JPH07237162A - Simple synchronizer for robot - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a simple synchronizer for robots by which an ideal system is obtained and a simple system is obtained by cooperative operation of the robots. CONSTITUTION:Lines AL and BL to give and receive a synchronizm 1 confirming signal are provided between robot controllers AC and BC and a programmable controller, and robots A and B are synchronized with each other according to a robot operation system with this signal as a start.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a simple synchronizing device for cooperative operation between a plurality of robots.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Currently, when synchronizing robots,
For example, it has the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 2 and is provided and used with an individual input / output line for each robot controller. In FIG. 2, as an example, two robots A,
B has a hand AH for robots A and B,
In addition to having BH, robot controller AC, BC
Is connected to the robot body. The output lines OL and the input lines IL are derived from the robot controllers AC and BC to exchange signals with the robots. Each output line OL and input line IL is connected to a system control board CB containing a programmable controller.

With such a structure, when attention is paid to the synchronous system, the operation of the master-slave robot is such that the slave robot (for example, robot B) outputs a "B motion possible" signal from the output line OL of the master robot (for example, robot A). Wait until is turned on. At this time, the output line OL of the slave robot has "A
Operation ready "signal is ON. Therefore, the operation of the robot A is started first. Further, when both robots A and B are moving and synchronized with each other, for example, the operation of the main robot A operates on condition that both the “A operation in progress” output and the “operation ready” output are ON, The side robot B also operates under the same condition, and the robot that has completed the operation waits until the "in motion" signal of the partner robot is turned off. Then, the one stopped first becomes the slave robot, and the synchronous operation is performed. By such a method, the object shown in FIG. 2 is gripped, and the object is slid to the left and right by a cooperative operation. In this case, the programmable controller in the system control panel CB is designed to send and receive the output and the input to the other party without processing.

[0004]

However, the above-mentioned system is not an appropriate system when the number of inputs and outputs of the robot is large, even if the number of inputs and outputs of the robot is small, as the number of lines increases. . Also,
In the case of adopting a synchronous system in which one robot moves when the other robot stops, the condition judgment must be further added by the robot program by the robot controllers AC and BC, and the system becomes complicated.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a plurality of robot controllers which output ON / OFF of synchronization confirmation signals for each of a plurality of robots, and ON / OFF of synchronization confirmation signals of the robots. A programmable controller that receives OFF and outputs ON / OFF of a synchronization confirmation signal to each robot along the robot operation system.

[0006]

[Operation] The self-driving state and the driving state of the other party are performed by turning on the synchronization confirmation signal, and conversely, the stop state is turned on by turning off the synchronization confirmation signal. Since the robot operation system is arranged along the line, information can be organized even if there are many signals, and the hardware and the system as a whole can be simplified.

[0007]

EXAMPLE An example of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 1, the same parts as those in FIG. 2 are designated by the same reference numerals. That is, A and B are robots, AH and BH are hands, AC and BC are robot controllers, and CB is a system control panel. Robot controller AC, BC
And system control panel C with built-in programmable controller
A line AL for transmitting and receiving signals of the robot A and a line BL for transmitting and receiving signals of the robot B are connected to B. There is only one line AL and BL, and the synchronization confirmation signals of the robots A and B are output from the robot controllers AC and BC to the system control panel CB, respectively.
In addition, from the system control board CB to the robot controller A
The synchronization confirmation signal is input to C and BC.

The operating principle is that A, A
When the B synchronization confirmation signal is turned on, the programmable controller on the system control panel CB causes the robot controller AC,
Turn on the synchronization confirmation signal to BC, and conversely turn off the synchronization confirmation signal from the programmable controller to robot controller AC, BC by turning off the A and B synchronization confirmation signals.
Let In other words, the programmable controller grasps the AND condition of ON and OFF of the signals output from the two robots, and turns ON when both are ON or OFF.
Output or OFF output is robot controller AC, BC
Is output to. When the two robots are synchronized during operation, they are synchronized by outputting their own synchronization confirmation signal and then waiting until the other party's synchronization confirmation signal is input. Further, when the two stop states are synchronized with each other, the stopped robot A or B turns off the synchronization confirmation signal output and waits for the other party's synchronization confirmation input to turn off, thereby confirming the mutual stop. . The robot operation system is programmed with several types of programmable controllers. When the above-mentioned program that requires synchronous operation of two units is started, the robot controller sees whether the synchronization confirmation signal is ON or OFF. So
Control by this confirmation signal becomes effective. As a result, the programmable controller controls the robot simultaneously or independently by using the synchronization confirmation signal as a trigger.

[0009]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the robot is moved by the operation system by exchanging the synchronization confirmation signal between the programmable controller and the robot controller, the number of lines can be reduced, and the simultaneous operation of two units can be performed. Can be easily done by the action of the controller.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 AC, BC Robot controller CB system control panel AL, IL line

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of robot controllers that output ON / OFF of a synchronization confirmation signal for each of a plurality of robots, and a synchronization confirmation to each robot according to a robot operation system by receiving ON / OFF of the synchronization confirmation signal of each robot. A simple synchronizer for a robot having a programmable controller that outputs ON / OFF of a signal.