above amplifiers; and a plurality of actuators provided in correspondence with the respective amplifiers, wherein the respective amplifiers receive the same first control command from the controller and the same I/O data from the I/O commander, and control the driving of the actuators provided in correspondence with the respective amplifiers.

Preferably, the actuator control system includes: a plurality of the above amplifiers; and a plurality of actuators provided in correspondence with the respective amplifiers, wherein the respective amplifiers receive the same first control command from the controller and receive different I/O data from the I/O commander, and control driving of the actuators provided in correspondence with the respective amplifiers. In the above case, the correspondence relationship between the I/O data and the second control command in each of the amplifiers may be the same or different.

Preferably, the first or second control command and the operation of the actuator are one-to-one, or the first or second control command and the operation of the actuator are many-to-many.

Preferably, the sampling period of the controller is longer than the sampling period of the amplifier. The system further includes a sensor that transmits a detection result to an I/O commander, and the I/O commander transmits I/O data based on the detection result.

Preferably, the actuator control system is applicable to a robot including: an actuator control system; and an arm that operates by the drive of the actuator.

Preferably, the actuator control system is applicable to a press working apparatus including an actuator control system and a press die that is operated by driving of the actuator to press work a workpiece.

Preferably, the controller and the I/O commander are integrated.

Compared with the prior art, the invention has at least the following advantages:

since the controller and the I/O commander-amplifier share the control command for processing and controlling the drive of the actuator, the load on the controller can be reduced. As the load on the controller can be reduced, the delay in the processing time of the controller can be suppressed, and as a result, the delay in the response time of the actuator can be suppressed. Further, by processing the second control command by a combination of the I/O commander and the amplifier, the processing time can be shortened as compared with the case where the second control command is generated by the amplifier. As a result, the delay in the response time of the actuator can be further suppressed as compared with the case where the second control command is generated by the amplifier.

Drawings

In order to more clearly explain the embodiments of the present application and the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings that are required to be used in the description of the embodiments and the prior art will be briefly described below, and it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are only some of the embodiments described in the present application, and it is possible for those skilled in the art to make other drawings without making any creative contribution.

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment 1 of an actuator control system provided by the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing details of an example of a connection configuration of the I/O commander 300 and the amplifier AMP.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of an actuator control system as a comparative example.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of embodiment 2 of the actuator control system provided by the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing details of an example of a connection configuration of the I/O commander 300 and the amplifiers AMP1 and AMP 2.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing details of another connection configuration example of the I/O commander 301 and the amplifiers AMP1 and AMP 2.

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of an application example 1 of the actuator control system according to the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of an application example 2 of the actuator control system according to the present invention.

The reference numbers illustrate:

100. 100a, 100 b: a sensor; 200: a controller; 300. 301: an I/O commander; AMP, AMP1, AMP 2: a first amplifier; m, M1, M2: an actuator; 5: a robot; 500. 501 and 502: an arm; 6: a fixed table; 7: a press working device; 700: an upper die; 701: and (5) a lower die.

Detailed Description

In order to make the technical solutions of the present invention better understood by those skilled in the art, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Of course, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. All other embodiments made by the person skilled in the art according to the embodiments of the invention without making any inventive contribution are also fully within the scope of the invention.

Example 1

The actuator control system provided by the present embodiment includes a sensor 100, a controller 200, an I/O commander 300, at least 1 amplifier AMP, and at least 1 actuator M. The actuator M is, for example, a servomotor or a linear motor.

The sensor 100 is constituted by, for example, a pressure sensor or a limit sensor, and is connected to the I/O commander 300. The sensor 100 sends the detection result to the I/O commander 300. In this embodiment, the sensor 100 is not necessarily configured, and may be omitted.

The controller 200 is formed of, for example, a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). The controller 200 is connected to the amplifier AMP. The controller 200 generates a first control command of control commands for controlling the driving of the actuator M in accordance with an input command from an input device not shown, and transmits the first control command to the amplifier AMP. The first control command is, for example, a command related to speed control, torque control, position control, or the like of the actuator M.

The I/O commander 300 is constituted by a relay group, for example. The I/O commander 300 is connected to the sensor 100 and the amplifier AMP, and transmits I/O data to the amplifier AMP according to the detection result of the sensor 100. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing details of an example of a connection configuration of the I/O commander 300 and the amplifier AMP. The I/O commander 300 includes I/O interfaces No. 1 to No. 5, and the amplifier AMP also includes AMP interfaces No. 1 to No. 5, and the interfaces having the same number are connected to each other. The numbers and numbers of the I/O interfaces and AMP interfaces shown in fig. 2 are examples, and are not limited thereto. The I/O data is a signal indicating ON/OFF (ON/OFF), and may be a "0"/"1" signal, or a high/LOW (HI/LOW) signal, or may be another signal.

The amplifier AMP is connected to the controller 200, the I/O commander 300, and the actuator M. In the present embodiment, the actuators M are provided in one-to-one correspondence with the amplifiers AMP. The amplifier AMP includes a memory in which a parameter table and a second control instruction of the control instructions are stored in advance. For example, the parameter table is shown in table 1.

TABLE 1

The second control command shown in table 1 is a control command other than the first control command, and for example, a is that the actuator M is stationary, B is that the actuator M is operating, C is that the actuator M is rotating 90 degrees to the right, D is that the actuator M is rotating 120 degrees to the left, and E is that the actuator M is rotating 180 degrees to the left. In table 1, the second control commands are all different, but may be all or partially the same.

Thus, the parameter table is a table showing the correspondence relationship between the I/O data from the I/O commander 300 and the second control command among the control commands. The amplifier AMP stores the parameter table and the second control command in advance. That is, the second control command corresponding to the I/O data is stored in advance in the amplifier AMP.

The amplifier AMP controls the driving of the actuator M according to the first control instruction received from the controller 200. The amplifier AMP refers to the parameter table in the memory and specifies the second control command corresponding to the I/O data received from the I/O commander 300. In the case of table 1, the amplifier AMP determines the second control command a corresponding to the I/O number for which the I/O data is ON (ON). The amplifier AMP reads out the determined second control instruction a from the memory, and controls the driving of the actuator M in accordance with the second control instruction a. In this way, the amplifier AMP controls the driving of the actuator M according to the first control instruction received from the controller 200, and controls the driving of the actuator M according to the second control instruction corresponding to the I/O data received from the I/O commander 300.

Here, in order to facilitate understanding of the effects of the actuator control system described in the embodiments of the present invention, a description will be given by referring to a comparative example. Hereinafter, a comparative example will be described with reference to fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of an actuator control system in a comparative example.

The actuator control system provided by the comparative example includes the sensor 100, the controller 200a, the amplifier AMPa, and the actuator M. The sensor 100 and the actuator M are the same as those in fig. 1, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted.

The controller 200a is connected to the sensor 100 and the amplifier AMPa. The controller 200a generates all control commands (corresponding to the first and second control commands in fig. 1) for controlling the driving of the actuator M based on an input command from an input device (not shown) and/or a detection result of the sensor 100, and transmits the control commands to the amplifier AMPa.

The amplifier AMPa is connected to the controller 200a and the actuator M. The amplifier AMPa controls the driving of the actuator M according to a control instruction received from the controller 200 a.

In the comparative example, as described above, the control commands are all generated by the controller 200 a. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as described with reference to fig. 1, the controller 200 performs the generation processing only for a part of the control commands (first control commands), and the remaining control commands (second control commands) are stored in the AMP in advance.

In this way, in the present embodiment, the controller 200 shares the processing of the control command with the I/O commander 300-the amplifier AMP, and therefore, the load on the controller 200 can be reduced as compared with the comparative example of fig. 2. In response to the fact that the load on the controller 200 can be reduced, the delay in the processing time of the controller 200 can be suppressed, and as a result, the delay in the response time of the actuator M can be suppressed.

Further, in the present embodiment, the second control instruction is processed by the combination of the I/O commander 300 and the amplifier AMP, whereby the processing time of the amplifier AMP can be shortened as compared with the case where the second control instruction is generated by the amplifier AMP. As a result, the delay of the response time of the actuator M associated with the second control instruction can be further suppressed as compared with the case where the second control instruction is generated by the amplifier AMP.

In the above description, the sampling period of the controller 200 and the amplifier AMP is not mentioned in particular, but the sampling period of the controller 200 may be configured to be longer than the amplifier AMP. In this case, the effect of suppressing the delay of the response time of the actuator M is more significant.

Example 2

In embodiment 2, a configuration example in which an actuator control system includes a plurality of amplifiers and actuators will be described mainly focusing on differences from embodiment 1. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of embodiment 2 of the actuator control system provided by the present invention.

The actuator control system provided by the present embodiment includes the sensor 100, the controller 200, the I/O commander 300, the amplifier AMP1, the amplifier AMP2, the actuator M1, and the actuator M2.

The controller 200 is connected to amplifiers AMP1 and AMP 2. The controller 200 generates a first control command of control commands for controlling the driving of the actuators M1 and M2 and transmits the first control command to the amplifiers AMP1 and AMP2, respectively. The first control commands sent to the amplifiers AMP1 and AMP2 may be the same or different.

The I/O commander 300 is connected to the sensor 100, the amplifiers AMP1, and AMP2, and transmits the same I/O data (data based on the detection result of the sensor 100) to the amplifiers AMP1 and AMP2, respectively. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing details of an example of a connection configuration of the I/O commander 300 and the amplifiers AMP1 and AMP 2. The amplifiers AMP1 and AMP2 include AMP interfaces No. 1 to No. 5, respectively, and in the example of fig. 5, the AMP interfaces are connected to I/O interfaces having the same number. The I/O commander 300 transmits the same I/O data to the amplifiers AMP1 and AMP 2. The number and the number of the I/O interface and the AMP interface shown in fig. 5 are examples, and are not limited thereto.

The amplifier AMP1 is connected to an actuator M1 provided corresponding to the controller 200, the I/O commander 300, and the amplifier AMP 1. The amplifier AMP2 is connected to an actuator M2 provided corresponding to the controller 200, the I/O commander 300, and the amplifier AMP 2. The amplifiers AMP1 and AMP2 each include a memory in which a parameter table and a second control instruction of the control instructions are stored in advance. For example, the parameter tables for the amplifiers AMP1 and AMP2 are the same tables as those shown in table 1. The parameter tables for amplifier AMP1 and AMP2 may be different. That is, the correspondence relationship between the I/O data and the second control command in the amplifiers AMP1 and AMP2 may be the same as each other or different from each other.

The amplifiers AMP1 and AMP2 control the driving of the actuators M1 and M2 according to the first control command received from the controller 200. The amplifiers AMP1 and AMP2 refer to the parameter tables in the memories thereof, and specify the second control commands corresponding to the same I/O data received from the I/O commander 300. In this way, the amplifiers AMP1 and AMP2 control the driving of the actuators M1 and M2 according to the second control command corresponding to the same I/O data received from the I/O commander 300.

In this way, the actuator control system can also include a plurality of amplifiers and actuators. In the case where a plurality of amplifiers and actuators are provided, the controller needs to perform more processing for generating control commands, and therefore the effect described in embodiment 1 is more significant.

In

embodiment

2, 2 amplifiers and 2 actuators are provided, but the present invention is not limited to this. More than 3 amplifiers and more than 3 actuators may be provided. In the above description, 1 actuator is provided corresponding to 1 amplifier, but 2 or more actuators may be provided for 1 amplifier.

Example 3

In embodiment 3, a case where an I/O commander transmits different I/O data to different amplifiers will be described mainly focusing on a difference from embodiment 2. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing details of another connection configuration example of the I/O commander 301 and the amplifiers AMP1 and AMP 2.

The I/O commander 301 is connected to the amplifiers AMP1 and AMP2, and transmits different I/O data to them, respectively. The I/O commander 301 includes I/O interfaces No. 1 to No. 10. The amplifiers AMP1 and AMP2 each include AMP interfaces No. 1 to No. 5, and in the example of fig. 6, the AMP interfaces No. 1 to No. 5 of the amplifier AMP1 are connected to I/O interfaces having the same number, and the AMP interfaces No. 1 to No. 5 of the amplifier AMP2 are connected to I/O interfaces No. 6 to No. 10. The I/O commander 301 transmits different I/O data to the amplifiers AMP1 and AMP2, respectively. The number and the number of the I/O interface and the AMP interface shown in fig. 6 are examples, and are not limited thereto.

For example, the parameter tables of the amplifiers AMP1 and AMP2 are the same tables as those shown in table 1. However, I/O interface numbers of the parameter table of the amplifier AMP2 are No. 6-10. In addition, the parametric tables for amplifiers AMP1 and AMP2 may be different. That is, the correspondence relationship between the I/O data and the second control command in the amplifiers AMP1 and AMP2 may be the same as each other or different from each other.

The amplifiers AMP1 and AMP2 control the driving of the actuators M1 and M2 according to the first control command received from the controller 200. The amplifiers AMP1 and AMP2 refer to the parameter tables in the memories thereof, and specify the second control commands corresponding to the same I/O data received from the I/O commander 301. In this way, the amplifiers AMP1 and AMP2 control the driving of the actuators M1 and M2 in accordance with the second control command corresponding to the same I/O data received from the I/O commander 301.

Thus, the I/O commander is also capable of sending different I/O data to different amplifiers.

In the above embodiment, the first and second control commands are in one-to-one correspondence with the operation of the actuator. For example, the motion corresponding to one control command is a 90 degree rotation to the right, and the motion corresponding to the other control command is a 120 degree rotation to the left. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The first and second control commands and the actions of the actuators may be many-to-many. In the case of many-to-many control commands and actions, the amplifier may store a new parameter table.

Example 4

In embodiment 4, an application example of the actuator control system will be described. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of an application example 1 of the actuator control system according to the present invention. Application example 1 is an example in which the actuator control system described in

embodiment

2 or 3 is applied to a robot.

As shown in fig. 7, the robot 5 includes the actuator control system described in

embodiment

2 or 3 and the arms 500 to 502. One end of the arm 500 is fixed to the fixed base 6, and the other end is connected to one end of the arm 501 via an actuator M2. The arm 501 is driven by an actuator M2, and the other end of the arm 501 is connected to one end of the arm 502 via an actuator M1. The arm 502 is operated by driving of an actuator M1, and a robot or the like, not shown, is provided at the other end of the arm 502. The sensor 100 is composed of

sensors

100a and 100b, and is a pressure sensor, a limit sensor, or the like provided to the actuators M1 and M2.

The amplifiers AMP1 and AMP2 control the driving of the actuators M1 and M2 according to the first control command received from the controller 200. The amplifiers AMP1 and AMP2 refer to the parameter tables in the memories thereof, and specify the second control commands corresponding to the I/O data received from the I/O commander 300. The amplifiers AMP1 and AMP2 control the driving of the actuators M1 and M2 according to the determined second control command. The robot 5 operates under the control of the actuator control system. Since the actuator control system capable of suppressing the delay of the response time of the actuator M is used, the operation responsiveness of the robot can be improved as a result.

In fig. 7, a two-axis robot having 3 arms 500 to 502 is described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The actuator control system may be applied to a robot having two or more axes. The actuator control system may include amplifiers and actuators corresponding to the number of axes. For example, in the case of a six-axis robot, 6 amplifiers and 6 actuators may be provided.

Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of an application example 2 of the actuator control system according to the present invention. Application example 2 is an example in which the actuator control system described in embodiment 1 is applied to a press working apparatus.

As shown in fig. 8, the press working apparatus 7 includes the actuator control system and the press dies (the upper die 700 and the lower die 701) described in embodiment 1. The press die is a die that is operated by the actuator M to press the workpiece W. Specifically, the upper die 700 is disposed at a position facing the lower die 701 with the workpiece W interposed therebetween. An actuator M is connected to the upper die 700, and the upper die 700 is operated (raised or lowered) by driving of the actuator M. The upper die 700 is provided with a convex portion 700a, and the lower die 701 is provided with a concave portion 701a matching the shape of the convex portion 700 a. The upper die 700 and the lower die 701 are engaged with each other, whereby the workpiece W is press-worked into a shape corresponding to the convex portion 700a and the concave portion 701 a. The sensor 100 is a pressure sensor provided in the recess 701 a.

The amplifier AMP controls the driving of the actuator M according to the first control instruction received from the controller 200. For example, when the sensor 100 detects a pressure equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the controller 200 controls the driving of the actuator M to raise the upper mold 700. The amplifier AMP refers to the parameter table in the memory to determine a second control command corresponding to the I/O data received from the I/O commander 300. The amplifier AMP controls the driving of the actuator M according to the determined second control instruction. For example, while the sensor 100 detects a pressure lower than a predetermined pressure, the amplifier AMP controls the driving of the actuator M to lower the upper mold 700. The press working apparatus 7 operates under the control of the actuator control system. Since the actuator control system capable of suppressing the delay of the response time of the actuator M is used, the operation responsiveness of the press working apparatus can be improved as a result.

In fig. 8, the actuator M is connected to the upper die 700, and the upper die 700 is operated by driving the actuator M. The actuator M may be connected to the lower die 701, and the lower die 701 may be operated by driving the actuator M, or the actuators M may be provided on both the upper die 700 and the lower die 701 and operated separately.

It is to be understood that, in embodiments 1 to 4, the controller and the I/O commander are provided separately from each other, but may be integrated with each other.

The foregoing is merely a preferred embodiment of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention in any manner. Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, it is not intended to be limited thereto. Those skilled in the art can make numerous possible variations and modifications to the present teachings, or modify equivalent embodiments to equivalent variations, without departing from the scope of the present teachings, using the methods and techniques disclosed above. Therefore, any simple modification, equivalent change and modification made to the above embodiments according to the technical essence of the present invention are still within the scope of the protection of the technical solution of the present invention, unless the contents of the technical solution of the present invention are departed.

Claims

1. An actuator control system is characterized by comprising:

the robot comprises at least 1 actuator and at least 1 amplifier, wherein the at least 1 actuator and the at least 1 amplifier are in one-to-one correspondence, and the number of the actuators and the number of the amplifiers are the same as the number of axes of the robot;

a controller that generates and transmits a first control instruction of control instructions for controlling driving of the actuator;

an I/O commander that transmits I/O data; and

each of the amplifiers is stored with a second control command in advance, the second control command being a control command other than the first control command among the control commands and corresponding to the I/O data, and the first control command including at least commands related to speed control, torque control, and position control of an actuator; the second control instruction at least comprises: actuator rest, actuator run, actuator rotational direction and angle;

each of the amplifiers controls driving of the corresponding actuator according to the first control instruction received from the controller, and controls driving of the corresponding actuator according to the second control instruction corresponding to the I/O data received from the I/O commander.

2. Actuator control system according to claim 1,

the actuator control system includes:

a plurality of said amplifiers; and

a plurality of said actuators provided corresponding to said amplifiers respectively,

each of the amplifiers receives the first control command from the controller, receives the same I/O data from the I/O commander, and controls the driving of the actuator provided corresponding to each of the amplifiers.

3. Actuator control system according to claim 1,

the actuator control system includes:

a plurality of said amplifiers; and

a plurality of the actuators provided corresponding to the amplifiers respectively,

each of the amplifiers receives the first control command from the controller, receives different I/O data from the I/O commander, and controls driving of the actuator provided corresponding to each of the amplifiers.

4. Actuator control system according to claim 2 or 3,

the correspondence relationship between the I/O data and the second control command in each of the amplifiers is the same as or different from each other.

5. Actuator control system according to claim 1,

the first control instruction or the second control instruction is in one-to-one correspondence with the action of the actuator,

or,

the first control instruction or the second control instruction is many-to-many with the action of the actuator.

6. Actuator control system according to claim 1,

the sampling period of the controller is longer than the sampling period of the amplifier.

7. The actuator control system according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor that sends a detection result to the I/O commander,

the I/O commander transmits I/O data based on the detection result.

8. Actuator control system according to claim 1,

the controller and the I/O commander are integrated.

9. A robot is characterized by comprising:

the actuator control system of claim 1; and

an arm which is operated by the drive of the actuator.

10. A press working device is characterized by comprising:

the actuator control system of claim 1; and

and a press die which operates by driving the actuator to press a workpiece.