JP2000112512A - Robot controller system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to control robots of various types without preparing an exclusive controller by transmitting/receiving information among plural controllers to control robots. SOLUTION: The robot controller system is provided with a master controller 1 and a slave controller 2 and each of both the controllers 1, 2 is provided with a power supply 3, an external connection connector 4, a robot motor connector 5, a robot I/O connector, and an I/O connector 7. Both the controllers 1, 2 are mutually connected through a cable 8 so as to transmit/receive information by communication, so that a two-axis robot 20 to be driven to two vertical and horizontal axis directions can be controlled without using an exclusive robot controller. Consequently robots of various types can be controlled.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a robot controller system for controlling a robot operating in, for example, a single-axis direction, a two-axis direction, a three-axis direction, or a four-axis direction.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Robots are operated, for example, in a vertical or horizontal single-axis direction, in a vertical or horizontal two-axis direction, or in a vertical or horizontal vertical direction, and in a vertical or horizontal vertical direction and a rotating axis of a work head in four axial directions. Some of them operate, and each of these robots is controlled by a dedicated controller.

[0003]

If dedicated controllers are prepared in accordance with the types of robots as described above, the cost increases accordingly.

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and has as its object to provide a robot controller system capable of controlling various types of robots without providing a dedicated controller.

[0005]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the present invention has the following constitution.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of controllers for controlling a robot are provided, the plurality of controllers are connected so as to be able to exchange information, and the plurality of controllers have a memory for storing information for controlling the robot. A robot controller system for controlling the robot by exchanging information between the plurality of controllers. ].

According to the first aspect of the present invention, since a robot is controlled by exchanging information between a plurality of controllers, various types of robots can be controlled without providing a dedicated controller.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided "a master controller and a slave controller for controlling a robot, wherein I / O information is externally read or stored in a memory of the master controller by reference during programming. The robot controller system according to claim 1, wherein the processing is performed based on the information. 』
It is.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the information of the slave controller is externally referred to, the information is not directly read from the slave controller side, but is read from the external.
It is possible to easily process based on the information stored in the master controller by reading out / O or referring to it in the program.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided "a master controller and a slave controller for controlling a robot, a command for changing the I / O is issued on the master controller side, and a command for changing the I / O is received by the slave controller. 4. The robot controller system according to claim 1, wherein the state is changed to a designated I / O state. ].

According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the I / O operation on the slave controller side is performed, a command for changing the I / O is issued from the master controller, and the I / O operation from the outside or from the program is performed. Can be changed to the specified I / O state.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the robot controller system according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a robot controller system, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a controlled robot, and FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of the robot controller system.

The robot controller system according to this embodiment has a master controller 1 and a slave controller 2 for controlling a robot. The master controller 1 and the slave controller 2 have the same configuration, and include a power supply 3, an external connection connector 4, a robot motor connector 5, a robot I / O connector 6, and an I / O connector 7. The master controller 1 and the slave controller 2 are connected by a communication cable 8 so that information can be exchanged by communication.

The master controller 1 and the slave controller 2 control a single-axis robot 10 that operates in a vertical or horizontal single-axis direction as shown in FIG. 2A. By connecting the controller 2 by a cable 8 and enabling information transmission and reception by communication, the control of the two-axis robot 20 that operates in two axes in the vertical and horizontal directions as shown in FIG. It becomes possible without using. In this embodiment, the master controller 1
And the slave controller 2 have the same configuration for controlling the single-axis robot 10, but for example, the master controller 1 controls a two-axis robot, and the slave controller 2 controls the single-axis robot. The robot may be controlled.

Further, using a master controller 1 capable of controlling two axes and a slave controller 2 capable of controlling two axes,
A 4-axis robot may be controlled. Examples of the control of the four-axis robot include control of the vertical and horizontal axes and the rotation axis of the work head, and control of the horizontal articulated robot.

A peripheral device 30 such as a portable programming terminal of a programming device is connected to the external connector 4 of the master controller 1 and the slave controller 2. Robot motor connector 5 and robot I /
For example, the robot 2 shown in FIG.
0 motors and I / Os are connected. An external controller 40 is connected to the I / O connector 7, and the master controller 1 and the slave controller 2 can be controlled by the external controller 40.

As shown in FIG. 3, the master controller 1 and the slave controller 2
The transmission / reception unit 50 transmits and receives information via the communication cable 8. Further, the master controller 1 and the slave controller 2 include a control unit 51, a memory 52,
The control unit 51 has an / O unit 53 and controls the robot based on information stored in the memory 52.

As described above, since a plurality of controllers exchange information with each other to control the robot, for example, the master controller 1 can control the two-axis robot 2 shown in FIG.
0 is controlled in the vertical axis direction, and the slave controller 2
Can perform control in the horizontal axis direction, and can control the two-axis robot 20 that operates in two vertical and horizontal directions without using a dedicated robot controller.

As for I / O information of an external device or the like connected to the I / O connector 7, information is exchanged between a plurality of controllers, and the information is stored in the memory 52. This is to always update to the latest information at regular intervals,
When the information of the slave controller 2 is referred to, since the information stored in the master controller 1 is performed based on the information stored in the master controller 1 without directly reading the information from the slave controller 2, the I / O information can be easily read from the outside or during the program. Can be referred to.

Further, a master controller 1 and a slave controller 2 for controlling the robot are provided. The master controller 1 connects the external control unit 40 to the I / O connector 7 and issues a command to change the I / O. The slave controller 2 can receive an instruction to change the I / O and change the state to the designated I / O state.

As described above, the I on the slave controller 2 side
When performing an I / O operation, a command to change the I / O is issued from the master controller 1, and an I / O operation from the outside or an I / O designated by an operation from a program is performed.
O state can be changed.

[0023]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, since a robot is controlled by exchanging information between a plurality of controllers, it is possible to control various types of robots without providing a dedicated controller. Is possible.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the information of the slave controller is referred to from outside, the information is not read directly from the slave controller side, but is read from outside.
It is possible to easily process based on the information stored in the master controller by reading out / O or referring to it in the program.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the I / O operation on the slave controller side is performed, a command to change the I / O is issued from the master controller, and the I / O operation from the outside or from the program is performed. Can be changed to the specified I / O state.

According to the second and third aspects of the present invention, by accessing the master controller, it is possible to manage information reference and change of the master controller and all connected slave controllers, thereby improving the efficiency of control management. Can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a robot controller system.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a controlled robot.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a robot controller system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 master controller 2 slave controller 3 power supply 4 external connection connector 5 robot motor connector 6 robot I / O connector 7 I / O connector 8 cable 10 single-axis robot 20 2-axis robot 30 peripheral device 40 external control unit

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of controllers for controlling a robot, the plurality of controllers being connected so as to be able to exchange information, and the plurality of controllers having a memory for storing information for controlling the robot. A robot controller system for exchanging information with each other to control the robot. 2. A master controller and a slave controller for controlling a robot, which read out I / O information from the outside or perform processing based on information stored in a memory of the master controller by reference during programming. The robot controller system according to claim 1, wherein: A master controller and a slave controller for controlling the robot, wherein the master controller issues a command to change the I / O, and the slave controller receives a command to change the I / O; 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the state is changed to O.
Or the robot controller system according to claim 2.