WO2022162960A1

WO2022162960A1 - Program generation device, program generation program, and program generation method

Info

Publication number: WO2022162960A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/009585
Authority: WO
Inventors: 慎太郎岩村; 裕阿部
Original assignee: オムロン株式会社
Priority date: 2021-01-29
Filing date: 2021-03-10
Publication date: 2022-08-04
Also published as: JP2022116952A

Abstract

Provided is a solution capable of easily generating a program necessary for an application including a robot. This program generation device comprises a drawing unit that virtually depicts a subject device in a virtual space, an acquisition unit that acquires specification of details of operation of the subject device by a user, and a program generation unit that generates an IEC program and a robot program on the basis of the specified details of operation.

Description

Program generation device, program generation program and program generation method

The present technology relates to a program generation device, a program generation program, and a program generation method.

In the FA (Factory Automation) field, robots are used for various applications. Such applications require a program to be executed by a control device such as a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) and a program for controlling the robot.

Techniques have been proposed to facilitate the creation of such programs. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-018250 (Patent Document 1) discloses a programming device and the like for reducing operator work required to create an operation program for a robot.

In addition, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2018-118330 (Patent Document 2) discloses an arithmetic device and the like that can automatically generate cooperative motions of a plurality of robots in a short time.

JP 2019-018250 A JP 2018-118330 A

　In an application that includes a robot, it is necessary to directly or indirectly link the program executed by the control device with the program for controlling the robot. On the other hand, the techniques disclosed in the prior art documents mentioned above focus on the generation of programs for operating robots, and do not take into account the programs executed by the control device.

The purpose of this technology is to provide a solution that can easily generate the necessary programs for applications that include robots.

A program generation device according to an embodiment of the present technology includes a drawing unit that virtually expresses a target device in a virtual space, an acquisition unit that acquires a specification of operation content of the target device by a user, and a specified operation. and a program generator for generating an IEC program and a robot program based on the contents.

According to this configuration, the user can generate an IEC program and a robot program for operating the target device in the real environment only by designating the operation contents of the target device in the virtual space. Even a poor user can generate a program necessary for operation.

The acquisition unit may generate an action definition that specifies the specified action content. According to this configuration, the user only needs to specify the operation of the target device in the virtual space without being aware of the creation of the operation definition, so even users with little specialized knowledge can use it. Also, by generating an action definition that specifies the specified action content, the IEC program and the robot program can be generated more reliably.

The program generation device may further include a receiving unit that receives changes made by the user to the action definition. According to this configuration, the user can check the action definition that specifies the specified action content, and then make corrections or the like as necessary.

The program generation unit may further generate information that defines the execution order between the IEC program and the robot program. According to this configuration, it is possible to realize more accurate control when it is necessary to operate the robot and other mechanisms synchronously.

The information that defines the execution order between the IEC program and the robot program may include instructions for updating values referenced by the IEC program and the robot program. According to this configuration, in an environment where the IEC program and the robot program are executed in parallel, it is possible to advance the processing while mutually interlocking between the two programs.

The information that defines the execution order between the IEC program and the robot program may include a table that defines the timing of executing the IEC program and the robot program. According to this configuration, the execution order of the IEC program and the robot program can be defined explicitly.

The program generation device may further include a generation unit that generates information for virtually representing the target device in the virtual space from the design data of the target device. According to this configuration, the target device can be easily reproduced in the virtual space from design data such as CAD data.

The program generation device may further include a simulator that reproduces the motion of the target device based on the IEC program and the robot program. According to this configuration, it is possible to easily check the operation of the generated IEC program and robot program.

A program generation program according to another embodiment of the present technology provides a computer with a step of virtually representing a target device in a virtual space, a step of acquiring a user's specification of operation content of the target device, and a step of specifying A step of generating an IEC program and a robot program is executed based on the obtained operation contents.

A program generation method according to still another embodiment of the present technology includes the steps of virtually representing a target device in a virtual space, acquiring a specification of operation content of the target device by a user, and performing the specified operation. and generating an IEC program and a robot program based on the content.

With this technology, it is possible to easily generate the necessary programs for applications that include robots.

1 is a schematic diagram showing main functions of a program generation device according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram outlining the system configuration of a control system according to an embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a hardware configuration example of a control device that configures the control system according to the present embodiment; FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a hardware configuration example of a robot controller that configures the control system according to the present embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a hardware configuration example of a motor driver that configures the control system according to the embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a hardware configuration example of a support device that configures the control system according to the present embodiment; 4 is a schematic diagram showing a more detailed configuration of the development program installed in the support device according to the embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a target device created in virtual space using the support device according to the present embodiment; FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a procedure example for setting the first operation of the target device shown in FIG. 8; FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a procedure example for setting a second operation of the target device shown in FIG. 8; FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a procedure example for setting a third operation of the target device shown in FIG. 8; FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a procedure example for setting a fourth operation of the target device shown in FIG. 8; FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a procedure example for setting a fifth operation of the target device shown in FIG. 8; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an action definition generated by a support device according to the embodiment; FIG. 15 shows an example of an IEC program generated according to the action definition shown in FIG. 14; 15 shows an example of a robot program generated according to the action definition shown in FIG. 14; FIG. 15 shows an example of an execution order management program generated according to the action definition shown in FIG. 14; FIG. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a user correcting or changing the action definition shown in FIG. 14; 4 is a flow chart showing a processing procedure for program generation by the support device according to the present embodiment;

An embodiment of this technology will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same or corresponding parts in the drawings are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

<A. Application example>
First, an example of a scene to which the present technology is applied will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing main functions of the program generation device according to this embodiment. FIG. 1 shows a support device 400 as an example of a program generation device according to this embodiment. The support device 400 has a drawing function that virtually represents the target device in the virtual space. The user specifies the operation details of the target device, and the support device 400 acquires the operation details specified by the user. Then, the support device 400 generates the IEC program 1104 and the robot program 1106 based on the designated operation contents.

By providing such a configuration, it is possible to easily generate the necessary programs for applications that include robots.

Note that the program generation device may be implemented as an arbitrary information processing device instead of the support device 400, and some or all of the necessary functions may be implemented using a plurality of processor resources.

<B. Control system configuration>
Next, the configuration of the control system 1 including the program generation device according to this embodiment will be described.

(b1: overall configuration)
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram outlining the system configuration of the control system 1 according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 2 , control system 1 includes control device 100 , robot controller 250 and motor driver 350 network-connected to control device 100 via field network 10 .

The control device 100 exchanges data with devices connected to the field network 10 and executes processing as described later. Control device 100 may typically be realized by a PLC.

The robot controller 250 is in charge of controlling the robot 200. More specifically, the robot controller 250 functions as an interface with the robot 200, outputs commands for driving the robot 200, and obtains state values of the robot 200 in accordance with commands from the control device 100. and output to the control device 100 .

The motor driver 350 is in charge of controlling the motor 300 that drives an arbitrary mechanism (not shown). More specifically, the motor driver 350 functions as an interface with the mechanism, and outputs commands for driving the axes that make up the mechanism to the corresponding motors 300 according to commands from the control device 100. A state value of the motor 300 is obtained and output to the control device 100 .

For the field network 10, protocols for industrial networks such as EtherCAT (registered trademark) and EtherNet/IP can be used. When EtherCAT is adopted as a protocol, data can be exchanged between the control device 100 and devices connected to the field network 10 at regular intervals of several hundred microseconds to several milliseconds, for example. By exchanging data at such regular intervals, the robot 200 and mechanisms included in the control system 1 can be controlled at high speed and with high accuracy.

The control device 100 may be connected to the display device 500 and the server device 600 via the host network 20 . For the upper network 20, a protocol for industrial networks such as EtherNet/IP can be used.

The control device 100 may be connected to a support device 400 for installing a user program executed by the control device 100 and performing various settings. Support device 400 is an example of a program generation device according to the present embodiment.

A hardware configuration example of the main devices that make up the control system 1 shown in FIG. 2 will be described below.

(b2: control device 100)
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a hardware configuration example of the control device 100 that configures the control system 1 according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 3, control device 100 includes processor 102, main memory 104, storage 110, memory card interface 112, host network controller 106, field network controller 108, local bus controller 116, USB and a USB controller 120 that provides a (Universal Serial Bus) interface. These components are connected via processor bus 118 .

The processor 102 corresponds to an arithmetic processing unit that executes control arithmetic, and is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and the like. Specifically, the processor 102 reads a program stored in the storage 110, develops it in the main memory 104, and executes it, thereby implementing control calculations for the controlled object.

The main memory 104 is composed of volatile storage devices such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and SRAM (Static Random Access Memory). The storage 110 is configured by, for example, a non-volatile storage device such as SSD (Solid State Drive) or HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

The storage 110 stores a system program 1102 for realizing basic functions, an IEC program 1104 and a robot program 1106 created according to the object to be controlled, and the like.

The IEC program 1104 includes instructions necessary for realizing processes other than the process of controlling the robot 200 in the control system 1 according to this embodiment. IEC program 1104 may typically include sequence instructions and motion instructions. The IEC program 1104 may be written in any language defined by IEC61131-3 defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). However, the IEC program 1104 may include a program written in a maker's own language other than the language defined by IEC61131-3. The IEC program 1104 is also called a "PLC program" because it is the basic program executed by the PLC.

The robot program 1106 includes instructions for controlling the robot 200. The robot program 1106 may include instructions written in a predetermined programming language (for example, a programming language for robot control such as V+ language or a programming language for NC control such as G code).

The memory card interface 112 accepts a memory card 114, which is an example of a removable storage medium. The memory card interface 112 is capable of reading/writing arbitrary data from/to the memory card 114 .

The host network controller 106 exchanges data with arbitrary information processing devices (such as the display device 500 and the server device 600 shown in FIG. 2) via the host network 20 .

The field network controller 108 exchanges data with each device via the field network 10.

The local bus controller 116 exchanges data with any functional unit 130 included in the control device 100 via the local bus 122 . The functional unit 130 includes, for example, an analog I/O unit responsible for inputting and/or outputting analog signals, a digital I/O unit responsible for inputting and/or outputting digital signals, a counter unit receiving pulses from an encoder, etc. And so on.

The USB controller 120 exchanges data with any information processing device (such as the support device 400) via a USB connection.

(b3: robot controller 250)
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a hardware configuration example of the robot controller 250 that configures the control system 1 according to this embodiment. Referring to FIG. 4, robot controller 250 includes field network controller 252 and control processing circuit 260 .

The field network controller 252 mainly exchanges data with the control device 100 via the field network 10 .

The control processing circuit 260 executes arithmetic processing required to drive the robot 200 . By way of example, control processing circuitry 260 includes processor 262 , main memory 264 , storage 270 and interface circuitry 268 .

A processor 262 executes control operations for driving the robot 200 . The main memory 264 is composed of, for example, a volatile memory device such as DRAM or SRAM. The storage 270 is configured by, for example, a non-volatile storage device such as SSD or HDD.

The storage 270 stores a system program 272 for realizing control for driving the robot 200 . The system program 272 includes commands for executing control operations related to the operation of the robot 200 and commands related to interfacing with the robot 200 .

Interface circuit 268 exchanges data with robot 200 .
(b4: motor driver 350)
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a hardware configuration example of the motor driver 350 configuring the control system 1 according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 5, motor driver 350 includes field network controller 352 , control processing circuit 360 and drive circuit 380 .

The field network controller 352 mainly exchanges data with the control device 100 via the field network 10 .

The control processing circuit 360 executes arithmetic processing necessary for controlling the motor 300 . As an example, control processing circuitry 360 includes processor 362 , main memory 364 , and storage 370 .

The processor 362 executes control calculations related to the motor 300 . The main memory 364 is composed of, for example, a volatile memory device such as DRAM or SRAM. The storage 370 is configured by, for example, a non-volatile storage device such as SSD or HDD.

A system program 372 for realizing drive control of the motor 300 is stored in the storage 370 . The system program 372 includes instructions for executing control calculations related to the operation of the motor 300 and instructions related to interfacing with the motor 300 .

The drive circuit 380 includes a converter circuit, an inverter circuit, and the like, and according to the command value calculated by the control processing circuit 360, generates power of specified voltage, current, and phase, and supplies it to the motor 300.

The motor 300 is mechanically coupled to one of the shafts that make up the mechanism. As the motor 300, a motor having characteristics corresponding to the mechanism to be driven can be employed. For example, the motor 300 may be an induction motor, a synchronous motor, a permanent magnet motor, or a reluctance motor, and may be a linear motor as well as a rotary motor.

(b5: support device 400)
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a hardware configuration example of the support device 400 that configures the control system 1 according to this embodiment. 6, support device 400 includes processor 402 such as a CPU or MPU, main memory 404, storage 410, network controller 420, USB controller 424, input unit 426, and display unit 428. include. These components are connected via bus 408 .

The processor 402 reads various programs stored in the storage 410 , develops them in the main memory 404 , and executes them, thereby realizing necessary processing in the support device 400 .

The storage 410 is composed of, for example, an HDD or SSD. The storage 410 typically stores an OS 412 and a development program 414 for realizing processing as described later. Note that the storage 410 may store necessary programs other than the programs shown in FIG.

The network controller 420 exchanges data with any information processing device via any network.

The USB controller 424 exchanges data with any information processing device via a USB connection.

The input unit 426 is composed of a mouse, keyboard, touch panel, etc., and receives instructions from the user. A display unit 428 includes a display, various indicators, and the like, and outputs processing results from the processor 402 and the like.

The support device 400 may have an optical drive 406 . The optical drive 406 reads the program from a recording medium 407 (for example, an optical recording medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)) that stores a computer-readable program non-transitory, and stores the program in a storage 410 or the like.

Various programs executed by the support device 400 may be installed via the computer-readable recording medium 407, or may be installed by downloading from any server on the network.

(b6: display device 500)
Display device 500 configuring control system 1 according to the present embodiment may be realized using a general-purpose personal computer as an example. Since the basic hardware configuration example of the display device 500 is well known, detailed description thereof will not be given here.

(b7: server device 600)
Server device 600 that configures control system 1 according to the present embodiment may be implemented using a general-purpose personal computer as an example. Since the basic hardware configuration example of the server device 600 is well known, detailed description thereof will not be given here.

(b8: other forms)
3 to 6 show configuration examples in which one or more processors execute programs to provide necessary functions. It may be implemented using a hardware circuit (for example, ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array)).

<C. Development program>
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a more detailed configuration of development program 414 installed in support device 400 according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 7, the development program 414 includes, as main elements, a drawing engine 430, an operation acquisition engine 432, a simulator 434, a program generation management engine 436, an IEC program generation engine 438, and a robot program generation engine. 440 and .

The rendering engine 430 corresponds to a rendering unit that virtually represents the target device in the virtual space. The rendering engine 430 refers to the device settings 470 and renders any device in the virtual space. Device settings 470 contain information about the device of interest, and may be automatically generated from design data, such as computer-aided design (CAD) data, as described below. In addition, the user may add, for example, information on any target device to the device settings 470 .

In this specification, arbitrary devices and mechanisms set in the virtual space are collectively referred to as "target devices". However, the "target device" does not need to be configured as a complete device, and is a concept that may include a part of the mechanism or part of the device.

The operation acquisition engine 432 corresponds to an acquisition unit that acquires the specification of the operation content of the target device by the user. More specifically, the operation acquisition engine 432 generates the action definition 460 based on the acquired user's operation. The action definition 460 is information specifying the action content specified by the user. As will be described later, the action definition 460 describes the details of the user's operation, and serves as a basis for generating the IEC program 1104 and robot program 1106 .

The simulator 434 emulates the operation of the set device or mechanism. That is, simulator 434 reproduces the motion of the target device based on IEC program 1104 and robot program 1106 . Behavior information from the simulator 434 (for example, positions and velocities of parts over time) is output to the drawing engine 430 . The rendering engine 430 reproduces the behavior of devices and mechanisms in virtual space based on the behavior information from the simulator 434 .

The program generation management engine 436 manages program generation processing by the IEC program generation engine 438 and the robot program generation engine 440, and generates an execution order management program 1108 as described later.

The IEC program generation engine 438 refers to the action definition 460 to generate the required IEC program 1104 .

The robot program generation engine 440 refers to the action definition 460 to generate the necessary robot program 1106 .

In this way, the program generation management engine 436, the IEC program generation engine 438, and the robot program generation engine 440 correspond to program generators that generate the IEC program 1104 and the robot program 1106 based on the operation contents specified by the user. .

The execution order management program 1108 is an example of information that defines the execution order between the IEC program 1104 and the robot program 1106. Instead of the execution order management program 1108, or together with the execution order management program 1108, a table defining the execution order may be prepared.

The simulator 434 can also emulate the control device 100, refer to the generated programs (IEC program 1104, robot program 1106, execution order management program 1108), and reproduce the operation of the device or mechanism by the program. can also

<D. Example of generation procedure>
Next, an example of a program generation procedure using the support device 400 according to the present embodiment will be described.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a target device created in virtual space using the support device 400 according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 8, the user can virtually create any target device in virtual space 450 provided by support device 400 . FIG. 8 shows an example of a target device including a robot, a robot slider for driving the robot, and two sliders. In reality, the robot slider and each of the two sliders are driven by motor 300 and motor driver 350 (see FIG. 2). The robot is also controlled by a robot controller 250 (see FIG. 2).

The IEC program 1104 (see FIG. 3) is used to control the robot slider and each of the two sliders, and the robot program 1106 (see FIG. 3) is used to control the robot. The support device 400 according to the present embodiment generates the IEC program 1104 and the robot program 1106 by the user's operation described later.

First, the operation of the control device shown in FIG. 8 will be described. A slider 1 moves a moving tray 1 formed with three stages of racks on which three pallets can be mounted along a predetermined direction. In the initial state, the transfer tray 1 stores an empty pallet (a pallet on which no work is placed). The robot picks up an empty pallet from the mobile tray 1 and places it in the work area. After the work, the robot returns the pallet on which the work is placed to the transfer tray 1.例文帳に追加

The slider 2 moves the moving tray 2 that supplies the work along a predetermined direction. In the initial state, the work is placed on the transfer tray 2 and the robot picks up the work from the transfer tray 2 .

The robot slider moves the robot to slider 1, work area, and slider 2. A robot places a work on an empty pallet in the work area. That is, the robot performs the following operations.

(1) An empty pallet on the shelf of the moving tray 1 of the slider 1 is picked up by the arm at the tip and placed in the work area. Pick and place on a pallet in the work area (3) Pick a pallet in the work area and place it on the shelf of the moving tray 1 of the slider 1 Below, operations for realizing the above processing are described. An example of the procedure will be described.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a procedure example for setting the first operation of the target device shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 9, as the first action, the action of moving tray 1 to the vicinity of the robot in order for the robot to pick up a pallet from tray 1 is set.

More specifically, the user specifies the movement start position and movement end position of the slider 1 by operating the mouse or the like. In the virtual space 450 , the position of the movable tray 1 can be arbitrarily changed, and the user can confirm the movement and position on the support device 400 .

The user may specify the movement start position and the movement end position of the slider 1 by selecting and moving the tray 1 by operating the mouse in the virtual space 450, or inputting the corresponding parameters by operating the keyboard. Alternatively, the movement start position and the movement end position of the slider 1 may be specified by changing them.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a procedure example for setting the second operation of the target device shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 10, as the second operation, an operation of moving the robot to the vicinity of transfer tray 1 by the robot slider is set so that the robot can pick up a pallet from transfer tray 1 .

More specifically, the user designates the movement start position and movement end position of the robot slider by operating the mouse or the like. In the virtual space 450 , the position of the robot can be arbitrarily changed, and the user can confirm the movement and position on the support device 400 .

The user may specify the movement start position and the movement end position of the robot slider by selecting and moving the robot by mouse operation in the virtual space 450, or input or change the corresponding parameters by keyboard operation. By doing so, the movement start position and the movement end position of the robot slider may be specified.

FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a procedure example for setting the third operation of the target device shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 11, as the third operation, the trajectory of the arm at the tip of the robot is set (teaching the robot) so that the robot can pick up a pallet from transfer tray 1 .

More specifically, the user specifies the trajectory of the arm at the tip of the robot by operating the mouse. Alternatively, the user may specify the trajectory of the arm at the tip of the robot by inputting or changing the corresponding parameters through keyboard operations. Alternatively, a teaching pendant object may be displayed on the display unit 428 of the support device 400, and the trajectory of the arm at the tip of the robot may be specified by operating the displayed teaching pendant object. good.

FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining a procedure example for setting the fourth operation of the target device shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 12, as the fourth operation, an operation of moving the robot to the vicinity of the work area by the robot slider is set in order to place the pallet picked up by the robot from the transfer tray 1 in the work area.

FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a procedure example for setting the fifth operation of the target device shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 13, as the fifth operation, the trajectory of the arm at the tip of the robot is set so that the pallet picked up by the robot from the transfer tray 1 is placed on the work area.

Following the same procedure, the operation of the target device is sequentially set. More specifically, as the sixth action, the action of moving the movable tray 2 to the vicinity of the robot in order for the robot to pick up the work from the movable tray 2 is set. As the seventh action, the action of moving the robot to the vicinity of the transfer tray 2 with the robot slider is set so that the robot can pick up the work from the transfer tray 2 . As the eighth operation, the trajectory of the arm at the tip of the robot is set so that the robot can pick up the workpiece from the transfer tray 2 . As the ninth operation, an operation of moving the robot to the vicinity of the work area with the robot slider is set in order for the robot to place the work picked from the moving tray 2 on the pallet in the work area. As the tenth operation, the trajectory of the arm at the tip of the robot is set in order for the robot to place the work picked from the transfer tray 2 on the pallet in the work area. Furthermore, an operation for moving the pallet on which the work is placed to the transfer tray 1 is set.

With the above procedure, the user defines the operation of the target device for each element. The support device 400 generates an action definition 460 according to the user's operation procedure.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the action definition 460 generated by the support device 400 according to this embodiment. For simplification of explanation, the following explanation focuses on the first to fifth operations.

14, an action definition 460 includes an order column 461 indicating the order of actions, an action target column 462 indicating an action target, a mechanism type column 463 indicating a mechanism type, and an action content column 464 indicating action details. including.

The order column 461 stores a number indicating the order set by the user. For each number stored in the sequence column 461 , an operation target is defined in the operation target column 462 , a mechanism type is defined in the mechanism type column 463 , and an operation content is defined in the operation content column 464 .

In the example shown in FIG. 14, the mechanism type column 463 stores "slider" and/or "robot". Basically, the motion in which the “slider” is stored is implemented by the IEC program 1104, and the motion in which the “robot” is stored is implemented by the robot program 1106. FIG.

Codes of the IEC program 1104 and the robot program 1106 are generated according to the corresponding operation target and operation content.

FIG. 15 shows an example of the IEC program 1104 generated according to the action definition 460 shown in FIG. FIG. 16 shows an example of a robot program 1106 generated according to the action definition 460 shown in FIG.

The IEC program 1104 shown in FIG. 15 describes instructions corresponding to the first, second, and fourth operations in addition to the instructions for implementing the initialization process. In the example shown in FIG. 15, a motion command (MC_MoveAbsolute) is used to move the slider (position control), but a different motion command may be used when applying to a rotating mechanism instead of the slider. .

The robot program 1106 shown in FIG. 16 describes commands corresponding to the third and fifth operations.

In this way, the support device 400 automatically generates the IEC program 1104 and the robot program 1106 according to the action specified by the user in the virtual space 450. Note that an execution order management program may be generated between the IEC program 1104 and the robot program 1106 in order to realize the operation order and interlock of processing.

FIG. 17 shows an example of the execution order management program 1108 generated according to the action definition 460 shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 17, execution order management program 1108 includes instructions for sequentially updating (incrementing) variable Index (flag) that can be commonly referred to by IEC program 1104 and robot program 1106 . Processing can be synchronized between the IEC program 1104 and the robot program 1106 by sequentially updating the variable Index and using the variable Index as a condition for executing each operation.

In this way, the execution order management program 1108, which is an example of information defining the execution order between the IEC program 1104 and the robot program 1106, includes instructions for updating the values referred to by the IEC program 1104 and the robot program 1106.

Instead of generating the execution order management program 1108, a table describing the execution order of the IEC program 1104 and the robot program 1106 or arbitrary definitions may be generated. That is, another example of the information that defines the execution order between the IEC program 1104 and the robot program 1106 may be a table that defines timings for executing the IEC program 1104 and the robot program 1106 .

<E. Correction/change of action definition>
Support device 400 can automatically generate IEC program 1104 and robot program 1106 based on action definition 460 shown in FIG. You can also

For example, the user can refer to the generated action definition 460 after specifying the mechanism included in the target device and the action and action procedure of the robot in the virtual space 450 to evaluate the validity of the action. can. The user can change values such as the movement distance, target coordinates, and speed defined in the action definition 460 as necessary. It is also possible to perform a simulation in the virtual space 450 based on the changed action definition 460, and the validity of the action can be confirmed by the simulation.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a user's modification or change to the action definition 460 shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 18, for example, since the second operation does not conflict with the first operation, the two operations are changed to be executed in parallel.

Also, with respect to the original fourth motion, it was determined by the simulation in the virtual space 450 that it was necessary to correct the movement distance, and the value of the movement distance was changed. Similarly, for the original 5th motion, the path has been revised by adding passing points for a smoother trajectory.

In this way, the support device 400 may have a reception unit that receives changes made by the user to the action definition 460.

According to the support device 400 according to the present embodiment, new IEC programs 1104 and robot programs 1106 are automatically generated simply by correcting or changing comprehensible numerical values described in the action definition 460 . As a result, even an apparatus designer who cannot program the IEC program 1104 and the robot program 1106 can easily specify the operation of the entire apparatus and confirm the specified operation.

<F. Processing procedure>
Next, an example of a processing procedure relating to program generation by the support device 400 according to this embodiment will be described.

FIG. 19 is a flow chart showing a processing procedure for program generation by the support device 400 according to the present embodiment. Each step shown in FIG. 19 is typically implemented by processor 402 of support device 400 executing development program 414 .

With reference to FIG. 19, the support device 400 accepts the setting of the target device by the user (step S100). The support device 400 then virtually represents the target device in the virtual space (step S102). Note that the support device 400 may read data from the outside in the form of device settings 470 (FIG. 7).

Subsequently, the support device 400 accepts the user's setting operation (step S104), and sequentially generates the action definition 460 (step S106). That is, the support device 400 acquires the specification of the operation content of the target device by the user. Then, the support device 400 determines whether or not the setting operation by the user has ended (step S108). If the setting operation by the user has not ended (NO in step S108), the processing from step S102 onward is repeated.

If the setting operation by the user has been completed (YES in step S108), the support device 400 determines whether display of the action definition 460 has been requested by the user (step S110).

When the user requests to display the action definition 460 (YES in step S110), the support device 400 displays the generated action definition 460 (step S112), and accepts the user's correction or change operation (step S114). , the operation definition 460 is changed according to the received contents (step S116).

If display of the action definition 460 by the user is not requested (NO in step S110), the processing of steps S112 to S116 is skipped.

Next, the support device 400 determines whether or not the user has requested program generation (step S118). When program generation by the user is requested (YES in step S118), support device 400 generates IEC program 1104, robot program 1106, and execution order management program 1108 based on action definition 460 describing the specified action contents. Generate (step S120).

Thus, the processing related to program generation by the support device 400 ends. Note that the generated programs (IEC program 1104, robot program 1106, and execution order management program 1108) are transferred from the support device 400 to the control device 100 according to user operations.

<G. Additional functions>
As described above, device settings 470 may be implemented with a function to automatically generate them from design data such as CAD data. In this case, the shape of the target workpiece may also be automatically generated from the CAD data.

If such CAD data can be used, the directions and planes in which the mechanisms and robots move may be defined. For example, in a manufacturing apparatus including a mechanism such as an XYZ stage and a robot, the trajectory of the robot may be set with reference to the XY plane of the XYZ stage. More specifically, the robot may be restricted to move only parallel to the XY plane, and the user may be assisted in inputting settings according to the motion restriction. By restricting such user settings, the user can more easily set the operation. Furthermore, synchronized and more accurate control can be achieved between the mechanism and the robot.

In this way, the support device 400 has a generation function of generating information (device settings 470) for virtually representing the target device in the virtual space from design data of the target device such as CAD data. good.

In addition, it is possible to easily generate a program that moves the robot along the target surface of the workpiece (for example, painting a surface with a certain inclination). It should be noted that, when the robot is moved along a surface with a certain inclination, it is preferable to apply a known coordinate conversion logic.

Also, the target surface of the work as described above may be specified from the coordinate group of the object in the virtual space instead of the CAD data. For example, for the exposed surface of the work, a corresponding set of coordinates is calculated. Therefore, the exposed surface can be identified by interpolating the calculated coordinate group.

As described above, support device 400 according to the present embodiment is also capable of simulation according to the generated program. Since the results of such simulations are rendered (reproduced) in virtual space, the user can check the validity of the generated program in advance while referring to the reproduced mechanisms and robot movements.

<H. Note>
The present embodiment as described above includes the following technical ideas.
[Configuration 1]
a rendering unit (430) that virtually represents the target device in a virtual space (450);
an acquisition unit (432) for acquiring a specification of the operation content of the target device by a user;
A program generation device comprising a program generation unit (436, 438, 440) that generates an IEC program (1104) and a robot program (1106) based on the specified operation content.
[Configuration 2]
The program generation device according to configuration 1, wherein the acquisition unit generates an action definition (460) specifying the specified action content.
[Configuration 3]
The program generation device according to configuration 2, further comprising a reception unit that receives a user's change to the action definition.
[Configuration 4]
4. The program generation device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, wherein the program generation unit further generates information (1108) defining an execution order between the IEC program and the robot program.
[Configuration 5]
5. The program generation device according to configuration 4, wherein the information defining the execution order between the IEC program and the robot program includes an instruction for updating values referred to by the IEC program and the robot program.
[Configuration 6]
6. The program generation device according to

configuration

4 or 5, wherein the information defining an execution order between the IEC program and the robot program includes a table defining timings for executing the IEC program and the robot program.
[Configuration 7]
7. The program generation device according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, further comprising a generation unit that generates information for virtually expressing the target device in the virtual space from design data of the target device.
[Configuration 8]
8. The program generation device according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, further comprising a simulator (434) that reproduces the operation of the target device based on the IEC program and the robot program.
[Configuration 9]
to the computer (400);
a step of virtually expressing the target device in the virtual space (S102);
a step of acquiring a user's specification of operation content of the target device (S106);
A program generation program for executing a step (S120) of generating an IEC program and a robot program based on the specified operation content.
[Configuration 10]
a step of virtually expressing the target device in the virtual space (S102);
a step of acquiring a user's specification of operation content of the target device (S106);
A program generation method comprising a step (S120) of generating an IEC program and a robot program based on the designated operation content.

<I. Advantage>
According to the control system 1 according to the present embodiment, the user can generate an IEC program and a robot program for operating the target device in the real environment simply by designating the operation contents of the target device in the virtual space. , even a user with little knowledge of program generation can generate a program necessary for operation.

The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the scope of the claims rather than the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the scope of the claims.

1 control system, 10 field network, 20 host network, 100 control device, 102, 262, 362, 402 processor, 104, 264, 364, 404 main memory, 106 host network controller, 108, 252, 352 field network controller, 110 , 270, 370, 410 storage, 112 memory card interface, 114 memory card, 116 local bus controller, 118 processor bus, 120, 424 USB controller, 122 local bus, 130 functional unit, 200 robot, 250 robot controller, 260, 360 Control processing circuit, 268 interface circuit, 272, 372, 1102 system program, 300 motor, 350 motor driver, 380 drive circuit, 400 support device, 406 optical drive, 407 recording medium, 408 bus, 412 OS, 414 development program, 420 Network controller, 426 input unit, 428 display unit, 430 drawing engine, 432 operation acquisition engine, 434 simulator, 436 program generation management engine, 438 generation engine, 440 robot program generation engine, 450 virtual space, 460 motion definition, 461 sequence column , 462 Operation target column, 463 Mechanism type column, 464 Operation content column, 470 Device setting, 500 Display device, 600 Server device, 1104 IEC program, 1106 Robot program, 1108 Execution order management program.

Claims

a rendering unit that virtually represents a target device in a virtual space;
an acquisition unit that acquires a specification of operation content of the target device by a user;
A program generation device, comprising: a program generation unit that generates an IEC program and a robot program based on the designated operation content.
The program generation device according to claim 1, wherein said acquisition unit generates an action definition specifying said specified action content.
3. The program generation device according to claim 2, further comprising a receiving unit that receives changes made by the user to the action definition.
The program generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said program generation unit further generates information defining an execution order between said IEC program and said robot program.
The program generation device according to claim 4, wherein the information defining the execution order between the IEC program and the robot program includes an instruction for updating values referred to by the IEC program and the robot program.
6. The program generation device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the information defining the execution order between the IEC program and the robot program includes a table defining timings for executing the IEC program and the robot program.
The program generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a generation unit that generates information for virtually representing the target device in the virtual space from design data of the target device.
The program generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a simulator that reproduces the operation of the target device based on the IEC program and the robot program.
to the computer,
a step of virtually representing a target device in a virtual space;
obtaining a user's designation of the operation content of the target device;
A program generation program for executing a step of generating an IEC program and a robot program based on the specified operation content.
a step of virtually representing a target device in a virtual space;
obtaining a user's designation of the operation content of the target device;
and generating an IEC program and a robot program based on the specified operation content.