JPH0192081A - Operation-history information storage-transfer system of robot controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To easily examine the cause of something wrong at a time when an abnormality has occurred in a robot by installing a storage means which stores the specified quantity of a robot operating state successively as its operation hysteretic information. CONSTITUTION: While a robot controller 1 operates, a central processing unit reads the information of a memory part storing alarm information and operator' s operation information or the like at a specified period, having a past robot operating state stored in an operation hysteretic storage means in a memory 12. Then, at a time when trouble has occurred in the robot, the information being stored in this operation hysteretic storage means is transmitted to an external storage unit 15 by a transmitting means, and this information is analyzed and printed out or displayed. With this constitution, any robot operation controlled state earlier than in time of the trouble happening, namely, those of the past alarm information and the operator's operation information are all knowable, and thus an trouble cause examination becomes facilitated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a robot tilltll device, and more particularly to a method for storing and transmitting driving history information to facilitate fault investigation when a fault occurs.

Conventional technology While operating a robot, when a failure occurs due to an operational error, programming error, or some other cause, and the robot stops operating and enters an alarm state, the investigation of the cause of the failure must be carried out at the time of the failure. Diagnostic information such as the signal transmission/reception status between the robot control device and peripheral devices, and the robot's simple operating status (whether the program is running or stopped, etc.);
and failure based on alarm information such as the alarm number of the alarm occurrence and the contents of the alarm number, for example, the robot arm attempted to move beyond the stroke limit, the program is abnormal, it is a servo alarm, etc. Measures are being taken to find the cause.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention The above-mentioned diagnostic information and alarm information usually only represent the state at the time of failure, and are not sufficient to investigate the cause of the failure. Furthermore, the occurrence of a failure is often related to the operator's operations before the failure occurs and the past history of the internal state of the control device. Therefore, conventionally, the only way to know the operation and operating status before a failure occurs is to rely on the operator's memory. However, the operator's memory is indelible;
There's not much certainty. Due to these factors, conventionally, when a failure occurs in a robot, it is difficult to investigate the cause of the failure and it takes time to resolve the failure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to store operation history information of a robot control device, to enable transfer of the operation history when a failure occurs, and to facilitate investigation of the cause of the failure.

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention includes means for reading out information at a predetermined period from several set memory sections among the memory sections for storing the operation control state of the robot, and a predetermined storage area for reading out the information. A driving history storage means for sequentially circulating and storing a predetermined amount of information, and a transfer means for transferring the information stored in the driving history storage means, and the information stored in the driving history transfer means is transferred via the transfer means. The above problem was solved by configuring the data so that it could be transferred externally.

While the working robot IIjllI device is in operation, information in several memory sections set to store alarm information, operator operation information, etc. is read out at a predetermined period and sequentially stored in the operation history storage means. let Then, when a failure occurs, the information stored in the driving history storage means is transferred to the outside by the transfer means, and the information is analyzed, printed out, or displayed. This makes it possible to know the operation control state of the robot before the occurrence of the III problem, that is, information such as past alarm information and operator operation information, making it easier to investigate the cause of the failure.

Embodiment FIG. 1 is a block diagram of essential parts of an embodiment of the present invention, in which 1 indicates a robot control device, 2 indicates a robot main body controlled by the robot control device M1, and 3 indicates robot work. Target, 4 indicates the service center. The control device 1 has a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as CPU) 10,
The CPU 10 includes a memory 11 consisting of a ROM. Memory 12 consisting of RAM. Teaching operation panel 13. An operation panel (hereinafter referred to as CRT/MDI) 14 having a CRT display device δ and an external storage device 15 such as a floppy disk are connected to the bus 21.
connected with.

The memory 11 stores various control programs to be executed by the CPU 10. The memory 12 includes a teaching operation panel 13. Teaching data input from CRT/MD I 14 etc., data input from CRT/MD I 14,
It stores the results and data of calculations performed by the CPU 10. The memory 12 also stores an alarm number indicating the content of the alarm when an alarm occurs, the key operations on the teaching operation panel 13° CRT/MD I 14, and the input/output circuit 16° 19 which are monitored at predetermined intervals. An area for storing the status and input/output signal status is also provided.

Further, the memory 12 is provided with a table (2) as an operation history storage means to be described later, and the past operation control states of the robot are stored in the table (T).

Teaching operation! 313 has a numerical display, a lamp, and operation buttons necessary for operating the robot. CRT/MD114
In addition to the CRT display device, the control device 1 has various keys such as a numeric keypad, function keys, and mode keys, and various data are input into the control device 1 from the outside. 17 is an axis controller including an interpolator that controls multiple axes, 18 is a servo circuit that controls the drive source of the robot 2, and 16 is an input/output circuit that sends various detection signals from the robot body 2 to the control device 1. input.

Reference numeral 19 denotes an input/output circuit that sends and receives signals to and from the work object 3 of the robot. A modem 20 is used to transmit past driving history information to the service center 4 via the telephone 5.

Note that a telephone set in the service center 4, 7 a modem connected to the telephone set 6, and 8 a computer of the service center.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a table T provided in the memory 12 as a driving history storage means for storing driving history information.The table T stores alarm information (alarm numbers) of alarms that occurred in the past. (0 to store up to n1+1>
Storage area T1. from address to address n1. When an operator operates a key on the teaching pendant 13 or CRT/MD I 14, memory at addresses 0-n2 stores up to (n2+1) past data at the address in the memory 12 that stores the key operation. Area T2. A storage area T3. at addresses 0 to n3 stores data stored at addresses in the memory 12 for storing the states of input/output signals in the input/output circuits 16 and 19, up to the past (n3+1). Addresses 0 to n that store up to (n4+1) past address data for storing the robot's operation mode in the memory 12 each time the data changes.
Storage area T4 at address 4. Furthermore, specific designated addresses 1, 2, 3, etc. of memory that stores data useful when investigating the cause of the abnormality, such as robot operation command data and command pulse products (distribution pulses) for each servo motor, etc.
Each past (n5+1), (n6+1), (n
0-n5, which stores 7+1)...... data.
Storage area T5. having addresses 0-n6, 0-n7... T6. Each storage area T1 to T7 is configured like a ring buffer, and information is sequentially stored in each storage area T1 to T7 from address 0. is written, and when the storage area becomes full, data is written again starting from address 0, the oldest information is discarded, and new information is stored.

Therefore, when the power is turned on to the robot and the control device is activated, CPIJlo is activated on the teaching pendant 13 at a predetermined monitoring cycle. The key operations of the CRT/MD I 14 and the status of each input/output signal of the input/output circuits 16 and 19 are monitored and written to a predetermined address in the memory 12. On the other hand, C.P.
The LI 10 monitors the address, the address for storing alarm information, and a specific designated address at a predetermined period, and sequentially writes each piece of read information to the table T. That is, in the alarm information storage area T1 that stores alarm information, when an address where alarm information is stored is read at a predetermined period, the alarm information storage area of the table T is stored only when alarm information is written to the address. Write to T'1. In addition, a teaching operation panel 13, a CRT/MD I 1
When the data of the address storing each key operation of 4 is read out, the read information is sequentially written into the key information storage area T2 each time.

The data at the address storing the state of the input/output signals of the input/output circuits 16 and 19 is read at a predetermined cycle, and the data is sequentially written into the input/output signal information storage area T3. Furthermore, when the address data in the memory 12 that stores the robot mode is switched, the switched mode information is written in the mode information storage area T4.

Further, the designated addresses in the memory 12 are read out at a predetermined cycle, and the corresponding designated address storage areas T5 to T7...
. . . Sequentially writes the information of each designated address that has been read out.

In this way, each piece of information is sequentially written into each storage area on table T starting from address 0, and when it reaches -full, it is written again sequentially from address OWt, the oldest information is discarded, and new information is written. It happens.

As a result, the table T stores various data regarding the past operation control states of the robot.

Therefore, when an abnormality occurs in the robot, the contents of the table T may be transferred to an external storage device 15 such as a floppy disk, or transferred to an external computer via an interface (not shown), or even transferred to a modem 20. The service center 4 is called via the telephone 5 and the telephone line, and the control device 1' and the computer 8 of the service center 4 are connected via the modem 20. Telephone 5. A telephone line is connected via the telephone 6° modem 7, and the information in the table T is transferred to the computer 8 of the service center 4.

In this way, the driving history information transferred to the external storage device 15, the external computer, and even the computer 8 of the service center 4 can be analyzed by the computer, or displayed on the CRT display U, or printed. We will investigate the cause of the abnormality.

The information stored in table T includes the progress of the operator's operations before the robot malfunctioned, the past occurrence status of input/output signals, the history of past alarms, and the internal information of the control device stored at the specified address. Since the specific information is the past progress, the operation control state immediately before and in the past when the abnormality occurred can be easily grasped, making it easy to investigate the cause of the abnormality.

Effects of the Invention The present invention stores the operation control status of the robot as operation history information in a predetermined sequence, so that when an abnormality occurs in the robot, the operation before the abnormality occurs can be determined from the stored operation history information. The progress can be easily grasped, and the cause of the abnormality can be easily investigated.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a main part of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a table as driving history storage means. 1...Control device, 2...Robot main body, 4...Service center, ■...Table.

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) Means for reading out information at a predetermined period from several set memory sections of the memory section for storing the operation control state of the robot, and having a predetermined storage area to sequentially circulate the read information. The driving history storage means includes a driving history storage means for storing a predetermined amount of information, and a transfer means for transferring the information stored in the driving history storage means, and the information stored in the driving history transfer means can be transferred to the outside via the transfer means. A method for storing and transmitting operating history information for robot control equipment. (2) Robot control according to claim 1, wherein the information stored in the operation history storage means is alarm information, operator operation information, signal states of input/output circuits, and specific internal information within the control device. Device operation history information storage and transfer method. (3) The driving history storage means has a storage unit for each piece of information that circulates and stores each piece of information. Driving history information of the robot control device according to claim 1 or 2. Memory and transfer method.