JPH11175127A - Control unit for automatic machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make connectable operation units to one control unit and make them usable by switching them by a simple constitution. SOLUTION: The control unit main body 10 is equipped with a main CPU 11, and a CNC control part 12 and a fast serial communication control circuit A which are coupled with the CPU 11 through a bus line 13. A system of a daisy chain style is constituted having the main body part 10 of the control unit as a master unit and (n) (nII) operation units U1 to Un as slave units. Each operation unit is equipped with a display unit DP1, a keyboard KB1, a serial communication port CM1, an interface MC1 for a memory card, etc., and connected to a fast serial communication control circuit B1, etc., through a display control part, a keyboard control part, a communication part, and a memory card control part. The fast serial communication control circuit B1 is connected to the fast serial communication control circuit A by a cable CBL containing a serial communication line.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a control device for controlling an automatic machine, and more particularly, to an operation including a display, a manual input device (for example, a keyboard) for one main body. The present invention relates to an improvement in a connection mode in the control device configured by connecting plural units.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Control devices for controlling various machine tools, processing devices, robots and other automatic machines are operated by operators such as display devices (for example, CRTs and liquid crystal displays) and manual input devices (for example, keyboards). Alternatively, a unit equipped with a device to be used (hereinafter, referred to as an “operation unit”) is generally connected.

Such an operation unit is usually formed separately from the main body of the control device, and can be operated or used by connecting to the main body of the control device. As a connection form between the main unit and the operation unit of the control device, in addition to a form in which one specific operation unit is connected to each main body, a plurality of operation units can be selectively connected to one main body. There is a form to connect to. The latter connection form is used, for example, when a plurality of processing machines are distributed and one operation unit is allocated to each processing machine.

Conventionally, when such a connection form is adopted, it is necessary to change the connection state between the main body and a plurality of operation units every time the operation unit desired to be used is changed. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a conventional configuration of a control device used in a mode of switching and connecting a plurality of operation units.

In FIG. 1, the main components of the control device are a main body 1, a switching circuit 2, two operation units 31,
32. Each of the operation units 3 and 4 is an operation unit equipped with equipment operated or used by an operator, and here, displays (CRT) 31 and 41 and a keyboard 32,
42 are equipped.

The main unit 1 of the control device is selectively connected to two operation units 3 and 4 via a switching circuit 2 provided outside. A switch SW is used to select which operation unit is connected to the main unit 1. Each device 3 of the operation unit 3 or 4 selected by the switch SW
For signal transmission between the control device main unit 1 and the video signal transmission lines C11 and C2,
1, C23 and keyboard signal transmission lines C12, C22,
C24 is wired.

As can be seen from this example, in the control device of the conventional configuration, the hardware required in proportion to the product of the number of operation units selectively used by one control device and the number of devices provided in each operation unit. Wear scale increases. In addition, the devices actually provided in each operation unit are limited to those capable of directly switching signals from outside such as a display and a keyboard as in this example.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to eliminate the two disadvantages of the prior art as described above. That is, the present invention does not increase the hardware scale rapidly even if the number of operation units selectively used by one control device or the number of devices provided in each operation unit is increased, and It is intended to provide a control device for an automatic machine which can overcome the conventional restrictions on the equipment to be equipped.

[0009]

According to the present invention, the connection between the operation unit and the control unit main body is changed to a connection using a serial communication line instead of a conventional connection using a signal line. The above-mentioned technical problem has been solved by connecting a plurality of operation units by a daisy chain in which an apparatus main body unit is a master unit and each operation unit is a slave unit. In particular, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of operation units is provided with a changeover switch for switching the operation unit to a usable state.

According to the present invention, the number of cables required for connection does not increase even if the number of operation units connected to the main body of the signaling device is increased. Therefore, at least for signal transmission, it is possible to transmit and receive signals for each device of one control device main body and many operation units with at least one cable. Further, it is possible to connect devices other than the display and the keyboard (for example, a memory card interface and a serial communication port) to the operation unit.

[0011]

FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration of a control device to which the present invention is applied. In the figure, reference numeral 10 denotes a main body of the control device, and a main CPU 11 for controlling the entire device and various elements are connected to the CPU 11 via a bus line 14. Sign 1
Reference numeral 2 collectively describes those elements used in ordinary CNC control. On the other hand, reference numeral A denotes a high-speed serial communication control circuit on the control device main body side. One end of a cable CBL containing a serial communication line is connected to an input / output port of the high-speed serial communication control circuit A.

In this embodiment, one control device 10 is combined with n (n ≧ 2) operation units U 1 to Un. The operation units U1 to U
n is a chain of adjacent operation units connected by cables D12, D23,..., Dn-1, n each containing a serial communication line. The control unit body 10 is a master unit, and the operation units U1 to Un A daisy chain system is formed in which a slave unit is used.

Each of the operation units U1 to Un constituting one slave unit is equipped with various devices. FIG. 2 shows the internal structure and equipment of the operation unit U1 constituting the most upstream slave unit. The equipment in this example is a display device DP.
1, a keyboard KB1, a serial communication port CM1, and an interface MC1 for a memory card. These elements are respectively a high-speed serial communication control on the operation unit side via a display control unit, a keyboard control unit, a communication control unit, and a memory card control unit. It is connected to the circuit B1.

An input / output port of the high-speed serial communication control circuit B1 has a cable C containing a serial communication line.
The other end of the BL (the end not connected to the input / output port of the high-speed serial communication control circuit A) is connected. Further, to the high-speed serial communication control circuit B1, a changeover switch SW1 for switching the operation unit to be used from the operation unit side is connected.

As is well known, each of the high-speed serial communication control circuits A and B1 operates according to a communication protocol governed by its own microprocessor. The high-speed serial communication control circuit A is connected to the CP
The data passed from U11 is converted into serial data and sent out, and the data transmitted from the high-speed serial communication control circuit B1 via the cable CBL is decoded and passed to the CPU11.

The equipment and internal structure described for the operating unit U1 are different from those of the other operating unit Us (s = 2, 3, 4,.
··· n) is the same, each of which is a display DPs,
It has keyboard KBs, serial communication ports CMs, memory card interface MCs, a display control unit for these elements, a keyboard control unit, a communication control unit, a memory card control unit, and the like. As the high-speed serial communication control circuit, one having an input / output function for forming a daisy chain is provided.

Since the daisy chain is a well-known technique, a detailed description thereof will be omitted, and only a brief description will be given. FIG. 3 shows a daisy chain connection relationship in which the control device body 10 is a master unit and each operation unit Us (1 ≦ s ≦ n) is an s-th slave unit.

In FIG. 1, each of the operation units U1 to Un
Each of them is represented by a built-in high-speed serial communication control circuit (with a processor) B1 to Bn. Each of the high-speed serial communication control circuits B1 to Bn includes a cable CBL, D12,
D23... Dn-2, n-1, and two connectors for connecting Dn-1, n are provided. The cable from the high-speed serial communication control circuit A of the master unit (control device main body 10) is a CBL, as described above, one connector of the high-speed serial communication control circuit B1 of the most upstream slave unit (operation unit U1). It is connected to the.

The cable D12 connected to the other connector of the high-speed serial communication control circuit B1 is connected to one connector of the high-speed serial communication control circuit B2 of the slave unit (operation unit U2) adjacent on the downstream side. . The cable D23 connected to the other connector of the high-speed serial communication control circuit B2 is connected to one connector of the high-speed serial communication control circuit B3 of the slave unit (operation unit U3) adjacent on the downstream side.

Similarly, the connectors of the high-speed serial communication control circuits of the adjacent slave units (operation units) are sequentially connected in a chain, and all the slave units (operation units U1 to Un are connected to the master unit (control unit)). It is connected to the apparatus main body 10).

The data transmission between the units connected in the daisy chain system is performed by the master unit (control device main unit 10) by the unit number s (1 ≦ s) of the slave unit.
≦ n)) and outputs a transmission request. The transmission request passes through the cable CBL, and firstly, the most upstream slave unit (the high-speed serial communication control circuit B of the operation unit U1).
Input to 1).

The high-speed serial communication control circuit B1 checks the input unit number s, and if its own unit number (here, s = 1) is designated, the data is transferred to the master unit (control device body 10). Output to If the own unit number (here, s = 1) is not specified, the unit number s is output (transferred) downstream.

The transferred unit number s is input to the high-speed serial communication control circuit B2 of the operation unit U2, and the unit number s is confirmed. If its own unit number (here, s = 2) is designated, the data is output to the master unit (control device body 10). if,
If its own unit number (here, s = 2) is not specified, the data is output (transferred) further downstream.

Thus, after all, the unit number s becomes the operation unit Us constituting the s-th slave unit.
Is confirmed by the high-speed serial communication control circuit Bs, and the data of the operation unit Us (with header information designating the number s) is transmitted to the master unit (control device body 10).

In the case of the present embodiment, the data transmitted from the operation unit Us to the master unit (control device main body 10) is data output from a display, a keyboard, a serial communication port, an interface for a memory card, and the like. is there. In addition, the master unit (control device main body 1
The unit number s output from 0) can be designated by the changeover switch SWn of each operation unit.

When the operator desires to use the s-th operating unit Us, he turns on the changeover switch of the s-th operating unit Us. Then, the high-speed serial communication control circuit Bs of the s-th operation unit Us transmits a use request signal with header information to the control device body 10 by designating the number s.

The CPU 11 of the control device main unit 10 causes the high-speed serial communication control circuit A to output the unit number s unless another operating unit in use is in use, and the data transmission from the s-th operating unit Us. It is possible. Subsequent data transmission from the operation unit Us is sent to the high-speed serial communication control circuit A with header information designating the type of the data (for example, video output from the display) in addition to the number s.

The high-speed serial communication control circuit A decodes the transmitted data, passes it to the CPU 11,
Performs necessary processing. Also, the s-th operation unit U
When s is in a usable state, when a command for performing a predetermined screen display is transmitted from the keyboard KBs to the control device main unit 10, the CPU 11 responds to this and transmits data for performing the predetermined screen display to the serial communication control. Circuit A to s
It is transmitted to the second operation unit Us. Naturally, these data are also provided with header information designating the number s, and the operation units U1, U2,..., Us-1 are sequentially transferred and taken into the s-th operation unit Us.

In the above embodiment, the display unit, the keyboard, the serial communication port, and the interface for the memory card are shown as the devices provided in the operation unit. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention. Absent.
For example, in addition to the interface for memory cards,
Alternatively, an interface for a floppy disk drive may be provided instead. Needless to say, the equipment of all the operation units does not need to be the same.

[0030]

As described above, according to the present invention,
A plurality of operation units can be connected to one control device and switched to be used without adding a specific device. Therefore, even if the number of operation units selectively used by one control device or the number of devices provided in each operation unit is increased, the hardware scale does not increase rapidly, and the devices provided in the operation unit are not increased. The conventional constraint on is eliminated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a conventional configuration of a control device for an automatic machine adopting a connection mode for selectively connecting a plurality of operation units to one main body.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control device for an automatic machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a daisy chain connection relationship in which a control device main body unit 10 is a master unit and each operation unit Us (1 ≦ s ≦ n) is an s-th slave unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main part of control device (conventional example) 2 Switching circuit 3, 4 Operation unit (conventional example) 10 Main part of control device (master unit) 31, 41, DP1 Display (CRT) 32, 42, KB Keyboard A High-speed Serial communication control circuit (main unit side of control device) B1 High-speed serial communication control circuit (operation unit side) C11, C21, C23 Video signal transmission line C12, C22, C24 Keyboard signal transmission line CBL cable (serial communication line) CM1 serial Communication port D12, D23 ... Dn-1, n cable (for daisy chain connection) MC1 Memory card interface SW, SW1 selector switch U1, U2 ... Un Operation unit (slave unit)

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A vehicle comprising a main body and a plurality of operation units,
The main unit and the plurality of operation units are connected via serial communication without installing a switching circuit outside the main unit, and the control unit main unit is a master unit, and each of the operation units is A control device for an automatic machine in which a daisy chain as a slave unit is formed. 2. The control device for an automatic machine according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of operation units includes a changeover switch for changing over to a usable state.