JPS6025693A - Monitor device for robot - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Application of the Invention] The present invention relates to a device such as a robot controlled by a computer, and relates to a control method that allows another computer to monitor the control state of the device to improve its safety and performance. .

[Background of the invention]

Conventional computers for controlling robots and the like generally have their safety checks included as part of the main program.

Therefore, it is difficult to optimally design the check operation timing in the flow of control, and only simple check software can be run because only the remaining time is allocated after the main control software is executed.

[Purpose of the invention]

The purpose of the present invention is to provide not only a control software method (separately from the conventional control method) but also to make the monitoring software and circuit independent, and to make both software independent and highly optimized.

[Summary of the invention]

The present invention relates to a program for controlling a robot, etc., and a program for operating the robot.

The programs to be nicked are related to some extent (but depending on the way the algorithm is constructed, it may be possible for both programs to work more efficiently if they are run independently and run in separate systems to perform the minimum necessary data communication). Based on this idea, we made use of the features of hardware other than software independently to shorten execution processing time.

[Embodiments of the invention]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. This embodiment is a circuit block diagram for controlling a robot. The main CPU 1 mainly handles man-machine communication between robots and humans.5. The control CPU 2 mainly handles software servo using a method that has been used in recent years. A current amplifier 5, a speed detector 6, a position detector 7, a drive actuator unit in the robot body 8,
%Lumo-1'9. There are a tachometer 10 and a nox encoder 11, which have been commonly used in the past. The monitoring CPU 3 and the switch matrix 4 are newly added units according to the present invention. The switch matrix 4 is a circuit that plays a multipath role, and allows the units 5, 6, and 7 to be accessed from either the CPUs 2 or 3 at almost the same time. This function is a necessary condition for realizing the present invention, and it is necessary that the control and monitoring CPUs can obtain the current state of the robot at the same level.

Now, the control CPU 2 issues a command to the current amplifier 5 via the switch matrix 4 using conventional control software to drive the motor 8, which is the actuator of the robot 8, and reports its driving state to the unit 6.7. The robot is controlled by software that is not strongly involved in control according to certain algorithms, such as those imported from the robot.

Conventionally, checking software was included in the control software as an addition to the control CPU 2 for safety purposes, and a certain safety judgment was executed. However, this method requires higher functionality and complexity (at times, the processing time for both control and monitoring increases for the CPU, and it becomes difficult to switch between the two, requiring the CPU to be faster. In addition, as robots become more sophisticated, control algorithms become more complex, and safety checks are becoming less reliable as there are too many judgment analysis cases. There is.

Therefore, in the present invention, a monitoring CPU is installed on the same side as the control CPU 2.
U3 is provided, and the control CPU 2 only performs control, and this CPU is responsible for other monitoring software.

17) The monitoring CPU 3 monitors the robot's movable range,
Singularity, speed, vibration, overcurrent, encoder disconnection.

The robot's status, such as amplifier overheating and servo constants, is constantly monitored in chronological order. If an abnormality occurs, a caution command is issued to the control CPU 2 along with the data, and the warning command is continued to be issued until the abnormal state is recovered.

In addition, if the abnormality continues for a long time (or if it is a daffodil-like abnormality, the control unit of the control CPU 5) 5.6.7 It has a function to interrupt other control functions and instantly stop the robot. There are various methods for this method, such as safety and other monitoring items and their judgment criteria, but they are not the subject matter of the present invention, so they will not be explained here.

Also, by completely separating control and monitoring, the algorithms of each software were organized and divided into blocks, which had the effect of improving clarity for humans.

〔Effect of the invention〕

By using the monitoring device of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

1) Article 4 has been added to allow the freedom to design monitoring programs.

11) Control software that is subject to time constraints and check software that is not so limited can be designed and executed independently.

111) Safety checks can be performed more thoroughly,
Robotic systems become more reliable.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The figure is a block diagram of a control circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1... Main CPU, 2... Control CPU. 6... Monitoring CPU, 4... Switch matrix, 5... Current amplifier, 6... Speed detector, 7... Position detector, 8... Robot, 9... Motor, 10.
...Speed generator, 11...Position generator, 12...
Multipath.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In robots and other devices that are controlled and driven by a computer, a control computer and its software are used to constantly monitor the operation of the device, independent of the control computer and its software that are used to realize the original functions. It has a means to obtain the same information at the same time, and has a device status judgment function that is separate from the control computer and placed on the safer side, and a function to issue a caution command to the control computer if the judgment is determined to be abnormal. A robot monitoring device characterized by having a monitoring computer and software.