JP2020184169A - Control device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a control device capable of executing a process by efficiently utilizing a memory even if a complex option function is required.SOLUTION: A control device 1 according to the present invention includes: a control command detail determining unit 120 that determines a process required in a block of an NC program 200 on the basis of the block read from the NC program 200 in advance and of the mechanical structure of a machine; a utilization plan deciding unit 130 that decides a plan for obtaining the necessary process, extracting the obtained process on a memory, and releasing an unnecessary process from the memory on the basis of the determination by the control command detail determining unit 120; a process obtaining unit 140 that obtains the necessary process on the basis of the decided plan by the utilization plan deciding unit 130; and a memory managing unit 150 that executes an extraction of the process on the memory and a release of the unnecessary process from the memory on the basis of the decided plan by the utilization plan deciding unit 130.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a control device, and more particularly to a control device capable of efficiently utilizing a memory.

Conventionally, in various machine tools such as lathes, grinders, and machining centers, processes for realizing various functions have been developed according to diversifying applications and purposes, and have been expandedly installed in individual machine tools. It was. In the present invention, a process is an execution unit of a system program executed to analyze and execute an NC program, manage a system, and support a user's work on a higher-level server or control device constituting a control system. means. Examples of processes include a pre-processing process that generates executable data from an NC program in advance, a basic screen process for displaying basic information about machining, and a tool for managing tools attached to a machine tool. The tool management process and the like can be mentioned.

By additionally mounting these various processes on a general-purpose machine tool, it is necessary to mount a large-capacity memory for deploying these processes and a high-performance CPU for executing these processes. It was the cause of the increase in the cost of the machine. Further, when machining using a plurality of machine tools, the operator needs to operate the input device while looking at the screen of each machine tool to make the settings even if the same settings are made. Therefore, this was one of the causes of the decrease in work efficiency.

On the other hand, in recent years, with the development of network technology, an increasing number of systems connect factory machine tools to higher-level servers such as host computers and cell controllers and operate according to processing instructions and control instructions from the servers. There is also a form in which a process is executed on a server and the result is used by a machine tool, as in a cloud system.

Under these circumstances, according to Patent Document 1, a process execution environment determination mechanism that determines whether it is more efficient for the entire system to execute the process required for operating a plurality of machine tools on either the upper server or the machine machine. Was provided on the upper server, and the process execution environment determination mechanism determines the optimum execution environment of each process based on the information input from the production planning device or the like.

JP-A-2019-036020

When the execution environment of each process required for the operation of the machine tool is determined and the operation of each machine tool is started, the process using the machine tool as the execution environment is ranked higher before the automatic operation is started. Get from the server to the machine tool. However, for example, in the case of performing machining that requires many complicated optional functions in a certain machine tool, it is necessary to acquire all the processes required to provide the optional functions in advance. In such a case, the machine tool requires a high-performance CPU and a large-capacity memory. As described above, depending on the processing content performed by the machine tool, the effect of determining the execution environment for each process may not be expected.
Therefore, there is a demand for a control device that can execute a process by efficiently using a memory even when a complicated optional function is required.

The control device according to one aspect of the present invention dynamically acquires necessary processes and releases unnecessary processes during automatic operation, and determines an operation method that enables efficient use of a small amount of memory. By doing so, the above problem is solved.

Then, one aspect of the present invention is a block pre-read from the NC program and a machine of the machine in a control device that manages a plurality of processes that analyze and execute a command by a block of an NC program for controlling a machine. Based on the configuration, the control command content determination unit that determines the process required in the NC program block, and the control command content determination unit obtains the necessary process and deploys it on the memory based on the determination. A utilization plan determination unit that determines a plan for releasing unnecessary processes from memory, a process acquisition unit that acquires necessary processes based on a plan determined by the utilization plan determination unit, and the utilization plan. It is a control device including a memory management unit that expands a process acquired by the process acquisition unit into memory and releases unnecessary processes from memory based on a plan determined by the determination unit.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to efficiently use a small amount of memory to execute many processes even when performing processing that requires many complicated optional functions.

It is a hardware block diagram which shows the main part of the control device by one Embodiment. It is a schematic functional block diagram of the control device by one Embodiment. It is a figure which exemplifies the table used for the determination of the required process. It is a figure which shows the example of the utilization plan decided by the utilization plan determination department. It is a figure which shows the example of the process acquisition destination setting table. It is a figure which shows the example of the process acquisition priority table. It is a figure which shows the example of the process release priority table.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic hardware configuration diagram showing a main part of a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The control device 1 of the present invention can be implemented as a control device that controls an industrial machine such as a machine tool based on, for example, an NC program.

The CPU 11 included in the control device 1 according to the present embodiment is a processor that controls the control device 1 as a whole. The CPU 11 reads the system program stored in the ROM 12 and the system program acquired from a process storage location such as a host server via the network via the bus 20, and controls the entire control device 1 according to the system program. .. Temporary calculation data, display data, each data input from the outside, and the like are temporarily stored in the RAM 13.

The non-volatile memory 14 is composed of, for example, a memory backed up by a battery (not shown), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or the like, and the storage state is maintained even when the power of the control device 1 is turned off. The non-volatile memory 14 stores NC programs and ladder programs read from the external device 72 via the interface 15, NC programs and ladder programs input via the display / MDI unit 70, and the like. Each program and each data stored in the non-volatile memory 14 may be expanded in the RAM 13 at the time of execution / use. In addition, the processes required for execution of NC programs and the like, system management, and support of workers are mainly developed on the RAM 13.

The interface 15 is an interface for connecting the CPU 11 of the control device 1 and an external device 72 such as a USB device. The NC program, ladder program, parameters, etc. used for controlling the machine tool are read from the external device 72 side. Further, the NC program, the ladder program, each parameter, etc. edited in the control device 1 can be stored in the external storage means via the external device 72. The PMC (programmable machine controller) 16 executes a ladder program to the machine tool and peripheral devices of the machine tool (for example, a tool changer, an actuator such as a robot, a sensor attached to the machine tool, etc.). A signal is output and controlled via the I / O unit 17. In addition, it receives signals from various switches and peripheral devices on the operation panel installed in the main body of the machine tool, performs necessary signal processing, and then passes them to the CPU 11.

The display / MDI unit 70 is a manual data input device provided with a display, keyboard, etc. having a function as a touch panel, and the interface 18 receives input from the keyboard or touch panel of the display / MDI unit 70 and passes it to the CPU 11. .. The interface 19 is connected to an operation panel 71 provided with a manual pulse generator or the like used when manually driving each axis.

The control device 1 is connected to the wired / wireless network 7 via the interface 21. At least one upper server 5 is connected to the network 7 and exchanges data with the control device 1 with each other.

The axis control circuit 30 for controlling the axis included in the machine tool receives the axis movement command amount from the CPU 11 and outputs the axis command to the servo amplifier 40. In response to this command, the servo amplifier 40 drives the servomotor 50 that moves the shaft included in the machine tool. The shaft servomotor 50 has a built-in position / speed detector, feeds back the position / speed feedback signal from the position / speed detector to the shaft control circuit 30, and performs position / speed feedback control. In the hardware configuration diagram of FIG. 1, only one axis control circuit 30, a servo amplifier 40, and a servo motor 50 are shown, but in reality, only the number of axes provided in the machine tool to be controlled Be prepared.

The spindle control circuit 60 receives a spindle rotation command and outputs a spindle speed signal to the spindle amplifier 61. Upon receiving this spindle speed signal, the spindle amplifier 61 rotates the spindle motor 62 of the machine tool at the commanded rotation speed to drive the tool. A position coder 63 is coupled to the spindle motor 62, and the position coder 63 outputs a feedback pulse in synchronization with the rotation of the spindle, and the feedback pulse is read by the CPU 11.

FIG. 2 is a schematic functional block diagram of the control device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Each functional block shown in FIG. 2 is realized by the CPU 11 included in the control device 1 shown in FIG. 1 executing a system program and controlling the operation of each part of the control device 1.

The control device 1 of the present embodiment includes a look-ahead unit 100, a control unit 110, a control command content determination unit 120, a utilization plan determination unit 130, a process acquisition unit 140, and a memory management unit 150. An NC program 200 including a numerical control command for controlling the machine tool 2 is stored in advance on the non-volatile memory 14 of the control device 1.

The look-ahead unit 100 is realized by executing a system program read from the ROM 12 by the CPU 11 included in the control device 1 shown in FIG. 1 and performing arithmetic processing mainly by the CPU 11 using the RAM 13 and the non-volatile memory 14. .. The look-ahead unit 100 is a functional means for pre-reading a block of the NC program 200. The information related to the block read ahead by the look-ahead unit is used for controlling the machine tool 2 by the control unit 110, and is also used for determining the content of the control command by the control command content determination unit 120.

The control unit 110 executes a system program read from the ROM 12 by the CPU 11 included in the control device 1 shown in FIG. 1, and mainly performs arithmetic processing using the RAM 13 and the non-volatile memory 14 by the CPU 11, and the axis control circuit and spindle control. It is realized by performing control processing of each part of the machine tool using a circuit and PMC, and input / output processing via interfaces 18 and 19. The control unit 110 is a functional means that analyzes the block of the NC program 200 that has been read ahead by the look-ahead unit 100 and controls each part of the machine tool 2 based on the analysis result. The control unit 110 analyzes the pre-read block and executes the analyzed command by calling the process arranged on the RAM 13. The control unit 110 calls, for example, a preprocessing process developed on the RAM 13 to analyze the pre-read block, and executes the analysis of the block by the process. For example, when the read-ahead block commands each axis of the machine tool 2 to be driven, the control unit 110 calls the basic axis control process developed on the RAM 13 and determines the axis angle for each control cycle. Command data as the amount of change is generated and output to the servo motor 50 and the spindle motor 62. Further, for example, when the read-ahead block commands the peripheral device to which the machine tool 2 is attached to operate, the control unit 110 calls the process related to the peripheral device deployed on the RAM 13. A predetermined signal for operating the peripheral device is generated and output to the PMC 16. In this way, the control unit 110 executes the functions required for operating each part of the machine tool 2 by calling the process developed on the RAM 13. If the process required to issue the command by the pre-read block is not expanded on the RAM 13, the control unit 110 waits for the execution of the command by the pre-read block until the process is expanded. Execution of the directive is started when the process is deployed. At this time, the control unit 110 may output an alert if the required process is not expanded on the RAM 13 after waiting for a predetermined time.

The control command content determination unit 120 executes a system program read from the ROM 12 by the CPU 11 included in the control device 1 shown in FIG. 1, and mainly performs arithmetic processing using the RAM 13 and the non-volatile memory 14 by the CPU 11. It will be realized. The control command content determination unit 120 determines the process required for each pre-read block based on information such as the NC program block pre-read by the pre-read unit 100 and the machine configuration of the machine tool 2 to be controlled. It is a functional means to perform. The control command content determination unit 120 is required to have any function in each block of the NC program 200 based on the type of the movement command by the block read ahead from the NC program 200, the type of the operation mode, and the machine configuration of the machine tool. Determine if it is. In the setting area of the non-volatile memory 14 of the control device 1, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, necessary processes are set in association with the machine configuration of the machine tool and the type of numerical control command. The control command content determination unit 120 compares such a setting with each block of the machine tool machine configuration and the pre-read NC program, and determines what kind of process is required in which block. You can do it.

The utilization plan determination unit 130 is realized by executing a system program read from the ROM 12 by the CPU 11 included in the control device 1 shown in FIG. 1 and performing arithmetic processing mainly by the CPU 11 using the RAM 13 and the non-volatile memory 14. Will be done. Based on the determination by the control command content determination unit 120, the utilization plan determination unit 130 acquires the required process at which timing during the execution of the NC program 200, and releases the unnecessary process at which timing. It is a functional means to determine the utilization plan that indicates whether or not. The utilization plan determination unit 130 utilizes the block in the NC program 200 so as to acquire the process and deploy it on the RAM 13 before the block in which the command requiring the predetermined process first appears is executed. Decide on a plan. Further, in the block in the NC program 200, when the utilization plan determination unit 130 does not appear after a block having a command requiring a predetermined process, the next block in which the command requiring the process appears last appears. After being executed, the utilization plan is determined so as to release the process from the RAM 13.

It is desirable that the utilization plan determined by the utilization plan determination unit 130 is determined so that the process is deployed on the RAM 13 at the timing when the block requiring the predetermined process is executed. For such a purpose, the utilization plan determination unit 130 has sufficiently free memory area of the RAM 13 at the timing when the block is read ahead and the control command content determination unit 120 determines the process requiring the block. If so, the utilization plan may be determined so that the process is immediately acquired and deployed on the RAM 13. In addition, the utilization plan determination unit 130 determines the process at the timing when the block before the predetermined number of spare blocks of the block requiring the predetermined process is executed in the pre-read block. The utilization plan may be determined so as to acquire and deploy on the RAM 13.

It is desirable that the utilization plan determined by the utilization plan determination unit 130 is determined so that a predetermined process that is not used for executing the NC program is efficiently released from the RAM 13. For such a purpose, the utilization plan determination unit 130 transfers the process on the RAM 13 when the command requiring the predetermined process does not appear in the predetermined number of elapsed blocks in the blocks in the NC program 200. You may decide the utilization plan so as to release from.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a utilization plan determined by the utilization plan determination unit 130. In FIG. 4, in order to simplify the explanation, the utilization plan determination unit 130 determines the acquisition and release timings of the preprocessing process, the basic axis control process, the simultaneous 5-axis control process, and the drilling cycle process. An example will be described. In the NC program shown in FIG. 4, it is assumed that a command requiring a simultaneous 5-axis control process appears in the N1400 block, and a command requiring a simultaneous 5-axis control process does not appear in the N2100 block and thereafter. Further, the blocks after the N2650 block include a block that commands a drilling cycle. When executing such an NC program, when the execution of the NC program is started, the utilization plan determination unit 130 processes all the commands based on the determination of the control command content determination unit 120 for the pre-read block. It is planned to acquire the required preprocessing process and the basic axis control process required to execute the feed command after the N0001 block and deploy them on the RAM 13. Further, the utilization plan determination unit 130 acquires the simultaneous 5-axis control process required by the command related to the simultaneous 5-axis control appearing after the N1400 block by the time the N1400 block is executed and deploys it on the RAM 13. Decide on a utilization plan. After that, the utilization plan determination unit 130 determines the utilization plan so as to release the simultaneous 5-axis control process from the RAM 13 when it is determined that the command requiring the simultaneous 5-axis control process does not appear after the N2110 block. .. Finally, the utilization plan determination unit 130 determines the utilization plan so as to acquire the drilling cycle process required by the drilling cycle command appearing after the N2650 block and deploy it on the RAM 13 by the time the N2650 block is executed. To do.

The process acquisition unit 140 executes a system program read from the ROM 12 by the CPU 11 included in the control device 1 shown in FIG. 1, and mainly performs arithmetic processing using the ROM 12, the RAM 13, and the non-volatile memory 14 by the CPU 11, via the interface 15. It is realized by performing the input processing, the communication processing via the interface 21, and the like. The process acquisition unit 140 is a functional means for acquiring the process required for executing the command by the block of the NC program 200. The process acquisition unit 140 acquires the process from the process storage location such as the upper server 5 via the network 7 according to the utilization plan determined by the utilization plan determination unit 130. The process acquisition unit 140 may read the necessary process from the ROM 12 or the non-volatile memory 14 and acquire it. Further, the process acquisition unit 140 may read the necessary process from the external device 72 and acquire it. In the setting area of the non-volatile memory of the control device 1, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 5, a process acquisition destination setting table for setting the acquisition destination of each process is stored in advance, and the process acquisition unit 140 stores the process acquisition destination setting table. The acquisition destination of each process may be determined by referring to this process acquisition destination setting table.

The memory management unit 150 is realized by executing a system program read from the ROM 12 by the CPU 11 included in the control device 1 shown in FIG. 1 and performing arithmetic processing mainly by the CPU 11 using the RAM 13 and the non-volatile memory 14. To. The memory management unit 150 is a functional means for managing the process developed on the RAM 13. The memory management unit 150 develops the process acquired by the process acquisition unit 140 on the RAM 13. Further, the memory management unit 150 releases the process developed on the RAM 13 according to the utilization plan determined by the utilization plan determination unit 130.

In the control device 1 having the above configuration, during the automatic operation of the NC program 200, the pre-read block is analyzed, and the process required for controlling the machine tool or the like is expanded on the memory at the required timing. Unnecessary processes are released from the memory as appropriate. Therefore, in the control device 1, during the automatic operation of the machine tool, the timing of dynamically acquiring / releasing the required process can be performed based on the command by the block of the NC program 200, the machine configuration of the machine tool, and the like. it can. The user automatically acquires / releases the required process without specifying the process acquisition / release command in the NC program 200.

As a modification of the control device 1 according to the present embodiment, the utilization plan determination unit 130 determines the utilization plan using the process acquisition priority table for registering the priority order for acquiring the process and deploying it on the RAM 13. You can do it.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a process acquisition priority table. The process acquisition priority table can be defined as, for example, a table in which the process to be acquired and the acquisition priority of the process are associated with each other. The process acquisition priority table is prepared as an empty table at the start of execution of the NC program 200. When the NC program 200 is executed, the pre-reading unit 100 pre-reads the blocks, and the control command content determination unit 120 determines the necessary process, the utilization plan determination unit 130 in the order of the pre-read blocks. Prioritize and register in the process acquisition priority table. When the acquisition target process is registered in the process acquisition priority table, the process acquisition unit 140 executes the acquisition of the processes in descending order of priority, and when the acquired process is expanded on the RAM 13, the process acquisition priority is given to the process. Remove from the table and raise the priority of other processes. The process acquisition unit 140 and the memory management unit 150 acquire the process and expand it on the RAM 13 as long as the current RAM 13 has free space. Then, when there is no free space in the RAM 13, the acquisition and expansion of the process are suspended until the RAM 13 becomes free while holding the acquisition priority table. In the process acquisition priority table of this example, when the process cannot be acquired immediately from the upper server in an environment where the communication speed is slow, or when there is enough free space to deploy the process to be acquired next, there is temporary space. It is effective when used when it is not in the RAM 13.

As another modification of the control device 1 according to the present embodiment, the utilization plan determination unit 130 determines the utilization plan by using the process release priority table for registering the priority of releasing the process from the RAM 13. Is also good.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a process release priority table. The process release priority table can be defined as, for example, a table in which the process to be released is associated with the information related to the block in which the process was last called. The process release priority table is prepared as an empty table at the start of execution of the NC program 200. When the NC program 200 is executed, the process acquisition unit 140 acquires the process, and the memory management unit 150 expands the process onto the RAM 13, the information related to the process is registered in the process release priority table. To. Every time the process registered in the process release priority table is called by the control unit 110, the information related to the last called block in the process release priority table is updated before 0 blocks. Further, each time the execution of the NC program 200 progresses, the information related to the last called block of each process registered in the process release priority table is incremented by 1. The information related to this last called block serves as the reverse priority when releasing the process. Then, when the acquisition target process is registered in the process acquisition priority table and there is not enough free space in the RAM 13 to expand the acquisition target process, the memory management unit 150 is finally called in the process release priority table. Releases the process to be released, whose oldest block is the oldest, from memory. The memory management unit 150 deletes the released process from the process release priority table. The amount of memory occupied by each process may be associated and registered in the process release priority table. With this configuration, for example, the process to be released can be determined using both the amount of memory required for the acquisition target process and the information related to the last called block as judgment materials. Note that the processes essential for the execution of some NC programs 200 may not be registered in the process release priority table.

It is also possible to use the process acquisition priority table and the process release priority table together. When the process acquisition priority table and the process release priority table are used together, process acquisition and release, and process priority assignment may be controlled according to the processes registered in each table. ..
For example, when the utilization plan determination unit 130 newly registers a process in the process acquisition priority table, the process release priority table is referred to prior to registration, and the same process as the process to be registered is given priority to process release. If it is registered in the table, that is, if the process is already expanded on RAM 13, instead of registering the process in the process acquisition priority table, it is in the last called block of the process in the process release priority table. The relevant information may be updated to 0 blocks before (lowest priority value). On the contrary, when the memory management unit 150 releases the process from the RAM 13, the process registration priority table is referred to before the process is released, and the same process as the process to be released from now on is the process. When the process is registered in the registration priority table with a predetermined priority or higher, the information related to the last called block of the process in the process release priority table is displayed 0 blocks before (highest priority) without releasing the process from the RAM 13. It may be updated to a value with a low degree). By performing such control, it is possible to prevent the process that is known to be used at a near timing from being inadvertently released from the analysis result of the block read ahead from the NC program 200. ..

As a modification of the control device 1 according to the present embodiment, the utilization plan determination unit 130 pre-reads all the blocks of the NC program 200 at the start of execution of the NC program 200, and acquires and deploys the process and releases the utilization plan. It may be decided at the start of execution of the NC program 200. With such a configuration, since the necessary timing and the unnecessary timing of the process can be grasped in advance, the unnecessary process can be positively released from the RAM 13 or the temporarily unnecessary process can be released from the RAM 13. The memory can be used more efficiently, for example, by positively releasing the process from the above and reacquiring and expanding the process when it is needed again.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the examples of the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various embodiments by making appropriate changes.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, a control device that controls one system (controlled by one control unit 110) is described as an example, but for example, even when controlling a plurality of systems, the present invention is described. Technology is available. In such a case, the process required in the block of NC program 200 for controlling each system is shared in the control of each system. Therefore, the utilization plan determination unit 130 plans the timing of acquisition, deployment, and release of the process in consideration of the process required in each block of the plurality of NC programs 200. As a result, in the control device that controls a plurality of systems, it becomes possible to more efficiently manage the use of memory by the process.

1 Control device 2 Machine tool 5 Upper server 7 Network 11 CPU
12 ROM
13 RAM
14 Non-volatile memory 15, 18, 19, 21 interface 16 PMC
17 I / O unit 20 Bus 30 Axis control circuit 40 Servo amplifier 50 Servo motor 60 Spindle control circuit 61 Spindle amplifier 62 Spindle motor 63 Position coder 70 Display / MDI unit 71 Operation panel 72 External device 100 Look-ahead unit 110 Control unit 120 Control Command content judgment unit 130 Utilization plan determination unit 140 Process acquisition department 150 Memory management department 200 NC program

Claims (3)

In a control device that manages multiple processes that analyze and execute instructions from blocks of NC programs to control machines.
Based on the block read ahead from the NC program and the machine configuration of the machine, a control command content determination unit that determines the process required for the block of the NC program, and a control command content determination unit.
Based on the determination in the control command content determination unit, the utilization plan determination unit that determines a plan for acquiring and deploying necessary processes in memory and releasing unnecessary processes from memory, and
Based on the plan decided by the utilization plan decision department, the process acquisition department that acquires the necessary processes and
Based on the plan decided by the utilization plan determination unit, the memory management unit that expands the process acquired by the process acquisition unit into the memory and releases the unnecessary process from the memory.
Control device equipped with. The utilization plan determination unit plans to acquire and expand the process required by a certain block on the memory at the timing when another block before a predetermined number of spare blocks of the certain block is executed. ,
The control device according to claim 1. When a predetermined process expanded in the memory is not called by a predetermined number of elapsed blocks, the utilization plan determination unit plans to release the process from the memory as an unnecessary process.
The control device according to claim 1.

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