JP2011008497A - Programmable controller, base board, and i/o module - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To more accelerate a control operation with respect to a programmable controller, a base board for a programmable controller, and an I/O module.SOLUTION: The programmable controller includes a base board 1 on which a plurality of slots for module mounting are installed, wherein a module 3 is mounted on each slot 5 on the base board 1. The slot 5 of the base board 1 is formed with a radio tag reader 15 which can recognize the module 3 by reading information recorded in a radio tag 13 installed in the module 3 mounted on the slot 5.

Description

  The present invention relates to a programmable controller, a base board for a programmable controller, and an I / O module.

  Programmable controllers include building block types classified by function and module configuration. Examples of the module in this building block type include a CPU module and an I / O module. FIG. 8 shows a circuit configuration in which the CPU module 100 and the I / O module 102 are interconnected to the programmable controller bus 104. As shown in FIG. 9, these modules 100 and 102 having such a connection relationship are mounted in the slots in the base board 106 so as to be adjacent to each other in one direction. The base board 106 includes a type in which all modules including the CPU module 100 are mounted, and a type in which modules are mounted except for the CPU module. In any case, the base board 106 has a plurality of slots into which a plurality of modules can be mounted (see Patent Document 1).

  Here, the CPU module 100 stores a CPU that executes a ladder diagram type sequence program (ladder program) in accordance with a system control program, a system control program, and a sequence program, and stores data such as calculation results of the CPU. It consists of various memories. The I / O module 102 includes an input module, an output module, an input / output module, communication, positioning, a high function module such as a counter, and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the base board 106 has a slot 108 into which the modules 100 and 102 can be mounted. A module mounting connector 110 is provided on the inner wall of each slot 108. A receiving-side connector 112 for connecting to the connector 110 is provided on the back surface of the modules 100 and 102 on the insertion side into the slot 108. When the modules 100 and 102 are inserted into the slots 108 of the base board 106 and the receiving side connector 112 is connected to the in-slot connector 110, the modules 100 and 102 are mounted in the slots 108 of the base board 100. It becomes a state.

  In this mounted state, the modules 100 and 102 are connected to each other by a parallel bus (not shown). The parallel bus is provided on the inner wall or the like on the back side of the base board 106.

  In the programmable controller having the above configuration, the CPU module 100 is a module that performs sequence control, and for the control, the CPU module 100 exchanges data with the I / O module 102 via the bus. It has become. In this case, in the I / O module 102, an input device such as a sensor (not shown) is connected to the input module, and an output device such as an actuator is connected to the output module. In the input module, data from the input device is sent to the CPU module 100. In addition, the output module outputs a control output to the output device in response to a control signal from the CPU module 100.

  The CPU module 100 needs to know what I / O module 102 is connected to each slot 108 for the sequence control. In this case, since the CPU module 100 does not know what I / O module 102 is connected, the CPU module 100 communicates with the I / O module 102 according to a predetermined communication protocol for each sequence control scan, and the communication data To recognize which I / O module 102 is connected. Patent Document 2 is exemplified as another prior art document.

JP 11-354944 A JP 2006-120027 A

  However, in the case of the above conventional example, even when the base board has a slot to which a plurality of modules can be connected, or when only one I / O module is connected to the base board, the CPU The module needs to recognize whether the module is connected and what kind of module is connected by communicating with all the slots. The control operation has been slowed down as much as it is necessary to perform such recognition processing.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to make it possible to speed up the control operation by the CPU module.

  A programmable controller according to the present invention includes a base board provided with a plurality of slots for mounting modules, and a CPU module and one or more I / O modules are mounted in each slot on the base board. A programmable controller that recognizes an I / O module by reading information recorded in a module recognition target included in the I / O module installed in this slot in at least an I / O module installation slot in the base board An automatic recognition device capable of performing the above is provided.

  Here, the module recognition target may be a wireless tag, a barcode, a two-dimensional code, or the like. Examples of the automatic recognition device include an RF-ID reader / writer that reads a wireless tag, a barcode reader that reads a barcode, and a two-dimensional code reader that reads a two-dimensional code. In this case, when the slot is narrow, it is preferable that the RF-ID reader / writer is composed of a main body portion and a head portion, and only the communication coil that is the head portion is arranged in the slot. Similarly, a bar code reader or a two-dimensional code reader may be constituted by a main body and a head portion, and only the head portion may be arranged in the slot.

  The automatic recognition apparatus is not limited to being disposed in the slot as a whole, but includes being partially disposed in the slot.

  In the present invention, simply by mounting an I / O module in the slot of the base board, the information recorded on the module recognition target provided on the base board is read and recognized by the automatic recognition device in the slot. By transmitting information read by the automatic recognition device to the module side, for example, information such as whether an I / O module is installed in the slot of the base board, what I / O module is installed, The CPU module can perform sequence control from the information. As a result, the CPU module does not need to scan each slot to determine whether or not an I / O module is connected in the slot and what type of I / O module is connected, as in the past. The control operation can be speeded up. In this case, even if only one I / O module is installed in a plurality of slots, information is transmitted to the CPU module only from the installed I / O module. The control operation can be speeded up without depending on the number of I / O modules mounted on the.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the module recognition target is a wireless tag provided at a slot insertion side portion of the I / O module, and the automatic recognition device includes a device main body and a tag reader connected to the device main body. And the communication coil is provided in the slot, thereby enabling communication with the wireless tag included in the I / O module installed in the slot. .

  In the present invention, a preferred embodiment is a system configuration including a CPU module including a tag reader and one or more I / O modules including a wireless tag.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to speed up the control operation by the CPU module without depending on the number of I / O modules mounted on the base board.

FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a programmable controller according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a view showing a part of a base board cut out in a state where a module is housed in the base board. FIG. 2 is a view in which a part of the base board is cut out in a state where the base board in which the module is not stored is viewed from the front side together with the module. FIG. 3 corresponds to FIG. 2 and is a view showing the base board in which the module is not stored as viewed from the back side together with the module. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the facing state of the communication coil in the base board and the wireless tag on the back of the module in the base board. FIG. 5 is a view showing the module back side and the front side of the base board in the same view so that the connector and the wireless tag on the back side of the module and the connector and communication coil on the inner wall of the base board can be seen. It is. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a circuit configuration of the wireless tag and the wireless tag reader. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a circuit block configuration of the entire programmable controller. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a connection relationship between the CPU module and a plurality of I / O modules. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an external configuration of a conventional programmable controller shown in a state where a module is housed in a base board. FIG. 10 is a view showing a base board in a state where a module is not accommodated, with a part thereof cut away.

  Hereinafter, a programmable controller according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiment described below exemplifies a programmable controller, a base board, an I / O module, a wireless tag, and a tag reader for embodying the technical idea of the present invention. It is not specified in what is described in.

  FIG. 1 shows an external configuration of a programmable controller in which a part of a base board is cut out in a state where a module is housed in the base board in an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the base board 1 is a box type and houses a module 3. This module 3 is a power supply module, a CPU module, and an I / O module. In the embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the CPU module 3a and the I / O module 3b are used in FIG. 1 and subsequent figures, and the power supply module is omitted from the illustration and explanation. However, the module is collectively referred to as module 3. The CPU module 3a is housed at the left end of the base board 1 in the figure, and the I / O module 3b is disposed adjacent to the right side of the CPU module 3a. The programmable controller of the embodiment is a building block type composed of a plurality of modules according to function, the CPU module 3a is a module that controls sequence control, and the I / O module 3b is an input module, an output module, an input / output module, a communication Includes modules, other highly functional modules, etc.

  The connector 7 provided in the slot 5 of the base board 1, the communication coil 9, the receiving connector 11 provided in the module 3, and the wireless tag 13 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 shows the base board 1 that does not contain the module 3 as viewed from the front, and FIG. 3 similarly shows the base board 1 that does not contain the module 3 as seen from the back. FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional configuration showing the facing state of the communication coil 9 and the wireless tag 13 in the base board. FIG. 5 shows the communication coil 9 and the wireless tag 13 in an enlarged manner. Although the base board 1 has a detailed structure, in the embodiment, it is omitted for convenience of illustration.

  The base board 1 has a slot 5 in which the module 3 can be mounted. A module mounting connector 7 is provided on the inner wall on the back side of each slot 5. A receiving-side connector 11 for connecting to the connector 7 is provided on the back surface of each module 3 on the insertion side into the slot 5. Each module 3 is inserted into each slot 5 of the base board 1 in the direction of the arrow, and when the receiving connector 11 is connected to the in-slot connector 7, the module 3 is mounted in the slot 5 of the base board 1. It becomes a state. In this mounted state, the modules 3 are connected to each other by a parallel bus (not shown) provided on the base board 1. The parallel bus is provided on the inner wall on the back side of the base board 1. As described above, the module 3 includes the CPU module 3a and a plurality of I / O modules 3b.

  In the above configuration, in the present embodiment, each slot 5 of the base board 1 is provided with a wireless tag reader side communication coil 9. A wireless tag 13 is provided on the back surface of the module 3 inserted into each slot 5. The wireless tag 13 is also called an IC tag, an ID tag, an RF tag, an electronic tag, a transponder, a data carrier, etc., and receives an RF (Radio Frequency) signal in a non-contact manner and is recorded in an electronic circuit such as a semiconductor memory. It is a tag using RF-ID (Radio Frequency IDentification) technology that can read out data or write data.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the wireless tag 13 is connected to the thin rectangular substrate 13a, the antenna coil 13b spirally wired along each side of the substrate 13a, and the antenna coil 13b. And a semiconductor chip 13c disposed inside. The substrate 13a is made of, for example, a resin sheet having a thickness of 0.2 mm, and the antenna coil 13b is formed on the resin sheet by printing or etching. The semiconductor chip 13c includes a capacitor that forms a resonance circuit with the antenna coil 13b, a demodulation circuit that demodulates the reception circuit, a processing circuit that processes reception data, and a semiconductor memory that stores ID and reception data. The response signal is generated based on a response request from the wireless tag reader / writer 15.

  The communication coil 9 constitutes a head portion 15a of the wireless tag reader / writer 15, and similarly includes a substrate 9a and an antenna coil 9b wired spirally on the substrate 9a.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the wireless tag reader / writer 15 includes a head unit 15a including a communication coil 9 that communicates with the wireless tag 13 by non-contact communication and performs reading / writing, and a controller unit 15b that controls the head unit 15a. And having. The wireless tag reader / writer 15 is a device that receives a response signal from the wireless tag 13 by modulating and transmitting a carrier wave as a baseband signal with a digital signal. The modulation based on the baseband signal of the carrier includes ASK (Amplitude Shift Keying) modulation for changing the amplitude of the carrier, FSK (Frequency Shift Keying) modulation for changing the frequency, and PSK (Phase Shift changing the phase). Keying) modulation.

  Although detailed description of the controller unit 15b of the wireless tag reader / writer 15 is omitted, the controller unit 15b outputs, for example, a 13.56 MHz RF signal as a carrier wave. The carrier wave is power amplified and ASK modulated, and the harmonic component is removed by the LPF and transmitted to the wireless tag 13 via the LC resonance circuit. The coil included in the LC resonance circuit acts as the communication coil 9 as the head portion 15a. This modulation signal is sent to the antenna coil 13b of the wireless tag 13 through the LC resonance circuit. The response signal of the wireless tag 13 is received from the antenna coil 13b by the head unit 15a of the wireless tag reader / writer 15 including the communication coil 9, demodulated by the controller unit 15b, and the reception of the response signal from the wireless tag 13 is determined. It has become.

  The wireless tag 13 receives a signal from the wireless tag reader / writer 15, generates power necessary for the operation, writes the received data into the memory, and reads the data from the memory based on the received data. . In this memory, as identification information for identifying the wireless tag 13, for example, type information of various modules 3 such as the I / O module 3b is stored. Specifically, a manufacturer code, a product code, a serial number, and the like are stored as an ID. Therefore, the wireless tag reader / writer 15 can identify the module 3 to which the wireless tag 13 is attached by reading the ID from the wireless tag 13.

  The wireless tag reader / writer 15 performs an operation of transmitting a response request signal to the wireless tag 13 via the communication coil 9 that is the head unit 15 a and receiving a response signal from the wireless tag 13. The wireless tag reader / writer 15 may be a wireless tag reader / writer based on the ISO standard, and a proximity reading type device is preferable.

  The overall configuration of the programmable controller will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The CPU module 3 a is connected to the I / O module 3 b via the programmable controller bus 17 in a state where the module 3 is accommodated in the base board 1. The CPU module 3 a includes a CPU 19, a system program memory 21, a user program memory 23, a work memory 25, and a controller unit 15 b of the wireless tag reader / writer 15. The CPU module 3a operates using a system program stored in the system program memory 21 in advance as a base layer program. The CPU module 3a stores a user program such as a sequence program in a user program memory 23, which will be described later, and then calculates and executes the sequence program stored in the user program memory 23 to automatically control the external control target device. I do. The CPU 19 controls the operation of each component in the CPU module 3a based on the system program stored in the system program memory 21, and executes or stops the sequence program stored in the user program memory 23. Control and automatic recognition processing of the I / O module in the base board 1 according to the present embodiment are performed.

  Hereinafter, the automatic recognition process will be described. The CPU 19 in the CPU module 3 a instructs the controller unit 15 b of the wireless tag reader / writer 15 to start communication with the wireless tag 13. The controller unit 15 b drives the head unit 15 a and transmits a signal from the communication coil 9 to the wireless tag 13. When the I / O module 3b is not mounted, the wireless tag reader head unit 15a corresponding to the I / O module 3b transmits a signal, but the transmission destination I / O module 3b is not mounted. Cannot be received. When the I / O module 3b is attached to the base board 1, the wireless tag 13 attached to the I / O module 3b responds to the reception of this signal and transmits the response signal to the wireless tag reader head unit 15a. To do. This response signal includes the type information of the I / O module 3b to which the wireless tag 13 is attached.

  The wireless tag reader / writer controller unit 15b sends the data read from the wireless tag 13 by the head unit 15a to the CPU 19. The CPU 19 performs control based on this data. Therefore, the CPU module 3a simply causes the wireless tag reader / writer 15 to instruct the wireless tag reader / writer 15 to start communication with the wireless tag 13, and the wireless tag reader / writer 15 reads the data from the wireless tag 13 to connect the I / O module 3b. It is possible to automatically recognize whether or not the I / O module 3b is connected, and sequence control can be performed by this automatic recognition.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the information recorded in the wireless tag 13 provided in the I / O module 3b mounted in the slot 5 is read into the slot 5 in the base board 1 to read the I / O module. Since the communication coil 9 capable of recognizing 3b is provided, simply by mounting the I / O module 3b in the slot 5 of the base board 1, information recorded on the wireless tag 13 provided on the communication coil 9 is Since the controller 15b of the wireless tag reader / writer 15 reads and recognizes from the communication coil 9 in the slot 5, information read by the wireless tag reader / writer 15 on the CPU module 3a side, for example, the slot 5 of the base board 1 is read. The I / O module 3b is installed, what I / O module 3b is installed, etc. By transmitting the information, CPU module 3a will be able to perform the sequence control from the information.

  As a result, in the present embodiment, the number of I / O modules 3b in the base board 1 is the same as in the conventional case, regardless of whether the I / O modules 3b are installed or not. It is not necessary to scan whether or not the O module 3b is connected and what I / O module 3b is connected, and the control operation can be speeded up.

1 base board 3 module 5 slot 7 connector 9 communication coil 11 connector 13 wireless tag

Claims (5)

A programmable controller comprising a base board provided with a plurality of slots for mounting modules, and a CPU module and one or more I / O modules mounted in each slot on the base board,
Automatic capable of recognizing an I / O module by reading information recorded in a module recognition object included in the I / O module installed in the slot in at least an I / O module installation slot in the base board A recognition device is provided,
A programmable controller characterized by that. The module recognition object is a wireless tag provided on the slot insertion side portion of the I / O module,
The automatic recognition apparatus includes an apparatus main body and a tag reader communication coil connected to the apparatus main body, and the communication coil is provided in the slot so that the I / O attached to the slot is provided. Communication with the wireless tag provided in the module is possible.
The programmable controller according to claim 1. A CPU module with a tag reader;
One or more I / O modules with wireless tags;
With a system configuration,
The programmable controller according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the programmable controller.   In the base board for programmable controller provided with a plurality of slots for module mounting, tag reader side communication capable of short-range communication with the wireless tag provided in the module mounted in this slot inside one or a plurality of slots A base board for a programmable controller, wherein a coil is provided.   An I / O module that is mounted in a slot of a base board, and includes a wireless tag at a position where it can communicate with a tag reader communication coil provided in the slot when mounted in the slot. An I / O module characterized by that.

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