JP2002023816A - Method for transferring nc data and device for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the storage area of an NC device, and to improve the operation rate of an NC machine by eliminating any waiting time due to the reading of NC data. SOLUTION: In this system equipped with an NC device 10, an NC machine 17, a controller I4 having a large capacity storage device 12, and a communicating means 16 between those devices, the NC device 10 is provided with a program constituted by a replacement step (a), a replacement completion notification step (b), an operation step (c), and an operation completion notification step (d) and a data buffer constituted of a reception data buffer and an operation data buffer. The controller 14 is constituted so that NC data can be transferred to the NC device 10 according to a replacement completion signal and that a start command can be applied to the NC device 10 according to an operation completion signal.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for transferring NC data created by a host computer to an NC apparatus, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for quickly reading NC data with a small memory capacity. It can be used as a robot system on-site control device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An NC device that uses data created offline needs to read NC data.
In a production line that continuously processes a large variety of workpieces, it is necessary to process a large amount of NC data. However, the increase in the NC data is limited by the memory capacity of the NC device, and the data reading time is limited. This increases the work waiting time. As a method of transferring the NC data created offline to the NC device, (1) a batch data transfer method, (2) a sequential data transfer method, and the like are known. As shown in FIG. 6, the batch data transfer method allows all data to be read before the start of work, and allows the NC machine to operate continuously after reading. In the sequential data transfer method, as shown in FIG.
This is a method in which transfer and execution of NC data are repeated for each work unit using a control device having a large-capacity storage device coupled to the C device.

[0003] For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-43919 discloses a data transfer method of a robot program of a numerically controlled machine tool and a method of transferring only variable data in a device machining program thereof. Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 6-37902 discloses a device for compressing and transmitting data to be transferred as a communication device for a robot operation program or the like.

[0004]

Among the above-mentioned prior arts, the batch data transfer method has the following problems. (1) When handling large data, the memory capacity of the NC device is restricted. (2) The NC data variable names must be unique. (3) The NC machine cannot be operated during data transfer. On the other hand, in the above-described sequential data transfer method, the same variable name can be used for each unit of work.
The memory capacity of the C device can be saved. But,
The sequential data transfer method also has the following problems. (1) The NC machine cannot be operated during data transfer. (2) The NC machine cannot be operated continuously.

The invention described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-43919 is a sequential data transfer method, and has the same problems as described above. Note that the invention described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. Hei 6-37902 is to compress and send data in order to reduce the transfer time, and has a configuration completely different from the transfer method of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of transferring NC data created by a host computer to an NC device such as a robot controller. By providing data separately and providing this conversion step, the next NC data is postponed while the NC machine such as a robot is operating, so that the operating rate of the NC machine can be improved, and the memory size of the NC device can be improved. NC that can be compact
A data transfer method and apparatus are provided.

[0007]

To achieve the above object, an NC data transfer method according to the present invention comprises an NC device, an NC device,
In a system including a machine, a control device having a mass storage device, and a communication unit between these devices, an NC device is
A program including a replacement step, a replacement completion notification step, an operation step, and an operation completion notification step, and a data buffer including a reception data buffer and an operation data buffer are included. Data is transferred, a start command is given to the NC device by an operation completion signal, and the processing step in the NC device replaces the NC data transmitted from the control device to the reception data buffer with the operation data buffer in a replacement step; After the replacement of the NC data, a replacement completion signal is notified to the control device in a replacement completion notification step. After the replacement completion signal is notified, the NC machine is operated using the NC data in the operation data buffer in the operation step, and the replacement is completed. Receives NC data transferred from control device in response to signal NC data is received during the operation of the NC machine, and after the operation is completed, an operation completion signal is notified to the control device by the operation completion notification step, and the processing from the replacement step is performed by the next start command. It is configured to repeat.

An NC data transfer device according to the present invention, in a system including an NC device, an NC machine, a control device having a large-capacity storage device, and a communication means between these devices, transfers NC data transmitted from the control device. A replacement step of replacing with the operation NC data, a replacement completion notification step of notifying the controller of a replacement completion signal, an operation step of operating the NC machine using the operation NC data after notification of the replacement completion signal, An NC device comprising a program comprising an operation completion notifying step of notifying an operation completion signal, wherein a reception data buffer as a memory area for transfer NC data and an operation data buffer as a memory area for operation NC data are separately provided , An NC machine that performs work in accordance with an instruction from the NC device, and a transfer N to the NC device by a replacement completion signal. Transmits the data, is composed of a control device for providing a start command to the NC device by the operation completion signal, the operating the NC machine with an operation for NC data in the operation data buffer by the operation step,
The transfer NC data transferred from the control device is received in the reception data buffer so that the NC data can be received during the operation of the NC machine. The operation completion notification step notifies the control device of an operation completion signal by the operation completion notification step. The processing from the replacement step is repeated in response to the start command.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and can be implemented with appropriate modifications. . FIG. 1 is a diagram showing N according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
4 schematically shows a C data transfer method. FIG.
1 shows a schematic configuration of an apparatus for executing the NC data transfer method according to the first embodiment of the present invention. According to the present invention, the next NC data can be transferred while the NC machine is operating by improving the sequential transfer method. The device shown in FIG. 2 includes an NC device 10, an NC machine 17, a control device 14 having a mass storage device 12, and a communication means 16 between these devices. Using the control device 14 having the device 12, the divided work units (here, data A, B,
The transfer of NC data is performed for each of C and D).

The points of the present invention are to provide a separate memory area for the transfer NC data and the operation NC data, to provide a step of replacing the transfer NC data with the operation NC data, and to provide the transfer NC data. In this case, the NC device notifies the timing of the completion of the conversion to the operation NC data from the NC device. Thus, FIGS. 1 and 2
As shown in the figure, in the NC device 10, first, the control device 14
The transferred NC data (data A) is replaced (developed) by the operating NC data, and after the NC data is converted,
The control unit 14 is notified of the conversion completion signal. NC device 1
At 0, the operation (operation) is performed using the operation NC data (data A) following the conversion to the operation NC data, and the next NC data is received from the control device 14 which has received the conversion completion signal. (Data B) is transferred to the NC device 10 and N
The transfer of the data B is performed during the working time when the C device 10 operates on the data A.

When the method of the present invention is adopted, the NC device can operate without any trouble even if a variable having the same name is overwritten.
The memory size of the NC device can be made compact. Also,
Compared to the conventional batch data transfer method or sequential data transfer method, as can be seen from FIG. 3, since there is no waiting due to the transfer time, the actual operation rate of the NC machine is improved, and the productivity at the production site is improved. be able to. In addition, when the NC data transfer time, the development (replacement) time, and the work time in the actual adaptation example are compared for the example conceptually shown in FIG. 3, as an example, assuming a welding work using 18 Kbyte NC data, NC data transfer time: 15 sec (9
600bps), NC data development (replacement) time: 0.2s
ec (with a robot controller manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.), NC machine working time: 120 sec.

FIG. 4 explains in detail the configuration of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2, and shows an apparatus for performing the NC data transfer method according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 shows the control device and N in the first embodiment of the present invention.
3 shows a processing flow of the C apparatus. Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the system including the NC device 10, the NC machine 17, the control device 14 having the mass storage device 12, and the communication means 16 between these devices, (1) NC device 1
0 includes a program consisting of (a) replacement step, (b) replacement completion notification step, (c) operation step, and (d) operation completion notification step, and a data buffer consisting of a reception data buffer and an operation data buffer. (2) The control device 14 is configured to transfer NC data to the NC device 10 by a replacement completion signal, and to give a start command to the NC device 10 by an operation completion signal, (3)
In the NC device 10, first, the NC data transmitted from the control device 14 to the reception data buffer is replaced with the operation data buffer in the replacement step. (4) After the replacement, the replacement completion signal is sent to the control device 14 in the replacement completion notification step. (5) After the notification of the replacement completion signal, the NC machine 17 is operated using the NC data in the operation data buffer in the operation step, and (6) the NC transferred from the control device 14 in response to the replacement completion signal. The NC data is received during the operation of the NC machine 17 by receiving the data in the reception data buffer. (7) After the operation is completed, an operation completion signal is notified to the control device 14 by an operation completion notification step, and the next start-up is performed. The process from the replacement step is repeated according to the command.

[0013]

As described above, the present invention has the following effects. (1) The storage area of the NC device can be reduced, and the NC machine can be operated continuously without waiting time for reading the NC data. (2) Since the waiting due to the transfer time does not occur, the actual operation rate of the NC machine is improved, and the productivity at the production site can be improved. (3) Since NC data is quickly read with a small memory capacity, it can be effectively used for a field controller of a robot system.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual configuration diagram showing an NC data transfer method according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an apparatus for performing an NC data transfer method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual configuration diagram in which the method of the present invention is compared with a conventional batch transfer method and a sequential transfer method.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing details of an apparatus for implementing the NC data transfer method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating processing steps of a control device and an NC device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a conceptual configuration diagram showing a conventional NC data transfer method (batch transfer method).

FIG. 7 is a conceptual configuration diagram showing a conventional NC data transfer method (sequential transfer method).

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 NC apparatus 12 Mass storage device 14 Control apparatus 16 Communication means 17 NC machine

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Hideyuki Ninoyu 1-1, Kawasaki-cho, Akashi-shi, Hyogo Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. Inside Akashi Plant (72) Inventor Fumihiro Honda 1-1, Kawasaki-cho, Akashi-shi, Hyogo No. Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. Akashi Factory F-term (reference) 5B014 GD02 GD05 GD13 GD23 GD25 5H269 AB01 AB33 BB01 BB05 KK03

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A system comprising an NC device, an NC machine, a control device provided with a large-capacity storage device, and communication means between these devices, wherein the NC device is replaced by a replacement step, a replacement completion notification step, an operation step, and an operation completion notification. The control device is configured to include a program including steps and a data buffer including a reception data buffer and an operation data buffer. The control device transfers the NC data to the NC device by a replacement completion signal, and issues a start command to the NC device by the operation completion signal. The processing step in the NC device replaces the NC data transmitted from the control device to the reception data buffer with the operation data buffer in the replacement step, replaces the NC data, and sets the control device in the replacement completion notification step. Notify the replacement completion signal to the By operating the NC machine using the NC data in the operation data buffer and receiving the NC data transferred from the control device in response to the replacement completion signal to the reception data buffer, the NC data can be transmitted during the operation of the NC machine. An NC data transfer method comprising: receiving and completing an operation, notifying an operation completion signal to a control device in an operation completion notification step, and repeating a process from a replacement step in response to a next start command. 2. A system comprising an NC device, an NC machine, a control device provided with a large-capacity storage device, and a communication means between these devices, wherein a transfer NC data transmitted from the control device is transmitted to an operation NC.
A replacement step of replacing with data, a replacement completion notification step of notifying the controller of a replacement completion signal, an operation step of operating the NC machine using the operating NC data after notification of the replacement completion signal, and an operation completion signal of the controller. An NC device provided with a program comprising an operation completion notifying step of notifying a reception data buffer which is a memory area for NC data for transfer and an operation data buffer which is a memory area for NC data for operation. An NC machine that performs work according to instructions from the device, and a control device that transmits NC data for transfer to the NC device by a replacement completion signal and gives a start command to the NC device by an operation completion signal N for operation in buffer
The NC machine is operated using the C data, and the transfer NC data transferred from the control device is received in the reception data buffer so that the NC data can be received during the operation of the NC machine. An NC data transfer device, wherein an operation completion signal is notified to a control device, and processing from a replacement step is repeated by a next start command.