KR20210102003A - Network card for welding machine - Google Patents

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a welder management system including a network card, a welder comprising the network card, and a server. The welder management system provides: a monitoring service which displays a welding operation status of a digital welding machine using the network card capable of bidirectional communication between the server and the digital welding machine; a remote control service for controlling conditions of a welding operation; a firmware management service for updating firmware of each of the plurality of digital welding machines; and an analysis service which provides a result of analyzing monitoring information.

Description

Network card for welding machine {NETWORK CARD FOR WELDING MACHINE}

The present invention relates to a network card for a welding machine, a digital welding machine, a server, and a welding machine management system including the same.

The shipbuilding block assembly process requires welding work. The welding operation is performed through a welding machine configured to allow the welding operator to adjust welding current, welding voltage, and feeding speed. For a fast and high-quality shipbuilding block assembly process, welding quality and efficiency of work speed must be maintained high.

In the current shipbuilding block assembly process, since it is difficult to grasp the current status of welding work, there is a problem of low work efficiency.

In order to increase work efficiency, the field manager supervises the welding work of the welder, but there is a limit to accurately supervising the welding work of the welder.

Patent Publication No. 10-2004-0048078 (published on July 7, 2004)

According to one aspect of the present invention, a network card for a welder that enables bidirectional communication between a server and a digital welder may be provided.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a digital welding machine including the network card may be provided.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a server for managing the digital welding machine may be provided.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there may be provided a welding machine management system including the digital welding machine and the server.

The technical problem of the present invention is not limited to those mentioned above, and another technical problem not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

A welding machine management system according to embodiments of the present invention includes a network card for a welder; a digital welding machine including a network card for the welding machine; and a server managing the digital welding machine.

A network card for a welder connected to a digital welder according to an aspect of the present invention includes: a power supply unit for supplying power to the digital welder; a first communication unit in electrical communication with the digital welding machine; and a second communication unit in electrical communication with the server; and a board on which the memory is mounted; and an application processor (AP) mounted on the board and configured to transmit a server command obtained through the second communication unit to the digital welding unit through the first communication unit.

In an embodiment, the AP may be further configured to transmit digital welder-related information obtained from the digital welder through the first communication unit to the server through the second communication unit.

In one embodiment, the AP receives a monitoring execution transmission packet including a monitoring providing command from the server through the second communication unit and transmits the monitoring providing command to the digital welding machine through the first communication unit, 1 acquires monitoring information from the digital welding machine through a communication unit, generates a monitoring transmission packet based on the network address of the network card, the network address of the server, and monitoring information of the corresponding digital welding machine, and monitors the monitoring through the second communication unit and send a transport packet to the server.

In an embodiment, the monitoring information may include a welder identifier, a feeder identifier, a sensor value, and a time instance at which the corresponding sensor value is obtained. Here, the sensor value includes one or more of a welding current, a welding voltage, and a feeding speed.

In an embodiment, the monitoring information may further include welding state information indicating an on-off state of a welding operation based on a control signal obtained from a torch of a digital welding machine.

In one embodiment, the AP acquires a plurality of monitoring information for a predetermined time and stores it in the memory, and when the predetermined time elapses, a single transport packet may be generated based on the plurality of monitoring information stored in the memory. have.

In an embodiment, the AP may be further configured to receive a remote control command from the server through the second communication unit and transmit the remote control command to the digital welding unit through the first communication unit.

In an embodiment, the remote control command may include at least one of a maximum allowable value and a minimum allowable value for each control item for limiting the operation of the digital welding machine.

In an embodiment, the AP receives a firmware transmission packet including at least a portion of all data of the file for firmware update from the server through the second communication unit, and at least a portion of the firmware update command and data of the file for firmware update It may be further configured to transmit one or more of them to the digital welding machine through the first communication unit.

In one embodiment, the AP is configured to receive a plurality of firmware transport packets for firmware update of the digital welding machine. Here, the plurality of firmware transmission packets may each include a plurality of sub-files constituting the entire data of the file for firmware update.

In an embodiment, the AP is configured to, when receiving one of the plurality of firmware transport packets, store the sub-file in the received firmware transport packet in the memory before forwarding it to the digital welding machine.

In one embodiment, the AP transmits the sub file to the digital welding machine through the first communication unit, waits for an ack signal for the transmitted sub file for a predetermined time, and receives the ack signal within the predetermined time. In this case, a supply request for the next sub file is transmitted to the server through the second communication unit, and when the ack signal is not received within the predetermined time, the sub file stored in the memory is transferred to the digital welding machine through the first communication unit. may be further configured to re-deliver to

In an embodiment, when the AP receives the firmware transmission packet including the next sub file through the second communication unit, the AP transmits the next sub file to the digital welding unit through the first communication unit, and the next sub file is transmitted to the digital welding unit. and may be further configured to store a file in the memory. Here, the sub file of the previous firmware transmission packet stored in the memory is removed.

In an embodiment, the network card 100 may be disposed inside a housing of the digital welding machine, and the power supply unit may be configured to supply power through a direct input method from the digital welding machine.

A digital welding machine according to another aspect of the present invention includes: one or more feeders for supplying welding wires; connected to one or more torches for welding a base material to be welded, and wherein the digital welder includes: a control panel for interacting with a welding operator to obtain operator control commands; a sensor for acquiring information related to driving; a network card for transmitting and receiving data between the server and the digital welding machine; A power supply unit for supplying power to the network card, a communication connection unit configured to perform electrical communication with the network card, and a processor configured to transmit welding machine-related data to the outside or process data obtained from the outside through the communication connection unit may include.

In one embodiment, the processor, when receiving the monitoring providing command of the server transmitted by the network card through the communication connection unit, generates monitoring information indicating the welding operation status in response to the monitoring providing command, and the generated monitoring and communicate information to the network card via the communication connection.

In an embodiment, the sensor includes one or more of a voltage sensor, a current sensor, a speed sensor, and an acceleration sensor, and the monitoring information includes a welder identifier, a feeder identifier, a sensor value, and a time instance at which the sensor value is obtained. ), and the sensor value may include one or more of a welding current, a welding voltage, and a feeding speed.

In an embodiment, the processor may generate welding state information indicating an on-off state of a welding operation based on a control signal obtained from the torch, and may generate monitoring information further including the welding state information.

In an embodiment, the control panel is configured to control one or more of a welding voltage, a welding current, and a supply speed as a control item, and the processor receives a remote provision command of the server transmitted by the network card through the communication connection unit In one case, it is further configured to set a guide line based on the remote provision command, and the remote control command may include one or more of a maximum allowable value and a minimum allowable value for each control item as a guide line.

In one embodiment, the processor determines whether an operator control command for a control item, input through the control panel, deviates from the guide line, and if the operator control command belongs to the guide line, the operator It may be configured to drive according to a control command, and, when the operator control command deviates from the guide line, to drive with a guide line value close to the value of the control item of the operator control command.

In one embodiment, the processor, when the guide line is set based on the maximum allowable value and the minimum allowable value for the control item, when the value of the control item of the operator control command is less than the minimum allowable value, the minimum allowable value and, when the value of the control item of the operator control command exceeds the maximum allowable value, it may be configured to drive with the maximum allowable value.

In an embodiment, the processor may be configured to update the pre-installed firmware when receiving at least a portion of the entire data of the firmware update file transmitted by the network card through the communication connection unit.

In one embodiment, the processor updates the pre-installed firmware when receiving a plurality of sub-files constituting the entire data of the file for firmware update, and when receiving each sub-file, the corresponding sub-file is transmitted to the network card through the communication connection unit. It may be further configured to transmit an ACK signal for

A server according to another aspect of the present invention is configured to provide a service related to a digital welder connected to a network card to a system user, wherein the server includes: for one or more digital welders, an authentication transmission packet from a network card connected to each digital welder. receiving, recording one or more digital welders and feeders connected to the digital welders, and connecting a network between a network card connected to the digital welders and a server, generating commands associated with the target digital welders upon a request of a system user, said commands; and transmit a transport packet based on the network address of the network card connected to the target digital welder to the corresponding network card, and receive the transport packet from the network card connected to the target digital welder.

In one embodiment, the server: When a monitoring service request is input, a monitoring execution transmission packet including a monitoring execution command including information on an item desired by the target digital welding machine and a network address of a network card connected to the target digital welding machine and send the monitoring execution transport packet to the network card of the target digital welding machine.

In one embodiment, the server is configured to: receive a monitoring transmission packet having monitoring information generated in response to the monitoring execution command from the network card of the target digital welding machine, and provide a welding operation status based on the monitoring information to a system user It may be further configured to provide

In one embodiment, the monitoring information includes a welder identifier, a feeder identifier, a sensor value, and a time instance at which the sensor value was obtained, wherein the sensor value includes a welding current, a welding voltage, and a feeding speed. ) may include one or more of

In an embodiment, the monitoring information may further include welding state information indicating an on-off state of a welding operation based on a control signal obtained from a torch of a digital welding machine.

In an embodiment, the server is configured to: When a remote control request for remotely controlling at least some of the control items controlled through the control panel of the target digital welding machine is input, the identifier of the target digital welding machine and a guide to the control item and generate a control transport packet including a line and a network address of the network card of the target digital welder, and send the control transport packet to the network card of the target digital welder.

In an embodiment, the remote control command is a guideline for limiting the operation of the digital welding machine, and may include at least one of a maximum allowable value and a minimum allowable value for each control item.

In an embodiment, the server may be further configured to: calculate an arc rate that is a ratio of an actual working time to a working time of a welding worker using a feeder based on the monitoring information in the monitoring service.

In one embodiment, the server includes: an event occurrence frequency and event indicating that the target digital welding machine is driven to a value exceeding the guideline based on the monitoring information in the monitoring service and the guideline in the remote control command and analyze the weld quality based on one or more of the duration of occurrence.

In one embodiment, the server is configured to: detect monitoring information having work status information corresponding to on in the monitoring service, and detect and integrate a series of monitoring information in which a time instance is continuous among the detected monitoring information and may be further configured to generate one aggregated data.

In an embodiment, the server includes: when a firmware update request including an identifier of a target digital welding machine and firmware version information to be updated is input, at least a portion of the entire data of the firmware update file corresponding to the update version, and the target digital welding machine It may be further configured to generate a firmware transmission packet including a network address of a network card connected to the , and transmit the firmware transmission packet to a network card connected to the target digital welding machine.

In one embodiment, the server includes: a plurality of firmware transmission packets for firmware update of the target digital welding machine, wherein the plurality of firmware transmission packets each include a plurality of sub-files constituting the entire data of the file for firmware update. generate, and transmit one of the plurality of firmware transport packets to a network card coupled to the target digital welder.

In one embodiment, the server: in response to a supply request for the next sub-file received from the network card connected to the target digital welder, sends a next firmware transmission packet having the next sub-file to the network card connected to the target digital welder It can be further configured to do so.

In an embodiment, the total number of the plurality of sub files may be set based on a storage capacity of the network card.

A welding machine management system according to another aspect of the present invention may include a digital welding machine including a network card and a processor, and a server configured to provide a service related to the digital welding machine connected to the system to a system user. In the welding machine management system: the processor of the digital welding machine is configured to: a power supply unit for supplying power to the network card, a communication connection unit configured to perform electrical communication with the network card, and a welding machine-related data to the outside through the communication connection unit send or process externally acquired data, wherein the server is configured to: receive, for one or more digital welders, an authentication transport packet from a network card connected to each digital welder to send the one or more digital welders and a feeder connected to the digital welders. record and connect a network card connected to the digital welder and a network between the server, generate a command associated with the target digital welder according to the request of the system user, and transmit packets based on the command and the network address of the network card connected to the target digital welder may be configured to transmit to a corresponding network card and receive a transmission packet from a network card connected to the target digital welding machine.

In an embodiment, the welding machine management system includes: when a monitoring service request is input, a monitoring execution command including information on an item desired by the target digital welding machine to be provided by the server and a network card connected to the target digital welding machine When a monitoring execution transmission packet including a network address is transmitted to the network card of the target digital welding machine, and a monitoring providing command from the server transmitted by the network card is received, the digital welding machine's processor responds to the monitoring providing command The monitoring information indicating the generated welding operation status is transmitted to the network card, and a monitoring transmission packet including the generated monitoring information, the network address of the network card and the network address of the server is transmitted by the network card to the server and, upon receiving the monitoring transport packet including the monitoring information, the server may provide the welding operation status to the system user based on the monitoring information included in the monitoring transport packet.

In one embodiment, the monitoring information includes a welder identifier, a feeder identifier, a sensor value, and a time instance at which the sensor value was obtained, wherein the sensor value includes a welding current, a welding voltage, and a feeding speed. ) may include one or more of

In an embodiment, the welding machine management system generates, by the processor of the digital welding machine, monitoring information further including welding status information indicating an on-off state of a welding operation, generated based on a control signal obtained from the torch can do.

In one embodiment, the welding machine management system is configured to: When a remote control request for remotely controlling at least some of the control items controlled through the control panel of the target digital welding machine is input, the server sends a control transmission packet to the target digital send to a network card connected to a welding machine, wherein the control transmission packet includes the identifier of the target digital welder, the remote control command and the network address of the network card of the target digital welder, and by the network card, the control transmission The remote control command in a packet may be transmitted to the digital welding machine.

In an embodiment, the remote control command is a guideline for limiting the operation of the digital welding machine, and may include at least one of a maximum allowable value and a minimum allowable value for each control item.

In an embodiment, the welding machine management system includes: when a firmware update request including an identifier of a target digital welding machine and firmware version information to be updated is input, at least among all data of the firmware update file corresponding to the updated version by the server by the network card, to send a firmware transmission packet including a part, and a network address of a network card connected to the target digital welder, to the network card connected to the target digital welder, and to update the firmware of the digital welding machine, At least a portion of the entire data of the firmware update file included in the firmware transmission packet may be transmitted to the digital welding machine.

In one embodiment, the welding machine management system is configured to: send, by the server, one of a plurality of firmware transmission packets to a network card connected to the target digital welding machine for firmware update of the target digital welding machine - sending the plurality of firmware Each packet includes a plurality of sub-files constituting the entire data of the file for firmware update. The network card transfers the sub-files in the received firmware transmission packet to the digital welding machine, and by the target digital welding machine, the An ACK signal for a sub file may be transmitted to the network card, and a supply request for a next sub file may be transmitted to the server by the network card.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the welding machine management system uses a network card capable of bidirectional communication between a server and a digital welding machine, a monitoring service indicating the welding operation status of the digital welding machine, a remote control service for controlling welding operation conditions, a plurality of A firmware management service for updating firmware of each digital welding machine and an analysis service providing a result of analyzing monitoring information may be provided.

Effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

In order to more clearly explain the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, drawings necessary for the description of the embodiments are briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings are for the purpose of explaining the embodiments of the present specification and not for the purpose of limitation. In addition, some elements to which various modifications such as exaggeration and omission have been applied may be shown in the drawings below for clarity of description.
1 is a conceptual diagram of a welding machine management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a conceptual plan view of a PCB according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a conceptual diagram of a network card for a welding machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4A to 4D are diagrams for explaining a welding machine monitoring service according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a diagram for explaining a remote control service according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6A and 6B are diagrams for explaining a welding machine control result according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a diagram for explaining a firmware management service according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a conceptual diagram of a local network-based system architecture according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a conceptual diagram of a cloud network-based system architecture according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The terms used herein are used only to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. As used herein, terms such as “comprise” or “have” are intended to specify a described feature, region, number, step, operation, element, and/or component, and include one or more other features, regions, numbers, It is not intended to exclude the presence or addition of steps, acts, components, and/or components.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as meanings consistent with the context of the related art, and unless explicitly defined in the present specification, they are not to be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal meaning. .

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 is a conceptual diagram of a welding machine management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the welding machine management system 1 includes a digital welding machine 200 including a network card 100 ; and a server 300 .

Embodiments described herein may have aspects that are entirely hardware, partly hardware and partly software, or entirely software. As used herein, “unit,” “module,” “device,” or “system,” or the like, refers to hardware, a combination of hardware and software, or a computer-related entity such as software. For example, as used herein, a part, module, device, or system is a running process, a processor, an object, an executable, a thread of execution, a program, and/or a computer. (computer), but is not limited thereto. For example, both an application running on a computer and a computer may correspond to a part, module, device, or system of the present specification.

In the present specification, the digital welding machine 200 is a welding equipment capable of mounting a CPU-based advanced control program, unlike a conventional analog welding machine, and has a function of allowing welding to be performed using a processor such as a CPU. For example, it is configured to more accurately adjust an output value (eg, current, voltage value) of a welding machine compared to an analog welding machine.

The digital welding machine 200 is a device for controlling a welding operation, and the digital welding machine 200 includes a feeder 220 for supplying a welding wire, a torch 230 for welding to a base material 240 to be welded, and, A cable 250 connecting the feeder 220 and the torch 230 is connected to the ground wire 260 . In addition, when the digital welding machine 200 is a welding method for carbon dioxide, it is further connected to a carbon dioxide gas tank 211 for supplying carbon dioxide. The digital welding machine 200 may be connected to one or more feeders 220 and the torch 230 , so that a plurality of welding workers may perform welding operations through a single digital welding machine 200 .

The digital welding machine 200 includes a housing, a control panel, a sensor, a printed circuit board (PCB) 210 on which a processor is mounted, and a network card 100 . The digital welding machine 200 is configured to operate according to a firmware program installed in the processor. When the welding machine management system 1 includes a plurality of digital welding machines 200 , the firmware version of each digital welding machine 200 may be different.

The control panel receives the welding operator's control input (hereinafter, "operator control input") and causes the digital welding machine 200 to operate according to the operator control input. The operator control input relates to one or more welding elements for a welding operation. Operator input is obtained as a driving condition by the control panel.

In one embodiment, the operator control input includes one or more of a welding voltage, a welding current, and a feed rate. When the control panel receives, as an operator control input, one or more values of a welding voltage, a welding current, and a supply speed desired by the welding operator for the welding operation, the welding operation is performed according to the operator control input.

The operator control input may be input to the rotary lever as shown in FIG. 1, but is not limited thereto, and may be received through various input means such as a button type.

When the digital welder 200 is connected to one or more feeders 220 and the torch 230 , the digital welder 200 may include one or more control panels. For example, a control panel corresponding to the number of feeders 220 may be included. The control panel may be remotely located outside the housing. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , the control panel may be attached to the feeder 220 . However, the position of the control panel is not limited thereto.

Also, the control panel is further configured to display a driving state implemented in the course of a welding operation. The driving state is displayed on the control panel based on the sensing information obtained by the sensor.

The sensor is configured to detect a physical signal related to driving of the digital welding machine 200 to obtain driving related information. The digital welding machine 200 may include one or more sensors, and may detect one or more types of physical signals through one or more sensors and acquire sensing information for one or more types.

In one embodiment, the sensor comprises one or more of a voltage sensor, a current sensor, a speed sensor, and an acceleration sensor. Then, the digital welding machine 200 may acquire one or more of a voltage, a current, and a supply speed value used for a welding operation through the sensor.

In general, when an operator control command is input to the control panel, the digital welding machine 200 operates with the welding voltage, current, and speed values included in the operator control command. Then, the sensor acquires a voltage value, a current value, and a speed value corresponding to the value of the operator control command as sensing information, and the sensing information is displayed on the output device.

However, as described below, after receiving the remote control command from the server 300 through the network card 100 , the input value of the control panel (eg, the position of the lever) and the actual driving value (eg, the control panel) values displayed in ) are different.

This will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 6 below.

The digital welding machine 200 may receive various control signals through a cable connected to the feeder 220 and/or the torch 230 . The digital welding machine 200 may perform various operations by processing information obtained from the sensor, the feeder 220 and/or the torch 230 . The operation of the digital welding machine 200 is performed by a processor mounted on the PCB 210 .

2 is a conceptual plan view of a PCB according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the digital welding machine 200 includes a power connection unit 211 mounted on a PCB 210 , a communication connection unit 212 , and a duplex processor 215 .

The power connector 211 is a power interface configured to supply power of the digital welding machine 200 to the network card 100 .

In one embodiment, the power connection unit 211 is configured to supply a direct current (DC) power of 24V to the network card (100).

The communication connector 212 is a communication interface configured to perform electrical communication between the digital welding machine 200 and the network card 100 , and operates as a welding machine control board interface.

In one embodiment, the communication connector 212 may be a wired communication interface. As described below, since the network card 100 is located inside the housing of the digital welding machine 200, it is connected to the PCB 210 of FIG. 2 by wire.

In some embodiments, the communication connector 212 may be a serial port to which a wired cable is connected. In this case, the exchange of data or information between the network card 100 and the digital welding machine 200 is performed by various serial port methods. For example, the communication connection unit 212 is configured to transmit/receive data (or information) in a serial port communication method, such as, for example, RS232, RS422, or RS485.

In addition, the communication connection unit 212 may further have a spare port in addition to the port for exchanging data according to the serial port method. The communication connection unit 212 transmits/receives data through the redundant port.

The duplex processor 215 of the digital welding machine 200 is a processor for processing acquired data (or information) and/or pre-stored data (or information), and the processor 215 of the digital welding machine 200 is the welding machine management system. It is configured to perform the operation of (1). In addition, the duplex processor 215 is configured to transmit data of the digital welding machine 200 to the outside of the PCB or to receive data, and to perform full-duplex data transfer.

In one embodiment, the duplex processor 215 generates welding state information indicative of an on/off state of the welding operation based on the control signal obtained from the torch 230 . When the welding operation is performed through the torch 230, the digital welding machine 200 records the operation state information at the time as on.

In addition, the duplex processor 215 may generate monitoring information indicating the welding operation status.

The digital welding machine 200 acquires sensing information through a sensor. The detection information is a detection result according to the driving of the digital welding machine 200, and includes a detection time and a sensor value. The sensor value includes at least one of a welding voltage value, a welding current value, and a feed rate value. For example, when voltage, current, and supply speed are obtained, the sensing information includes {t, V, C, S}. Here, t represents a time instance at which each voltage (Volt), current (Current), and speed (Speed) are obtained. The interval between time instances is in sensing units (eg, 0.1 second or 1 second).

Then, the duplex processor 215 generates monitoring information based on the detection information and welding state information, and transmits the monitoring information to the network card 100 through the communication connection unit 212 .

The welder identifier and the feeder identifier are identifiers indicating the digital welding machine 200 and the feeder 220 connected to the digital welding machine 200, and the identifier is information uniquely representing an object. The identifier may include, for example, an ID, a unique number, and the like, consisting of letters, numbers, and combinations thereof. In general, since one feeder 220 and a torch 230 are used per welding worker, a specific feeder 220 corresponds to a specific welding worker in the welding machine management system 1 . Accordingly, the welding operation information indicates whether a welding worker actually performs a welding operation in the field using a feeder 230 connected to a certain digital welding machine 200 .

In addition, the welding machine operator information may further include detailed information about the digital welding machine (200). The details include, but are not limited to, the currently installed firmware version information, and the welding electrode type, such as ER (Electrode or Rod) or E (Electrode).

The duplex processor 215 correlates the detection information with the welding operation information obtained in advance, and provides the network card 100 as monitoring information indicating the operation status of the welding worker using the feeder 220 and the torch 230. . The monitoring information includes detection information, and at least one of a welding machine identifier, a feeder identifier, and operation status information. For example, the monitoring information includes {detection time (t), welder identifier, feeder identifier, on (or off), voltage sensor value (V), current sensor value (C), speed sensor value (S)} can do.

When the system 1 has multiple digital welders 200 and/or multiple feeders 220 connected to the same digital welder 200, the digital welder 200 may display a welder identifier and / or a plurality of pieces of monitoring information with different identifiers of the feeder may be obtained.

As described above, the monitoring information including the detection information acquired by the digital welding machine 200 is transmitted to the server 300 through the network card 100 . This will be described in more detail with reference to the following Figure ~.

In addition, when the digital welding machine 200 receives the updated version of the new firmware program through the network card 100 , the duplex processor 215 updates the existing firmware to the new version.

In addition, when the digital welding machine 200 receives a remote control command through the network card 100 , the duplex processor 215 determines the driving state of the digital welding machine 200 based on a guideline included in the remote control command. Control.

The above-described operation of the processor 215 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 5 and 7 below.

In the welding machine management system 1 , the network card 100 is configured to communicate bidirectionally with the digital welding machine 200 and the server 300 , so as to exchange data (or information) between the digital welding machine 200 and the server 300 . relay

The network card 100 for the welder includes a processor, and is configured to bi-directionally communicate with each of the digital welders 200alc server 300 between the digital welder 200 and the server 300. In Fig. 1, the network card 100 is Shown outside the housing does not mean that it is actually disposed outside the housing, but means that it is located between the data path between the digital welding machine 200 and the server 300 .

3 is a conceptual diagram of a network card for a welding machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the network card 100 for a welding machine includes a power supply 101 , a first communication unit 102 that communicates with the digital welding machine 200 , a second communication unit 103 that communicates with the server 300 , a memory ( 104 ), and an application processor (AP) 105 . As shown in FIG. 3 , the components 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , 105 of the network card 100 are mounted on a board.

The network card 100 is disposed inside the housing of the digital welding machine 200 . The network card 100 is coupled to the digital welding machine 200 and has a board size that minimizes the added space. For example, the board size of the network card 100 may be horizontal (96 mm) * vertical (83 mm).

The power supply unit 101 is configured to receive power from the digital welding machine 200 to operate the network card 100 .

In an embodiment, the power source 101 is configured to receive power in a direct input manner by the digital welding machine 200 . For example, the power supply unit 105 receives a 24V direct current (DC) of the digital welding machine 200 and supplies it to at least one component of the network card 100, direct current (DC) - direct current (DC) input terminal to power It may be included as a power connector.

Also, the power supply 101 may include a power management IC (PMIC). Accordingly, power management of the network card 100 is efficiently performed.

By such a power supply unit 101, the network card 100 is mounted on the digital welding machine 200, so that a separate power supply is excluded.

The first communication unit 102 is a wired communication interface that enables two-way electrical communication between the network card 100 and the digital welding machine 200 . As described above, since the network card 100 is located inside the housing of the digital welding machine 200, the physical distance to the PCB of FIG. 2 is close.

The first communication unit 102 is connected to the communication connection unit 212 of the digital welding machine 200 by wire, and is configured to transmit and receive data (or information) in a communication method corresponding to the communication connection unit 212 of the PCB of FIG. 2 . do. For example, the first communication unit 102 may be configured as a serial port in the same manner as the communication connection unit 212 . Since the communication method of the wired communication interface has been described in the above communication connection unit 212, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The second communication unit 103 is a wireless communication interface that enables two-way electrical communication between the network card 100 and the server 300 . This is because the server 300 is generally located remotely from the digital welding machine 200, such as outside of the job site where the digital welding machine 200 is located.

In an embodiment, the second communication unit 103 is configured to communicate with the server 300 using a wireless communication protocol. The server communication protocol may be, for example, Message Queue Telemetry Transport (MQTT), Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), TCP/IP, and/or User Datagram Protocol (UDP). not limited The second communication unit 103 is configured to include an Ethernet interface of an RJ jack type (eg, RJ45).

The second communication unit 103 receives the transport packet of the server 300 supplied from the external device (ie, the server 300 ), and outputs the transport packet to the AP 105 . The AP 105 processes the received transmission packet of the server 300 .

The welding machine management system 1 has a network card 100 configured to perform bidirectional communication with the digital welding machine 200 or the server 300 , so that bidirectional communication between the digital welding machine 200 and the server 300 is possible.

The memory 104 is a place for storing information obtained from the digital welding machine 200 or the server 300 . Memory 104 includes, but is not limited to, DDR3, embedded multimedia card (eMMC), and the like. The memory 104 has a small size suitable for the size of the network card 100 , and thus has a smaller capacity than the memory included in the digital welding machine 200 or the server 300 . For example, the memory 104 may provide a storage space of 100 kb.

In one embodiment, the memory 104 may store monitoring information for each time instance to generate a transport packet. Also, the memory 104 may store a file for updating the firmware of the digital welding machine 200 . This will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 7 below.

The AP 105 is a processor programmed to perform the operation of the welding machine management system 1 , and generates and transmits a command to the server 300 based on a request received from the digital welding machine 200 . In addition, the command received from the server 300 is transmitted to the digital welding machine 200 so that the duplex processor 215 of the digital welding machine 200 performs the corresponding command.

For example, the AP 105 may include an information transfer program (PGM), a control program (PGM), and a firmware update program (PGM). When the AP 105 transmits the server's command acquired through the second communication unit to the digital welding machine 200 (eg, the duplex processor 215) through the first communication unit, the acquired server command transmits information It is configured to operate according to the information transfer program when related to, or to operate according to the control program when the acquired server command is related to control, or to operate according to the firmware update program when the acquired server command is related to firmware.

In one embodiment, when the network card 100 receives monitoring information from the digital welding machine 200 , the AP 105 transmits it based on the network address (eg, IP address) of the network card 100 and the monitoring information. A packet is generated and the transmission packet is transmitted to the server 300 through the second communication unit 103 . This transport packet may be referred to as a message depending on the protocol format."

In one embodiment, the AP 105 does not directly transmit the monitoring information for each time instance to the server 300 whenever it acquires the monitoring information for each time instance from the digital welding machine 200 through the first communication unit 120, but rather the plurality of times acquired for a first predetermined time. Generates a monitoring transport packet based on the monitoring information in the time instance of .

Also, when receiving a control transmission packet including a remote control command from the server 300 , the AP 105 is configured to transmit the remote control command of the server 300 to the digital welding machine 200 .

In addition, when the AP 105 receives the firmware transmission packet from the server 300, the AP 105 transmits the sub file of the file for firmware update in the received transmission packet to the digital welding machine 200, and a acknowledgment signal for the transmitted file; That is, when the ACK signal is received from the digital welding machine 200 , it is configured to transmit a supply request for the next sub file to the server 300 . In addition, the AP 105 may store the sub-file in the memory 104 until the ACK signal is received. If the AP 105 does not receive the ACK signal for the sub-file delivered within the second predetermined time, the Re-transmit the sub file stored in the memory 104 . Also, when the AP 105 receives the next sub-file, the AP 105 stores the next sub-file in the memory 104 . In this case, the previously stored sub file is deleted.

The monitoring information transfer, control command transfer, and firmware update file transfer operations of the AP 105 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8 and the like below.

Referring back to FIG. 1 , the server 300 receives data (or information) related to the digital welding machine 200 from the network card 100 , and also transmits the data (or information) to the digital welding machine 200 through the network card 100 . configured to transmit data (or information).

The server 300 is a plurality of computer systems or computer software implemented as a network server, and is configured to transmit/receive data through a network card 100 of one or more digital welding machines 200 and a wireless network. The server 300 interacts with the digital welder 200 through the network card 100 to provide a system user with one or more services related to the digital welder 300 . In addition, the system 1 may provide various analysis services related to the digital welding machine 200 based on the obtained welding machine related information. A system user receives a corresponding service through a component (eg, UI unit) of the server 300 or a client device connected to the server 300 .

Herein, the network server is a computer system and computer that is connected to a sub-device that can communicate with other network servers through a computer network such as a private intranet or the Internet, receives a request for performing a task, performs the task, and provides a result of the execution. It means software (network server program). However, in addition to such a network server program, it should be understood as a broad concept including a series of application programs operating on the network server and various databases built therein in some cases.

The system architecture of the server 300 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9 below.

First, the digital welding machine 200 in the welding machine management system 1 is connected to the system 1 through authentication. The network between the network card 100 and the server 300 included in the digital welding machine 200 is connected through the authentication process.

When the duplex processor 215 transmits a system connection request to the network card 100 through the communication connection unit, the AP 105 of the network card 100 transmits the identifier of the digital welding machine 200 that has transmitted the request, the corresponding digital welding machine ( An authentication transmission packet including the identifier of the feeder 220 connected to 200 and the network address of the network card 100 is transmitted to the server 300 .

When the server 300 receives the authentication transmission packet and approves the system connection request, the digital welding machine 200 is connected to the system 1 . The connected digital welding machine 200 may be plural.

The server 300 provides various services related to the digital welding machine 200 by interacting with the network card 100 connected to the digital welding machine 200 connected to the system 1 . The server 300 generates a command associated with a target digital welding machine according to a system user's request to provide a service, and transmits a transmission packet based on the command and a network address of a network card connected to the target digital welding machine to the corresponding network card. do.

In an embodiment, the services provided by the system 1 include one or more of a welder monitoring service, a welder remote control service, and a welder firmware management service. In addition, the analysis service includes one or more of a welding quality management service, a welding machine management service, and an operation supervision service.

When a monitoring service request is input to the server 300 , a monitoring service is provided in response thereto. Here, the monitoring service request includes information about the target digital welding machine 200 and/or the feeder 220 connected to the target digital welding machine 200, for example, the target digital welding machine 200 and/or the target digital welding machine. It may be input as a selection for the feeder 220 connected to 200 .

When a monitoring service request is input, the server 300 includes a monitoring execution command including information on items desired by the digital welding machine 200 and the network address of the network card 100 connected to the target digital welding machine 200 . A monitoring execution transmission packet is generated, and the monitoring execution transmission packet is transmitted to the network card 100 connected to the target digital welding machine 200 . For example, the monitoring execution command includes information on a control item (eg, current, voltage, speed, etc.) of a control panel to be monitored. The network card 100 transmits the monitoring information providing command to the digital welding machine 200 , and the digital welding machine 200 generates monitoring information.

In some embodiments, when a real-time streaming provision request is input to the server 300 , a monitoring service may be provided by real-time data streaming in response thereto.

4A to 4D are diagrams for explaining a welding machine monitoring service according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4A , the welding machine management system 1 may provide a monitoring service indicating the welding operation status, including information on the status and operation of the welding machine, to the system user. The monitoring service is provided based on monitoring information.

The PCB 210 of the digital welding machine 200 generates monitoring information based on detection information and welding operation information acquired through a sensor or the like, and transmits the monitoring information to the network card 100 . In some embodiments, the digital welder 200 may generate monitoring information further based on the job detailed information.

The sensing information includes a sensing time (ie, a time instance) and a sensor value at that time, and the sensing information includes at least one of a voltage, a current, and a supply rate value. The welding operation information includes a welder identifier, a feeder identifier corresponding to a welding worker, and operation state information. The work state information indicates on/off of the torch 230 at the corresponding detection time. The work state information is determined by the operator's on/off command input to the torch 230 obtained through a cable connected to the torch 230 . When the torch 230 is turned off, since the welding operation is in an off state, the operation state information indicates an on/off state of the welding operation.

In some embodiments, when the welder operator information further includes firmware version information, the duplex processor 215 of the digital welder 200 generates monitoring information further based on the current firmware version information installed in the digital welder 200. can

For example, {t, welder ID, feeder ID, on (or off), V, C, S, ER, firmware version} by the PCB 210 of the digital welder 200 in the welder management system 1 Monitoring information consisting of is generated, and the monitoring information is transmitted to the network card 100 .

The AP 105 of the network card 100 generates a monitoring transport packet based on the monitoring information and transmits the monitoring transport packet to the server 300 .

The AP 105 of the network card 100 generates a monitoring transport packet to be transmitted to the server 300 based on the network address of the network card 100 and the monitoring information received from the digital welding machine 200 .

In one embodiment, the AP 105 of the network card 100 generates a monitoring transport packet composed of 84 bits according to the JSON protocol.

In addition, the AP 105 of the network card 100 transmits monitoring information in a plurality of time instances belonging to a predetermined time, instead of generating a monitoring transport packet based on the monitoring information in each time instance and transmitting it for each time instance. Based on the monitoring transport packet is generated.

For example, when the unit of time instance is 1 second and the predetermined time is 10 seconds, one transport packet is generated based on 10 pieces of monitoring information. The network card 100 stores the monitoring information obtained from the digital welding machine 200 in the memory 104 for 10 seconds in the process of generating one transport packet, and then stores the stored 10 monitoring information and the network card ( 100) by matching the network address to generate one monitoring transmission packet, and transmits a single monitoring transmission packet including a plurality of monitoring information to the server 300 .

Then, transmission traffic is reduced by 80% compared to the case where a transmission packet is generated with only one monitoring information obtained for each time instance (eg, in units of seconds, milliseconds) and transmitted for each time instance. have an effect

In some embodiments, the monitoring information is configured to continuously transmit a single monitoring transport packet every predetermined duration (eg, 10 seconds).

When the server 300 receives the monitoring transport packet, the server 300 provides a monitoring service to the system user based on the monitoring information included in the monitoring transport packet. The monitoring service may be provided in the form of a screen based on at least a part of the monitoring information.

Assume that the server 300 receives a request for monitoring service and a request for providing real-time streaming. Server 300, for example, monitoring information of {t, welder ID, feeder ID, on (or off), V, C, S, ER, firmware version} and the network address of the network card 100 (eg, When receiving the monitoring transmission packet including the IP address), the server 300 forms an area based on at least a part of the associated welder operator information and the network address, and the welding operator performs welding in the corresponding digital welding machine 200 . Displays the monitoring results for the job. The region includes sub-regions for each type of sensing information.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the server 300 may provide a user with an area including a welder identifier (WIIA60998) and an address (192.168.0.81) of the network card 100 associated therewith among welder operator information. The area includes a sub-area according to the type of the welding operation information received from the network card 100 at the address (192.168.0.81.) (ie, a control item of the control panel). The server 300 arranges values for each type of detection information in time series (timestamp) order.

4B to 4D are enlarged views of sub-regions for current, voltage, and supply speed of the monitored welding machine WIIA60998 included in FIG. 4A .

4B to 4D , current, voltage, and speed information sensed by the monitoring target welding machine WIIA60998 is provided to the user through the monitoring service.

In addition, the monitoring service may further include a maximum/minimum allowable value for each type of detection information, in addition to a real-time work value (that is, an actual driving value of the digital welding machine 200) included in the monitoring information. The maximum/minimum acceptable values represent values that cause undesirable low weld quality by system users (eg, supervisors).

In addition, the server 300 is further configured to provide an alarm event notifying the system user through the monitoring service when the operator control command for each control item corresponds to the event condition. The event condition depends on whether or not an event occurs at least among the occurrence of an event in which the operator control command for each control item deviates from the maximum/minimum allowable value for each control item and the duration of the generated event.

In some embodiments, the server 300 transmits a remote control command including the maximum/minimum allowable values for each control item as a guideline when the real-time work values in the specific digital welding machine 200 are out of the maximum/minimum allowable values. further configured to do so. These guide lines included in the remote control command are set as driving limit conditions in the digital welding machine 200 .

This remote control command will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 below.

5 is a diagram for explaining a remote control service according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the welding machine management system 1 may provide a remote control service in which a system user remotely controls elements related to a welding operation using the server 300 .

Welders generally prefer to complete their quota faster than weld quality. Increasing the welding current and welding voltage increases the working speed. However, when high welding currents and/or welding voltages are applied, the welding quality deteriorates. On the other hand, system users (eg, work supervisors) value welding quality as well as work speed. The system user wants the welding operation to have an appropriate value of current and voltage, not too high or too low, to achieve high weld quality results.

In one embodiment, when a remote control request is input to the server 300 , the server 300 controls items (eg, welding voltage, welding current and supply speed) controlled by the welding operator through the control panel of the target digital welding machine 200 . ) to remotely control at least some of the The remote control request includes an identifier of the target digital welding machine 200 and/or an identifier of the feeder 220, and a control item and a remote control value desired by the system user for each control item. The server 300 generates a control transmission packet including the remote control command and the network address (eg, IP address) of the network card 100 connected to the target digital welding machine 200, and transmits the control transmission packet to the corresponding network card. (100). In some embodiments, the remote control request is entered through the remote control service interface of FIG. 5 .

The remote control command includes the identifier of the feeder 220 corresponding to the welding operator, the identifier of the digital welding machine 200 to which the feeder 220 is connected, and guidelines for control items. The control item includes at least one of welding current, voltage and supply speed.

The guideline is a condition for limiting the operation for each control item. The guide line is set based on at least one of the maximum allowable value and the minimum allowable value for each control item described above. For example, the guide line may be a range consisting of maximum/minimum values. Then, the remote control command includes an allowable range for one or more of the welding current, welding voltage, and supply speed supplied by the digital welding machine 200 as a guide line. For example, the remote control command may include a maximum/minimum value of a welding current allowed to supply the digital welding machine 200, a maximum/minimum value of a welding voltage, and a maximum/minimum value of the supply speed.

In some embodiments, the remote control request may include a WPS Code. Then, the server 300 may generate a remote control command including a guide line for each control item stored in advance according to the input WPS Code. To this end, the server 300 stores in advance the WPS Code table indicating the WPS Code in which the maximum/minimum values for each control item are previously specified for the WPS Code.

For example, the server 300 may store the WPS Code as shown in the following table.

Referring to Table 1, the remote control request including the identifier of the feeder 220 corresponding to the welding worker, the identifier of the digital welding machine 200 to which the feeder 220 is connected, and the WPS Code "FC-124" is sent to the server 300 When input to, the server 300 corresponds to the WPS Code "FC-124" in the range of the welding current (ie, 250 to 270 A), the range of welding voltage (ie, 27 to 29 V) and the range of the supply speed (ie, 7 to 9 m/min) may be generated as a guideline for each control item.

The server 300 generates a control transmission packet including the network address (eg, IP address) of the network card 100 included in the digital welding machine 200 as the generated remote control command and control item, and transmits the control transmission packet to the It is transmitted to the network card (100).

When the network card 100 receives the control transmission packet, the AP 105 of the network card 100 transmits the remote control command included in the control transmission packet to the PCB 210 of the digital welding machine 200 . When the digital welding machine 200 receives the remote control command, the duplex processor 215 of the digital welding machine 200 causes the digital welding machine 200 to operate according to the guideline of the remote control command. When the digital welding machine 200 receives the operator control command through the control panel after setting, the duplex processor 215 determines whether the value of the control item in the operator control command is outside the range of the guideline set for the control item. .

If the operator control command value for the control item is out of the range of the guideline (that is, above the maximum value or below the minimum value), the duplex processor 215 sets the digital welder 200 to a guideline value close to the operator control command value. make it drive Then, the duplex processor 215 allows the digital welding machine 200 to transmit the corresponding control item (eg, welding current, welding voltage, or supply speed) to the torch 230 according to the operator control command (ie, the operator input value for the control item). supply to

If the operator control command value for the control item falls within the range of the guideline (ie, less than or equal to the maximum value or greater than the minimum value), the duplex processor 215 causes the digital welding machine 200 to operate with the operator control command value.

6A and 6B are diagrams for explaining a welding machine control result according to an embodiment of the present invention.

For example, the digital welding machine 200 receives a remote control command having 10 to 15 m/min as an allowable range of the supply speed and 30 to 40 V as a range of welding voltage from the server 300 through the network card 100. Let's assume the case

Referring to FIG. 6A , when the digital welding machine 200 receives a value belonging to the guide line range (ie, 10 to 15 m/min) as an operator control command value for the supply speed, the duplex processor 215 controls the operator The digital welding machine 200 is driven at a supply speed according to the command value. On the other hand, when the digital welding machine 200 receives a value out of the guideline range, for example, less than 10 m/min or more than 15 m/min, as the operator control command value for the feed speed, the duplex processor 215 ) causes the digital welding machine 200 to drive at the feed rate according to the guideline instead of the operator control command value. When an operator control command value smaller than the guideline minimum value, such as less than 10 m/min, is input, the duplex processor 215 performs a guide value close to the operator control command value input by the digital welding machine 200 (ie, the minimum value) to drive it with On the other hand, when an operator control command value greater than the guideline maximum value is input, such as more than 15 m/min, the duplex processor 215 performs a guide value close to the operator control command value input by the digital welding machine 200 (that is, the maximum value) to drive it.

If the welding worker continuously raises the supply speed lever of FIG. 1 , the duplex processor 215 fixes the supply speed of the digital welding machine 200 to the guideline maximum value (ie, 15 m/min).

Referring to FIG. 6B , when the digital welding machine 200 receives a value belonging to the guide line range (ie, 30 to 40V) as the operator control command value for the welding voltage, the duplex processor 215 controls the operator control command value The digital welding machine 200 is driven with a welding voltage according to On the other hand, when the digital welding machine 200 receives a value outside the guide line range, such as less than 30V or more than 40V, as an operator control command value for the welding voltage, the duplex processor 215 controls the operator control command value. Instead, the digital welding machine 200 is driven with a welding voltage according to the guide line. When an operator control command value smaller than the guide line minimum value is input, such as less than 30V, the duplex processor 215 performs the welding voltage of the guide value (ie, the minimum value) close to the operator control command value input by the digital welding machine 200 . to drive it with On the other hand, when an operator control command value greater than the guideline maximum value is input, such as more than 40V, the duplex processor 215 performs a guide value close to the operator control command value input by the digital welding machine 200 (ie, the maximum value). It is driven by welding voltage.

If the welding operator continuously raises the welding voltage lever of FIG. 1 , the duplex processor 215 fixes the welding voltage of the digital welding machine 200 to the guideline maximum value (ie, 40V).

When an operator control command deviating from the guideline is input as described above, an input value of the control panel (eg, a position of a lever) and an actual driving value (eg, a value displayed on the control panel) are different.

In addition, in the welding machine management system 1 that provides the monitoring service, the digital welding machine 200 transmits monitoring information including the operator control command value and/or the actual driving value of the digital welding machine 200 for each control item to the network card 100 ) may be transmitted to the server 300 . Such monitoring information corresponds to a command execution result according to a remote control command.

The server 300 guides the user (such as shown in FIG. 4 ) based on the monitoring information obtained from the digital welding machine 200 , including the operator control command value, and/or the actual driving value of the digital welding machine 200 . A monitoring service may be provided, including one or more of a line, an operator control command value, and an actual actuation value.

Since the transmission of monitoring information has been described above with reference to FIG. 4, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In addition, when the operator control command value obtained through the monitoring information corresponds to the above-described event condition, the server 300 provides an event alarm informing the user of the fact about the welding worker who entered the operator control command out of the guideline. can do.

7 is a diagram for explaining a firmware management service according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7 , the welding machine management system 1 provides information on the current version of the firmware of the digital welding machine 200 in the system and provides a firmware management service for updating the firmware of the digital welding machine 200 .

In one embodiment, the server 300 obtains a firmware update file for updating the firmware version of the target digital welding machine 200 . In addition, as shown in FIG. 7 , the server 300 may provide a firmware management UI including at least one of a welder identifier, a feeder identifier, and a current version of firmware to a system user.

A system user may input a firmware update request to the server 300 through the firmware management UI of FIG. 7 . The firmware update request includes an identifier of the target digital welding machine 200 to be updated and update firmware version information (eg, update version code). The firmware update request may be input by a command for selecting firmware version information to be updated and a target digital welding machine 200 to be updated with the new firmware. The server 300 transmits the firmware update file corresponding to the input version to the network address (IP address) of the network card 100 connected to the target digital welding machine 200 in response to the firmware update request.

In one embodiment, the server 300 generates a firmware transmission packet set to transmit the entire data of the file for firmware update to the target digital welding machine 200 . The firmware transport packet set is a plurality of firmware transport packets, and each firmware transport packet includes a plurality of sub-file data obtained by dividing the entire data of the file for firmware update.

The server 300 divides the entire data of the file for firmware update so that the sub files are sequentially transmitted to the digital welding machine 200 to update the firmware. The divided sub-file includes data for firmware update, the total number of sub-files in the set, and information about the location (eg, index) of the sub-file in the set.

The total number of the plurality of sub files is set based on the storage capacity of the network card 100 . The total number of sub-files is set so that the data capacity of a single sub-file is smaller than the storage capacity of the memory 104 and the sum of the data capacities of the two sub-files is greater than the storage capacity of the memory 104 .

The server 300 generates each firmware transmission packet including each sub file and the network address of the network card 100 . That is, the server 300 does not transmit one firmware update file as a single transport packet, but divides one firmware update file into a plurality of sub files and transmits them as multiple transport packets.

When the network card 100 of the target digital welding machine 200 receives the firmware transmission packet and acquires one sub file, the AP 105 transmits the acquired sub file to the target digital welding machine 200 . In addition, the AP 105 stores the acquired sub file in the memory 104 . The AP 105 stores the sub-file in the memory 104 until it receives an ACK signal confirming that the corresponding sub-file has been received from the target digital welding machine 200 . If the ACK signal is not received for the second predetermined time, the AP 105 re-delivers the sub-file stored in the memory 104 to the digital welding machine 200 . If the ACK signal is received within the second predetermined time, the AP 105 transmits a request to supply the next sub file to the server 300 . The server 300 transmits the next transmission packet having the next sub file to the network card 100 of the target digital welding machine 200 in response to the next supply request. When the network card 100 receives the next sub file, it transmits the requested next sub file to the digital welding machine 200 and stores the next sub file in the memory 104 . In this case, the previously stored sub file is deleted. This process is repeated until the last sub file is received from the server 300 .

For example, the server 300 divides one firmware file into 10 sub files and transmits the first sub file to the network card 100 . Then, after transmitting the first sub file to the digital welding machine 200 , the network card 100 transmits a supply request for the second sub file when receiving an ACK signal from the digital welding machine 200 . When the server 300 receives a supply request for the second sub-file, the server 300 transmits the second sub-file. The transmission/reception of the sub-file proceeds until the transmission of the tenth sub-file is completed.

When the target digital welding machine 200 obtains the last sub file, the duplex processor 215 updates the firmware using the entire data of the file for firmware update. When the firmware update is completed, the target digital welding machine 200 is rebooted, and the duplex processor 215 transmits the update completion fact to the network card 100 . When the network card 100 transmits a transmission packet including the update completion fact to the server 300 , the system user can check the firmware update fact through the firmware management service.

Through this firmware management service, the firmware of the plurality of digital welding machines 200 included in the welding machine management system 1 can be quickly updated. Conventionally, in order to update the firmware of the digital welding machine 200, the update manager directly connects the laptop to the target digital welding machine 200 to transmit and install the firmware file. did. Typically, since it takes about 30 minutes to update one digital welding machine 200, a significant amount of time is consumed to update the firmware of the large-scale digital welding machine 200. However, in the welding machine management system 1, there is an advantage in that the time to update one digital welding machine 200 is reduced to 4 minutes.

In addition, since a transmission packet having the entire data of the file for firmware update is not used, the storage capacity and data transmission burden of the network card 100 can be reduced, and the network card 100 can be manufactured economically.

Additionally, the server 300 may provide data processing and/or analysis services based on monitoring information.

In one embodiment, the server 300 calculates the arc rate, which is a ratio of the actual working time to the working time of the welding worker using the feeder, based on the monitoring information. For example, the arc rate is calculated based on the following equation.

When the server 300 obtains the work state information in each time instance, included in the monitoring information, the total amount of time instances in which the on state occurs during the working hours from when the welding worker goes to work and leaves the office. ) can be calculated. The total amount of time for which the state information corresponding to on is obtained represents the actual working time of the welding operator. Due to this, the system user can accurately check the actual working attitude of the welding worker.

In addition, the server 300 may analyze the welding quality based on the monitoring information, and provide the analysis result as a welding quality management service. For example, the server 300 analyzes, based on the monitoring information, an event occurrence frequency and event occurrence duration indicating that the digital welding machine 200 is driven to a value exceeding the pre-obtained maximum/minimum guideline for each control item. And, it is possible to provide a welding quality control service by calculating the welding quality based on the analysis result. For example, when the digital welding machine 200 is driven with a current or voltage value exceeding the maximum guideline, it is analyzed as low welding quality.

The welding quality management service is significant when a guide line, which is a driving limiting condition of the digital welding machine 200, is not set because a control transmission packet is not transmitted.

Also, the server 300 may provide a welding machine management service based on the monitoring information.

Also, the server 300 may acquire integrated data based on the monitoring information. Here, the integrated data is an integrated monitoring information in which the job status is on for a continuous time instance, and the monitoring service detects monitoring information having job status information corresponding to on, and the detected monitoring A time instance of the information detects a series of continuous monitoring information to generate integrated data.

For example, when work state information of {on, on, on, off, off, on, on} is obtained during the first to seventh time instances, at least among the monitoring information obtained during the first to third time instances First integrated data including a portion and second aggregate data including at least a portion of the monitoring information obtained during the sixth and seventh time instances are generated. Then, the server 300 can filter the monitoring information that the welding operation state is off,

The server 300 may provide the above-described analysis service through fewer data processing processes based on such integrated data.

A system user of the welding machine management system 1 may monitor the welding operation status in real time through a monitoring service. In addition, the system user can remotely set a guideline limiting the driving conditions of the digital welding machine 200 through the remote control service, thereby preventing low welding quality. In addition, the system user can easily update the firmware of the plurality of digital welding machines 200 .

In addition, the welding machine management system 1 may manage a worker. Based on the feeder information or the arc rate of the monitoring information, the real name of the welding worker can be managed, and welding work efficiency can be managed for each worker.

Additionally, the welding machine management system 1 may analyze the failure history of the digital welding machine 200 based on the monitoring information of each digital welding machine 200 . To this end, the digital welding machine 200 may transmit monitoring information further including failure occurrence information to the server 300 .

Additionally, the welding machine management system 1 may further perform an operation rate analysis for each workshop. To this end, the server 3 is configured to pre-store information about the workplace where the digital welding machine 200 is installed. Based on the installation status and monitoring information of the digital welding machine 200 installed for each workshop, the welding operation operation rate may be managed for each workshop.

The welding machine management system 1 and the server 300 may be configured with a system architecture capable of performing the above-described operation of the server 300 .

In one embodiment, the welding machine management system 1 may be configured based on a local network.

8 is a conceptual diagram of a local network-based system architecture according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8 , the welding machine management system 1 has a system architecture that implements a message-based protocol, and data communication between the network card 100 and the server 300 proceeds through a message. For example, the welding machine management system 1 may perform data communication through a message according to AMQP (Advanced Message Queuing Protocol), but is not limited thereto. In a system architecture for performing such a message-based protocol, a transmission packet between the digital welding machine 200 and the server 300 corresponds to a message.

In the above embodiment, the server 300 includes a broker 381 , an Exchange 382 , and a queue 383 . In addition, the server 300 may include one or more of a real-time data processing unit 384 and an API 385 . The system user's client device (not shown) includes an interface UI and/or a firmware UI.

The broker 381 is an entity that receives all messages and distributes all messages, and may be implemented with a number of queues 383 . The number of queues 383 may include different types of queues. For example, a single shared queue allowing the broker 381 to send messages to all network cards 100 , a first dedicated queue allowing each network card 100 to individually receive messages from the broker 381 ; and/or a second dedicated queue that allows each network card 100 to individually send a message to the broker 381 .

The exchange 382 operates as a routing for distributing a message received by a producer to one or more queues, or accepting a message from the network card 100 and distributing it to one or more queues. The routing of a message is established based on the subject of the message, based on the binding which queue is associated with an exchange, or based on the message (eg, header value).

The subject of the message depends on the type of service provided by the welding machine management system 1 . 4 to 7 , the subject of the message between the network card 100 and the server 300 (ie, the subject of the transport packet) includes a monitoring management service, a firmware management service, and/or a remote control service. For the monitoring management service, a binding configured such that a queue 383 (ie, a first dedicated queue) that causes each network card 100 to send a message to a broker 381 is associated with an exchange 382 may be used. have. For remote control services, a binding may be used in which a queue 383 (ie, a second dedicated queue) is associated with an exchange 382 that allows each network card 100 to receive messages from the broker 381 . For firmware management services, a queue 383 (ie, a single shared queue) that causes the broker 381 to send messages to all network cards 100, or each network card 100, sends messages from the broker 381. A binding associated with the exchange 382 of the queue 383 (ie, the second dedicated queue) that allows it to receive may be used.

In addition, the message subject between the server 300 and the client device of the system user includes a monitoring management service, a firmware management service, a remote control service and/or an analysis service.

The exchange 382 sends a message related to the monitoring management service (ie, a monitoring service request), a message related to the remote control service (ie, a remote control request), and a message related to the firmware management service (ie, a firmware update request) to the client device. receive from The exchange 382 transmits a message related to the monitoring management service (ie, a command to provide monitoring information), a message related to the remote control service (ie, a remote control command), and a message related to the firmware management service (ie, a firmware file) to the network card. (100). The network address (eg, IP address) of the network card 100 is determined based on a message from the client device.

As such, the messages transmitted/received through the exchange 382 have been described above with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7 , and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

In addition, the exchange 382 is configured to transmit a message having monitoring information (ie, monitoring information) to the real-time data processing unit 384 .

The real-time data processing unit 384 is configured to store raw data included in the monitoring information in the first DB 386 . The real-time data processing unit 384 may store the analysis result based on the raw data in the second DB 387 . For example, the real-time data processing unit 384 generates aggregate data and stores it in the second DB 387 .

The real-time data processing unit 384 may be implemented with various server tools configured to perform data processing in real time in a message-based system architecture. For example, the real-time data processing unit 384 may be implemented as spring cloud data flow, or spring boot, but is not limited thereto.

The server 300 may include an API. The API includes a control API 388 for interacting with a control UI; It may include a firmware API 389 that interacts with the firmware UI.

In another embodiment, the welding machine management system 1 may be configured based on a cloud network.

9 is a conceptual diagram of a cloud network-based system architecture according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 9 , the welding machine management system 1 includes a client network end including a digital welding machine 200 and an edge computing device 250 ; and a cloud network end including the cloud server 300 .

The edge computing device 250 is a component located in the electrical communication path between the digital welding machine 200 and the server 300 . The edge computing device 250 is configured to perform at least some operations such that the server 300 does not perform all operations of the welding machine management system 1 . In addition, the edge computing device 250 filters at least some of the information included in the transmission packet of the digital welding machine 200 to efficiently use the cloud capacity of the server 300 .

In one embodiment, the edge computing device 250 a) analyzes the monitoring information and transmits an alarm to the digital welding machine 200 when non-standard operation continues, or b) classifies factory data traffic, welding machine operation status, and welding machine abnormal status configured to filter information.

The server 300 is configured to receive data (or information) filtered by the edge computing device 250 to perform a device management service, a firmware management service, and the like. In addition, raw data acquired from the digital welding machine 200 and data generated by processing the same (eg, integrated data) are stored. The server 300 may store the acquired and/or generated data in a time series DB or a relational DB (RDB).

In addition, these services can be provided to other system users through the cloud.

It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the welder management system 1 may include other components not described herein. For example, the power supply systems may include network interfaces and protocols, input devices for data entry, and other hardware components necessary for the operation described herein, including output devices for display, printing, or other data presentation. may include

Although the present invention as described above has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, it will be understood that these are merely exemplary and that various modifications and variations of the embodiments are possible therefrom by those of ordinary skill in the art. However, such modifications should be considered to be within the technical protection scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the true technical protection scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

100: network card 220: feeder
101: power unit 230: torch
102: first communication unit 240: base material
103: second communication unit 250: cable
104: memory 260: ground wire
105: application processor (AP) 270: carbon dioxide gas cylinder
200: digital welding machine 300: server
210: PCB
211: power connection
212: communication connection
215: processor

Claims (14)

A network card connected to a digital welding machine, comprising:
a power supply unit for supplying power to the digital welding machine; a first communication unit in electrical communication with the digital welding machine; and a second communication unit in electrical communication with the server; and a board on which the memory is mounted; and
and an application processor (AP) mounted on the board and configured to transmit a server command acquired through the second communication unit to the digital welding unit through the first communication unit.
According to claim 1, wherein the AP,
The network card according to claim 1, further configured to transmit digital welding machine-related information obtained from the digital welder through the first communication unit to the server through the second communication unit.
The method of claim 2, wherein the AP comprises:
Receives a monitoring execution transmission packet including a monitoring providing command from the server through the second communication unit and transmits the monitoring providing command to the digital welding machine through the first communication unit,
obtaining monitoring information from the digital welding machine through the first communication unit, and generating a monitoring transmission packet based on the network address of the network card, the network address of the server, and monitoring information of the corresponding digital welding machine;
The network card, characterized in that it is further configured to transmit the monitoring transport packet to the server through the second communication unit.
4. The method of claim 3,
The monitoring information includes a welder identifier, a feeder identifier, a sensor value, and a time instance at which the corresponding sensor value is obtained,
wherein the sensor value includes one or more of a welding current, a welding voltage, and a feeding speed.
According to claim 4, wherein the monitoring information,
The network card further comprising welding state information indicating an on-off state of a welding operation based on a control signal obtained from a torch of a digital welding machine.
The method of claim 3, wherein the AP is
Acquire a plurality of monitoring information for a predetermined time and store it in the memory,
and generating a single transport packet based on the plurality of monitoring information stored in the memory when the predetermined time has elapsed.
The method of claim 2, wherein the AP comprises:
The network card according to claim 1, further configured to receive a remote control command from the server through the second communication unit and transmit the remote control command to the digital welding machine through the first communication unit.
The method of claim 7, wherein the remote control command
A network card comprising at least one of a maximum allowable value and a minimum allowable value for each control item for limiting the operation of the digital welding machine.
The method of claim 2, wherein the AP is
Receives a firmware transmission packet including at least a portion of all data of the file for firmware update from the server through the second communication unit,
and transmitting at least one of the firmware update command and the data of the firmware update file to the digital welding unit through the first communication unit.
10. The method of claim 9,
The AP receives a plurality of firmware transmission packets for firmware update of the digital welding machine,
The network card, characterized in that the plurality of firmware transmission packets each include a plurality of sub-files constituting the entire data of the file for firmware update.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the AP is
and, when receiving one of the plurality of firmware transport packets, store the sub-file in the received firmware transport packet in the memory before transferring the received firmware transport packet to the digital welding machine.
The method of claim 11, wherein the AP,
The sub file is transmitted to the digital welding machine through the first communication unit, and the ack signal for the transmitted sub file is waited for a predetermined time,
When the ack signal is received within the predetermined time, a supply request for the next sub file is transmitted to the server through the second communication unit,
and re-delivering the sub-file stored in the memory to the digital welding unit through the first communication unit if the ack signal is not received within the predetermined time.
The method of claim 12, wherein the AP,
When the firmware transmission packet including the next sub file is received through the second communication unit, the next sub file is transmitted to the digital welding unit through the first communication unit,
and store the next sub-file in the memory;
The network card, characterized in that the sub file of the previous firmware transmission packet stored in the memory is deleted.
According to claim 1,
The network card 100 is disposed inside the housing of the digital welding machine,
The power supply unit is configured to supply power through a direct input method from the digital welding machine.

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