JP2000172317A - Programmable machine controller built in numerical controller and network system for numerical controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To process the independent sequence blocks in parallel to each other and to secure a stable response speed by setting a hardware circuit element in an execution mode and operating the circuit element based on the hardware circuit constitution written into the circuit element. SOLUTION: When a hardware circuit constitution corresponding to a sequence program is set to a programmable logic circuit 41, the processor of a numerical controller sets the circuit 41 in a program mode and then writes the data on the sequence program into the circuit 41 via a write control circuit 43. When the circuit 41 is operated, the processor of the numerical controller sets the circuit 41 in an execution mode. As a result, the circuit 41 operates based on a set hardware circuit constitution and functions as a sequence controller.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a programmable machine controller having a built-in numerical controller and a network system for the numerical controller.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A programmable machine controller (PMC) having a built-in numerical controller usually includes a CPU, a RO,
A microcomputer (hereinafter, referred to as a microcomputer) including an M, a RAM, and the like, an input unit for receiving a signal from an input device such as a limit switch in the microcomputer, and a result of processing the input signal is transmitted to an external load. By executing a sequence program written in a memory, a programmable machine controller is realized by software.

[0003]

A conventional programmable machine controller (PM) having a built-in numerical controller.
In C), since sequence control is performed by software using the CPU, processing can be performed only sequentially, and the operation execution speed depends on the processing speed of the CPU. Further, since the number of steps of the user program surely affects the scan speed, it is inevitable that a response delay occurs in output with an increase in the number of program steps. Therefore, the conventional microcomputer using a microcomputer is not suitable for control requiring high-speed processing, and a complicated programming method such as interrupt processing is required to respond to the request for high-speed processing.

[0004] In a conventional microcomputer using a PMC,
Even when there are a plurality of independent sequence blocks, each sequence block can be executed only sequentially, so that the response speed in such a case is slow. The change affected other sequence blocks, and the response speed was unstable. For this reason, the conventional microcomputer using a PMC is not suitable for controlling a large system.

[0005] The contents of the sequence program differ depending on the configuration of the machine tool, and it is difficult to separately create the contents of the sequence program for each machine from the viewpoint of management. Then, the machine is identified in the sequence program, and the processing flow is executed by conditional branching. For this reason, there is a problem that the sequence program itself becomes redundant, and the determination is made everywhere, so that the processing speed also becomes slow.

Further, when managing a plurality of numerical controllers, it is also troublesome to manage the version of the sequence program of each numerical controller, and when the sequence program is changed, it is necessary to update the sequence programs of all the numerical controllers. This trouble was troublesome.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems. A sequence program can be easily rewritten, high-speed sequence control can be performed, independent sequence blocks can be processed in parallel, and a stable response speed can be achieved. To obtain a programmable machine controller with a built-in numerical controller capable of high-speed control without affecting each sequence block and a network system of a numerical controller capable of easily coping with a change in a sequence program. It is intended to be.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a programmable machine controller for incorporating a numerical controller according to the present invention comprises a programmable machine controller.
A controller configured by a rewritable hardware circuit element, writing the sequence program into the hardware circuit element by setting the hardware circuit element to the program mode, and setting the hardware circuit element to the execution mode by executing the hardware circuit element. It can operate according to the hardware circuit configuration written in the circuit element.

In a programmable machine controller for incorporating a numerical controller according to the next invention, the hardware circuit element is constituted by a filled programming gate array.

Further, in order to achieve the above object, a network system for a numerical controller according to the present invention comprises a plurality of numerical controllers incorporating the programmable machine controller according to the present invention connected to a network, and a sequence program. Data is stored and managed by a server on the network, and when necessary, sequence program data is transferred to the numerical controller via the network,
The numerical control device is configured to write the sent sequence program data to a rewritable hardware circuit element.

In a network system for a numerical controller according to the next invention, a sequence program described in a mnemonic form is stored in a server, and when transferring sequence program data to the numerical controller, the sequence program is described in hardware. Once converted to language,
This hardware description language is converted into write data for writing to a hardware circuit element, and the write data is transferred to the numerical controller.

The network system for a numerical controller according to the next invention compares the sequence program data stored in the numerical controller with the latest sequence program data stored in the server when the power is turned on. If the sequence program data stored in the numerical controller is newer, the sequence program data stored in the numerical controller is updated.

[0013]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a programmable machine controller having a built-in numerical controller and a network system of the numerical controller according to the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a numerical controller incorporating a programmable machine controller (PMC).
The numerical control device 100 is of a computer type,
Bus 10, processor (CPU) 11, ROM 12, R
AM 13, CMOS memory 14, interface 15 for connecting external equipment, interfaces 17 and 18 for numerically controlled machine tool, axis control circuit 19, spindle control circuit 2
0, PMC (Programmable Machine Controller) 2
1 and I / O unit 22, communication interface 23
have.

Various system programs for executing processing in an edit mode and processing for automatic operation required for creating and editing a machining program are written in the ROM 12 in advance, and a processor (CPU) 1
1 reads the system program stored in the ROM 12 via the bus 10 and controls the numerical controller 100 as a whole according to the system program.

The RAM 13 is a memory for storing temporary calculation data, display data, and the like. CMOS memory 14
Is configured as a non-volatile memory that is backed up by a battery (not shown) and retains the storage state even when the power of the numerical controller 100 is turned off. The CMOS memory 14 stores a machining program, a tool offset amount, a parameter, and the like read through the interface 15 for connecting an external device, a machining program, a tool offset amount, and a parameter input through the man-machine I / F unit 24. And so on.

The interface 15 includes the numerical controller 10
0 is an interface for an external device that can be connected to an external device (FC
A) 16 is connected. Machining programs, tool offset amounts, parameters, etc. are read from the external device 16,
Further, the machining program, tool offset amount, parameters, and the like edited in the numerical controller 100 can be stored in a floppy cassette or the like via the external device 16.

The PMC 21 is a sequence controller built in the numerical control device 100, and controls auxiliary devices of the numerical control machine tool 110, for example, actuators such as a coolant, a spindle, and an automatic tool changer (ATC). The PMC 21 converts these into necessary signals on the auxiliary device side according to the M function, S function, and T function commanded by the machining program, and outputs the signals from the I / O unit 22 to the auxiliary device side of the numerically controlled machine tool 110. . Auxiliary devices such as various actuators are operated by this output signal. The PMC 21 also sends signals from various switches of an operation panel provided on the numerically controlled machine tool 110 to the I / O unit 22.
Through a processor (CP)
U) Hand over to 11.

Data such as the current position of each axis of the numerically controlled machine tool 110, alarms, parameters, image data, etc. are sent to the man-machine I / F unit 24 and displayed on its display.

The man-machine I / F unit 24 is a manual data input device having a display, a keyboard, and the like.
4 receives data from the keyboard of the processor (CP
U) Hand over to 11. The interface 18 is connected to the manual pulse generator 25 of the numerically controlled machine tool 110 and receives a pulse from the manual pulse generator 25. The manual pulse generator 25 is mounted on the operation panel of the numerically controlled machine tool 110,
Each axis is controlled by a distribution pulse based on a manual operation, and is used for precisely positioning each axis of the numerically controlled machine tool 110.

The servomotor 27 of each axis of the numerically controlled machine tool 110 has a position / speed detector (not shown).
And a position feedback signal is fed back to the axis control circuit 19 from a position detector built in the servomotor.

The axis control circuit 19 performs position feedback control based on the movement command and feedback signal of each axis from the processor 11, and outputs a drive signal to the servo amplifier 26 of each axis of the numerically controlled machine tool 110. . Upon receiving this command, the servo amplifier 26 controls the numerically controlled machine tool 1
The servo motor 27 of each axis 10 is driven. FIG.
In the description, the description of the position signal feedback is omitted.

A position coder (not shown) is connected to the spindle motor 29, and this position coder outputs a feedback pulse in synchronization with the rotation of the main shaft (not shown). This feedback pulse is fed back to the spindle control circuit 20, and the spindle control circuit 20 performs speed feedback control based on the spindle rotation speed command and the feedback pulse sent from the processor 11, and outputs a spindle speed signal to the spindle amplifier 28. Spindle amplifier 28
Receives the spindle speed signal, rotates the spindle motor 29 of the numerically controlled machine tool 110 at the commanded rotation speed, and rotationally drives a tool or a work (not shown) mounted on the spindle. In FIG. 1, the description of the speed feedback is omitted.

The communication interface 23 is the numerical controller 1
00 and the host computer 120 are communicably connected. The host computer 120 has a normal configuration, and includes a bus 30, a processor (CPU) 31, a hard disk unit 32, and a communication interface 33 for communication with the numerical controller 100. The hard disk unit 32 stores sequence program data.

As shown in FIG. 2, the connection between the numerical controller 100 and the host computer 120 is connected in the form of Ethernet. Host computer 12
Numeral 0 denotes a server on the Ethernet, and when viewed from the host computer 120, the numerical controller 100 corresponds to one client on the network.

The host computer 120 and the hard disk unit 32 are connected via the Ethernet 201 on the local area network. In this embodiment, the host computer 120 and the hard disk unit 32 are connected via the Ethernet 201 on the local area network. However, the capacity of the processing information (sequence program data) stored in the hard disk unit 32 In some cases, a hard disk unit directly connected (built-in) to the host computer 120 may be used, and the hard disk unit may store sequence program data.

A plurality of numerical control units 100 are connected to an Ethernet 201 of a local area network, respectively, and are connected to a host computer 120 and a hard disk unit 3 by a wide area network 202.
2 is connected.

The sequence program data stored in the hard disk unit 32 is sent to the designated numerical controller 100 by the network system as described above. Although the local area network to which the host computer 120 and the hard disk unit 32 are connected and the local area network to which the numerical controller 100 is connected are shown by different local area networks, these are, of course, the same local area network. It can be on the network.

Thus, the sequence program data for the programmable machine controller built in each numerical controller 100 can be centrally managed on the network.

FIG. 3 shows a PMC (programmable machine controller) 21 for incorporating a numerical controller according to the present invention.
2 shows the internal structure of the device. The greatest feature of the PMC 21 with a built-in numerical controller according to the present invention is that the entire PMC is constituted by rewritable hardware circuit elements. Writing to the element and putting the hardware circuit element into the execution mode can cause the hardware circuit element to operate.

The PMC 21 is a field programming gate array (FPG) constituted by a PLA using a PROM array which can be freely written by a user.
A: Field Programmable Gate Arrey), a hardware circuit element (programmable logic circuit) 41 capable of rewriting data corresponding to the hardware circuit configuration of the sequence program, and reading and writing of external input / output states and internal states during execution of sequence control. Bus 1 to do
0, an interface circuit (CPU I / F) 42,
Between the I / O unit 22 and the write control circuit 43 functioning as an interface for the processor (CPU) 11 of the numerical controller 100 to read and write data for creating a hardware circuit configuration in the programmable logic circuit 41. It has an output circuit 44 and an input circuit 45 that interface input and output.

That is, the PMC 21 with a built-in numerical controller according to the present invention is obtained by replacing a programmable machine controller of a conventional numerical controller which is processed by software with rewritable hardware.

When setting the hardware circuit configuration corresponding to the sequence program in the programmable logic circuit 41, the processor 11 of the numerical controller 100
After the programmable logic circuit 41 is set to the program mode, the data of the sequence program is written into the programmable logic circuit 41 by the write control circuit 43.

A program logic circuit 41 in which a hardware circuit configuration corresponding to a sequence program is set
Is operated, the processor 11 of the numerical controller 100 sets the program logic circuit 41 to the execution mode. Thereby, the program logic circuit 41 operates according to the set hardware circuit configuration, and functions as a sequence controller.

Thus, the sequence program can be easily rewritten, high-speed sequence control can be performed, independent sequence blocks can be processed in parallel, and a stable response speed can be obtained. High-speed control can be performed without the need.

Note that, in the execution mode, the processor 11 of the numerical controller 100 controls the information inside the programmable logic circuit 41 via the interface circuit 42,
Operates to capture or change the state of external signals or internal data. Further, the processor 11 executes control relating to monitor display and transmission / reception of signals to / from a higher-level device using the information.

FIGS. 4A to 4C show sequence program data managed by the host computer (server) 120 on the network. As shown in FIG. 4A, a sequence program described in the form of a mnemonic is stored in a hard disk unit 32 which is a storage device managed by the host computer 120. When transferring the sequence program data to the numerical controller 100, the sequence program described in the mnemonic to be realized by hardware is
Once converted into a hardware description language such as DL or HDL (FIG. 4B), this hardware description language is
As shown in (c), the data is converted into write data for writing in a programmable logic circuit 41 such as an FPGA. This write data is transferred to the numerical controller 100 via the network.

In the process of converting the sequence program described in the form of the mnemonic into the write data for writing into the programmable logic circuit 41 such as the FPGA which is finally transferred to the numerical controller by the data conversion as described above, It can be converted to a lean sequence program. That is, the determination of the processing conditions by the mechanical configuration is absorbed in the conversion process, and only the final result needs to be reduced to useless write data for writing into the programmable logic circuit 41 such as an FPGA.

FIG. 5 shows a flow of module processing started when the power of the numerically controlled machine tool is turned on.
When the power is turned on, first, P
The version of the sequence program stored in the MC 21 is obtained (Step S1).

Next, the server (host computer 120) on the network is accessed, and the version of the sequence program data corresponding to the own machine (own machine) stored in the server is obtained (step S2). It is determined whether or not the version of the sequence program is the same as the latest version on the server (step S3). If the version of its own sequence program is the same as the version on the server (step S3
Affirmative), the process is terminated because it is already the latest version.

On the other hand, if the version of the sequence program of the own device is different from the version on the server (No at Step S3), that is, if the version of the sequence program of the own device is not the latest, it is necessary to upgrade the version. Is displayed on the screen (step S
4).

Thereafter, it is determined whether or not to update the sequence (step S5). If the operator instructs to upgrade (step S5 affirmative), the sequence program is upgraded (step S6). That is, sequence program data is downloaded from a server on the network, and the downloaded sequence program data is written into the programmable logic circuit 41. After the writing is completed, the process returns to the normal processing.

According to the above-described module processing, the version of the sequence program is checked each time the numerical control machine tool 110 is turned on, so that the sequence program versions of all the numerical control devices can be easily unified. Become.

[0044]

As will be understood from the above description, a programmable machine for incorporating a numerical controller according to the present invention.
According to the controller, since the sequence control is performed by hardware called a programmable logic circuit, the response speed can be remarkably improved as compared with the CPU processing, and the circuit configuration can be flexibly adjusted according to the sequence program data. It can be easily rewritten. In addition, independent sequence blocks can be processed in parallel, and high-speed control can be performed without affecting each block.

According to the programmable machine controller with a built-in numerical controller according to the next invention, since the programmable logic circuit, that is, the hardware circuit element is constituted by the filled programming logic array, Since the sequence control is executed, the response speed can be remarkably improved as compared with the CPU processing, and the circuit configuration can be flexibly and easily rewritten according to the sequence program data.

In addition, since independent sequence blocks can be processed in parallel, high-speed control can be performed without affecting each block, and a stable response speed can be obtained. High-speed control can be performed without any effect.

According to the network system of the numerical controller according to the next invention, the sequence program data is stored and managed by the server on the network, and when necessary, the sequence program data is transferred to the numerical controller via the network. Is configured to write the sent sequence program data to rewritable hardware circuit elements, so that the sequence program data for the programmable machine controller built in the numerical controller is centrally managed on the network be able to.

According to the network system of the numerical controller according to the next invention, a sequence program described in a mnemonic form is stored in the server, and when transferring the sequence program data to the numerical controller,
Since the sequence program is once converted into a hardware description language, this hardware description language is converted into write data for writing to a hardware circuit element, and the write data is transferred to a numerical controller, there are many conventional types. A sequence program that could not be created for individual machines because it became too much, but write data for writing to a programmable logic circuit such as an FPGA that finally transfers the sequence program described in mnemonic form to the numerical controller It can be converted to a sequence program without waste in the process of conversion, and the condition determination of the processing by the machine configuration is absorbed in the conversion process, and there is no waste in writing only the final result to a programmable logic circuit such as FPGA. Just drop it into write data Becomes DOO, sequence program itself is avoided that would be redundant, so that the processing speed can be achieved.

According to the network system of the numerical controller according to the next invention, when the power is turned on, the sequence program data stored in the numerical controller is compared with the latest sequence program data stored in the server. If the sequence program data stored in the server is newer, the sequence program data stored in the numerical controller is updated,
It is possible to easily unify the versions of the sequence programs of all the numerical control devices.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a numerical controller incorporating a programmable machine controller.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a network system of the numerical control device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a programmable machine controller for incorporating a numerical controller according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a sequence program data conversion procedure in the network system of the numerical control device according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating module processing performed when power is turned on.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 bus, 11 processor, 12 ROM, 13
RAM, 14 CMOS memory, 15 interfaces, 16 external devices, 17, 18 interfaces, 1
9 axis control circuit, 20 spindle control circuit, 21 programmable machine controller, 22 I / O unit, 23 communication interface, 24 man-machine I
/ F unit, 25 manual pulse generator, 26 servo amplifier, 27 servo motor, 28 spindle amplifier, 29 spindle motor, 30 bus, 31 processor, 32 hard disk unit, 33 communication interface, 41 hardware circuit element (programmable logic circuit) , 42 interface circuit, 43
Write control circuit, 44 output circuit, 45 input circuit,
100 Numerical control device, 110 Numerical control machine tool, 1
20 Host computer, 201 Ethernet, 2
02 Wide area network.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A programmable machine controller having a built-in numerical controller, comprising: a programmable circuit controller having a rewritable hardware circuit element, and setting the hardware circuit element to a program mode to execute a sequence program. Writing in a hardware circuit element and operating the hardware circuit element in an execution mode in accordance with a hardware circuit configuration written in the hardware circuit element. Machine controller. 2. The hardware circuit element according to claim 1, wherein
2. The programmable machine controller according to claim 1, wherein said programmable machine controller comprises a programming gate array. 3. A plurality of numerical controllers incorporating the programmable machine controller according to claim 1 or 2 are connected to a network, and sequence program data is stored and managed by a server on the network. Characterized in that the sequence program data is transferred to the numerical control device via the CPU, and the numerical control device is configured to write the sent sequence program data to a rewritable hardware circuit element. system. 4. A server stores a sequence program described in a mnemonic form. When transferring sequence program data to a numerical controller, the sequence program is temporarily converted into a hardware description language, 4. The network system according to claim 3, wherein the language is converted into write data for writing to the hardware circuit element, and the write data is transferred to the numerical control device. 5. When the power is turned on, the sequence program data stored in the numerical controller is compared with the latest sequence program data stored in the server, and the sequence program data stored in the server is compared with the latest sequence program data. 5. The network system according to claim 3, wherein the sequence program data stored in the numerical control device is updated if it is new.