SCARA manipulator remote control system and method based on Internet of Things technology

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of manipulator control, and more particularly to a remote control system and method for a SCARA manipulator based on the Internet of Things (IoT). The control system comprises a SCARA manipulator, a motion controller, an IoT gateway, a cloud server, and an internet-connected teach pendant. The motion controller's signal terminal is connected to the SCARA manipulator for outputting received motion control signals to a corresponding driver or actuator of the SCARA manipulator, thereby completing control of the SCARA manipulator. The interface connecting the motion controller and the IoT gateway is an RS485 serial communication interface. The interface connecting the IoT gateway and the motion controller is also an RS485 serial communication interface. A wireless communication module is used to communicate between the IoT gateway and the server. The server is provided with a server database for storing controller data. The teach pendant is used to transmit user-entered teaching data for the SCARA manipulator to the server. The present invention enables remote control and data monitoring of the SCARA manipulator.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of robot control, and in particular to a SCARA robot remote control system and method based on Internet of Things technology. Background Art

[0002] With the development of industrialization and the improvement of production automation, industrial robots are being used more and more widely. They play an important role in industrial fields such as welding, handling, assembly and palletizing. Currently, SCARA robots are widely used in the automotive, electronics, and food fields, and their main function is to complete handling and assembly work. When SCARA robots are used in industrial sites, engineers are required to manually teach on site. Their wired teaching pendants have a fixed length (about 10 meters), and consumables are relatively precious, which is not conducive to remote teaching. Wireless teaching boxes are limited by the teaching distance (about 1000 meters) and cannot be remotely controlled. In most cases, office staff cannot view and operate SCARA robots, which makes it impossible to effectively monitor factory information remotely and update data in a timely manner.

[0003] With the development of science and technology, the Internet of Things (IoT) has gained widespread application. Existing SCARA manipulators generally utilize an architecture based on an embedded control system and motion control chips, supporting traditional TCP / IP and MODBUS TCP protocols. Therefore, remote control of SCARA manipulators using IoT technology has become possible. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a SCARA manipulator remote control system and method based on Internet of Things technology, which realizes remote control and data monitoring of the SCARA manipulator.

[0005] To solve the above technical problems, the technical solution of the present invention is: a SCARA manipulator remote control system based on Internet of Things technology, including a SCARA manipulator, a motion controller, an Internet of Things gateway, a cloud server and a teaching pendant connected to the Internet; the signal end of the motion controller is connected to the SCARA manipulator for outputting the received motion control signal to the corresponding driver or actuator of the SCARA manipulator, thereby completing the control of the SCARA manipulator; the interface connecting the motion controller and the Internet of Things gateway is an RS485 serial communication interface; the RS485 serial communication interface is set to the MODBUS TCP protocol; the interface connecting the Internet of Things gateway and the motion controller is an RS485 serial communication interface, and the RS485 serial communication interface is set to the MODBUS TCP protocol; a wireless communication module is used for communication between the Internet of Things gateway and the server; a server database for storing controller data is provided in the server; the wireless communication module between the server and the Internet of Things gateway is set to the SSH protocol for communication; the server and the teaching pendant connected to the Internet communicate through the HTTP protocol; the teaching pendant is used to input the teaching data of the SCARA manipulator by the user and send it to the server.

[0006] According to the above solution, the wireless communication module between the IoT gateway and the server uses 4G wireless communication. Only one 4G traffic card can be used to easily connect the devices to the network, eliminating the trouble of setting up lines, renting networks and applying for public network fixed IP addresses. It is very convenient to use. The motion controller connected to the robot can be connected to the remote network without considering network layout.

[0007] The IoT gateway used in the above solution is the Flexem FBOX-4G IoT Gateway, which enables remote device interconnection. Operating at 24V, it supports up to 500 data monitoring points, supports scheduled and change uploads, and supports multiple wireless access methods: 2G, 3G, 4G (China Mobile / China Unicom / China Telecom), and Ethernet. Serial communication interfaces include RS232, RS485, and RS422, meeting the data transmission requirements between motion controllers and servers. The FBOX-4G IoT Gateway connects to the Internet via a 4G data plan and publishes motion controller data to a server database, allowing users to view motion controller data at any time and remotely teach the robot arm.

[0008] According to the above scheme, the motion controller used is the TRIO motion controller; specifically, the Euro205X controller is used; this controller uses an independent 120MHz DSP microprocessor technology to improve the processing speed of motor movement and calculation. The controller can control 1 to 5 axes of servo motors or stepper motors or any combination of the two; 32-bit 33MHz transmission power, and also has a CAN bus port, which can expand the I / O and analog input ports according to the needs of the equipment.

[0009] According to the above plan, the SCARA robot used is Estun SCARA robot, model ER6-600.

[0010] According to the above solution, the cloud server used is Estun Cloud Server.

[0011] According to the above solution, the teaching pendant uses a mobile phone or PC terminal connected to the Internet.

[0012] The present invention has the following beneficial effects: the present invention is based on Internet of Things technology, adopts Internet of Things gateway and server, the Internet of Things gateway and the controller are connected via RS485 serial communication interface, the Internet of Things gateway and the server communicate via wireless communication module, the RS485 serial communication interface is set to MODBUS TCP protocol to realize communication with the Internet of Things gateway; the wireless communication module between the server and the Internet of Things gateway is set to SSH protocol for communication; the server and the teaching pendant connected to the Internet communicate via HTTP protocol; the SSH protocol ensures remote access control of data security in an insecure network; by converting a local protocol into a network protocol, a mode of interaction between motion controller data and server data is realized, and remote control of the SCARA manipulator is realized, thereby solving the problem that wired teaching and wireless teaching boxes cannot teach due to distance reasons, further solving the problem of remote monitoring of SCARA manipulator data, realizing the informatization, visualization and remote operation of motion controller data, enriching the teaching method while saving the cost of the customer's teaching box, so that the user can complete the teaching of the SCARA manipulator through the teaching pendant connected to the Internet locally. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic block diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of a control system of the present invention;

[0014] Figure 2 This is a flow chart of an embodiment of the method system of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the webpage teaching interface of the Estun cloud server in the embodiment of the method system of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the correspondence between the motion controller data address, server database data table, Estun cloud server web page button and numerical display in the method system embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clear, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0018] Please refer to Figure 1 The present invention is a SCARA manipulator remote control system based on Internet of Things technology, which includes a SCARA manipulator, a motion controller, an Internet of Things gateway, a cloud server and a teaching pendant connected to the Internet.

[0019] The SCARA robot used is Estun SCARA robot, model ER6-600.

[0020] The signal end of the motion controller is connected to the SCARA robot to output the received motion control signal to the corresponding driver or actuator of the SCARA robot, thereby completing the control of the SCARA robot; the interface connecting the motion controller and the Internet of Things gateway is the RS485 serial communication interface; the RS485 serial communication interface is set to the MODBUS TCP protocol to obtain real-time data from the controller.

[0021] The motion controller accepts various data and information of motion control through various input methods, and then calculates the coordinate increments of each coordinate axis through microprocessor operation and converts them into pulse and direction signals to control the motor driver, drive the motor, and complete the movement of each axis. During the movement, it also accepts feedback signals from the encoders of each axis to correct the control to meet high-precision control. In this embodiment, the motion controller adopts the TRIO motion controller; specifically, the Euro205X controller adopts an independent 120MHz DSP microprocessor technology to improve the processing speed of motor movement and calculation. The controller can control 1 to 5 axes of servo motors or stepper motors or any combination of the two; 32-bit 33MHz transmission power, and a CAN bus port are also provided, and the I / O and analog input ports can be expanded according to the needs of the equipment.

[0022] The interface connecting the IoT gateway and the motion controller is an RS485 interface, and the RS485 interface is set to the MODBUS TCP protocol; the IoT gateway and the server use a wireless communication module for communication; the server is equipped with a server database for storing controller data; the wireless communication module between the server and the IoT gateway is set to the SSH protocol for communication; the server and the teaching pendant connected to the Internet communicate through the HTTP protocol; the teaching pendant is used to send the teaching data entered by the user into the SCARA robot to the server.

[0023] In this embodiment, the IoT gateway uses the FlexE FBOX-4G IoT Gateway, the server uses the Estun Cloud Server, and the teach pendant uses an internet-connected mobile phone or PC. The FlexE FBOX-4G IoT Gateway's CPU uses a 600MHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor, offering fast signal transmission speeds; the power supply is protected against lightning surges. The FlexE FBOX-4G IoT Gateway enables remote device interconnection, remote downloading, and remote maintenance. It operates at 24V, supports up to 500 data monitoring points, supports scheduled and change uploads, and supports multiple wireless access methods: 2G, 3G, 4G (China Mobile / China Unicom / China Telecom), and Ethernet. Serial communication interfaces support RS232, RS485, and RS422. To meet the data transmission requirements between the motion controller and the server, the FBOX-4G IoT Gateway connects to the network via a 4G data plan and publishes motion controller data to the server database, allowing users to view motion controller data at any time and remotely teach the robot arm.

[0024] Currently, controllers with Ethernet modules are used to access the Internet through the Internet by assigning independent public IP addresses to devices to achieve remote monitoring. This also requires the establishment of communication lines and the application of static public IP addresses from network service operators. Independent static IP addresses are expensive resources, and the application and maintenance are very troublesome and expensive. This makes this method only applicable to key equipment and cannot be popularized on a large scale. With the vigorous development of 4G networks, the connection speed and stability of wireless networks have made a qualitative leap compared to 3G / 2G, making it possible for various devices to be connected to the 4G network. Only one 4G mobile phone data card is needed to easily connect the motion controller to be connected to the server, eliminating the trouble of setting up lines, renting networks and applying for public fixed IP addresses. It is very convenient to use and can connect the motion controller connected to the robot to a remote network without having to consider network layout.

[0025] The present invention also provides a SCARA manipulator remote control method based on Internet of Things technology, which adopts the above control system, and the specific steps are as follows:

[0026] Step 1: The motion controller and the IoT gateway use the MODBUS TCP communication protocol to obtain the controller's real-time data. The IoT gateway connects to the server database through the inserted traffic card and writes the controller's real-time data to the server database.

[0027] Step 2: Use the teach pendant that is locally connected to the Internet to access the server's WEB server through a web browser to obtain real-time motion controller data, and perform data operations on the server database through web page buttons;

[0028] Step 3: When the IoT gateway detects that the data in the server database has changed, it writes the data value corresponding to the database to the corresponding motion controller address through the MODBUS TCP protocol;

[0029] Step 4: After the motion controller detects the data change of the corresponding address, it executes the corresponding motion control instruction, further driving the SCARA robot to perform the corresponding action, thereby realizing the remote control of the SCARA robot.

[0030] The following is a specific example of using Estun Cloud Server for control:

[0031] Step 1: Open the TRIO motion controller programming interface and run the motion control program. Enable the WEB service of the Estun cloud server and allow remote login and connection to the database.

[0032] Step 2: The customer or engineer opens a browser on a mobile phone or computer connected to the Internet and enters the Estun Cloud server URL for user authentication. Qualified users can enter the SCARA robot remote control web interface to teach points.

[0033] Step 3: After the user passes the identity verification, the user clicks the webpage button to perform the corresponding SCARA robot teaching operation. Figure 4 The corresponding relationship between the motion controller data address, server database data table, Estun cloud server web page button and numerical display in this embodiment is shown:

[0034] Step 3.1: When the user presses the teach button X+, the webpage will write the value 1 to the xz in the corresponding data table in the server database (the default state is 0). After the FBOX-4G IoT Gateway detects that the xz data value in the server database has changed to 1 through the SSH protocol, it writes the value 1 to the corresponding address 0 of the motion controller through the MODBUS TCP protocol.

[0035] Step 3.2: After the motion controller program detects that the value of VR address 0 changes to 1, it executes the X forward jog teaching function. When the customer releases the teach button X+, the game also writes the value 0 to the xz in the corresponding address table in the server database. After the IoT gateway detects that the xz data value in the server database changes to 0 through the SSH protocol, it writes the value 0 to the VR address 0 corresponding to the motion controller through the MODBUS TCP protocol.

[0036] Step 3.3: After the motion controller program detects that the value of VR address 0 becomes 0, it stops the X forward jog teaching function and checks the corresponding relationship between the server database data table and the motion controller data address as follows: Figure 3 As shown, all buttons on the web page perform corresponding value monitoring and writing operations according to the corresponding relationship;

[0037] Step 3.4: When the user performs a jog teaching operation, the real-time position coordinates of the motion controller are written to VR addresses 1000 (x), 1001 (y), 1002 (z), and 1003 (r). The IoT gateway reads the values ​​of the corresponding VR addresses through the MODBUS TCP protocol and writes them to the server database through the SSH protocol. The web page requests the database data to be updated on the web page display panel through the HTTP protocol.

[0038] Step 3.5: After the user completes the teaching of point P0, click the Confirm button; the webpage writes the value 1 to ok0 in the database. After the IoT gateway detects the change in the value of ok0 in the server database, it writes the value 1 to the corresponding VR address 14 of the controller. After the program detects that the address has changed to 1, it assigns the coordinates of the current SCARA robot to the corresponding VR addresses 1004 (x), 1005 (y), 1006 (z), and 1007 (r) of point P0.

[0039] Step 3.6: After the IoT gateway detects changes in the motion controller VR addresses 1004 (x), 1005 (y), 1006 (z), and 1007 (r), it writes the corresponding values ​​to the server database x0, y0, z0, and r0. The teaching operations for points p1 and p2 are the same as steps 3.5 and 3.6.

[0040] Step 3.7: When the user clicks the GO button at point p0, the webpage writes the value 1 to go0 in the database. The IoT gateway detects the change in go0 in the server database and writes the value 1 to VR address 11 corresponding to the motion controller. When the motion controller program detects that VR address 11 has changed to 1, the SCARA robot moves to the corresponding coordinate position p0. Points p1 and p2 perform the corresponding point operations as in step 3.7.

[0041] The present invention realizes real-time data interaction between controller data and server database, thereby realizing remote control and data monitoring of the SCARA manipulator, and solving the problem of remote teaching (greater than 1000 meters) of the existing SCARA manipulator.

[0042] The above content is a further detailed description of the present invention in conjunction with specific embodiments, and the specific implementation of the present invention should not be considered to be limited to these descriptions. For those skilled in the art of the present invention, without departing from the concept of the present invention, several simple deductions or substitutions can be made, which should be considered to fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A remote control method for SCARA manipulators based on Internet of Things technology, characterized by: The SCARA robot remote control system based on IoT technology includes: SCARA robot, motion controller, IoT gateway, cloud server and Internet-connected teaching pendant; The signal terminal of the motion controller is connected to the SCARA manipulator to output the received motion control signal to the corresponding driver or actuator of the SCARA manipulator, thereby completing the control of the SCARA manipulator; the interface connecting the motion controller and the IoT gateway is the RS485 serial communication interface; the RS485 serial communication interface is set to the MODBUS TCP protocol; The interface connecting the IoT gateway and the motion controller is the RS485 serial communication interface, which is set to the MODBUS TCP protocol. The IoT gateway and the server communicate using a wireless communication module. The server is equipped with a server database for storing controller data. The wireless communication module between the server and the IoT gateway is set to communicate using the SSH protocol. The server and the teaching pendant connected to the Internet communicate using the HTTP protocol. The teaching pendant is used to send the teaching data input by the user into the SCARA robot to the server; The control method steps are: Step 1: The motion controller and the IoT gateway use the MODBUS TCP communication protocol to obtain the controller's real-time data. The IoT gateway connects to the server database through the inserted traffic card and writes the controller's real-time data to the server database. Step 2: Use the teach pendant that is locally connected to the Internet to access the server's WEB server through a web browser to obtain real-time motion controller data, and perform data operations on the server database through web page buttons; Step 3: When the IoT gateway detects that the data in the server database has changed, it writes the data value corresponding to the database to the corresponding motion controller address through the MODBUS TCP protocol; Step 4: After the motion controller detects the data change of the corresponding address, it executes the corresponding motion control instruction, further driving the SCARA robot to perform the corresponding action, thereby realizing the remote control of the SCARA robot.

2. The SCARA manipulator remote control method based on Internet of Things technology according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The wireless communication module between the IoT gateway and the server uses 4G wireless communication.

3. The SCARA manipulator remote control method based on Internet of Things technology according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The IoT gateway used is the Flexem FBOX-4G IoT gateway.

4. The SCARA manipulator remote control method based on Internet of Things technology according to claim 1, characterized in that: The motion controller used is the TRIO motion controller; specifically the Euro205X controller.

5. The SCARA manipulator remote control method based on Internet of Things technology according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The SCARA robot used is Estun SCARA robot, model ER6-600.

6. The SCARA manipulator remote control method based on Internet of Things technology according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The server used is Estun Cloud Server.

7. The SCARA manipulator remote control method based on Internet of Things technology according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The teaching pendant uses a mobile phone or PC terminal connected to the Internet.

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