Safety control system and control method for a six-degree-of-freedom manned simulation platform

Abstract

The present invention discloses a safety control system and control method for a six-degree-of-freedom manned simulation platform, which relates to the field of motion platform technology control, including: an industrial control computer, a main control PLC master station, a safety PLC master station, a safety input slave station, a safety output slave station, a motion servo control slave station and an action execution unit; the industrial control computer is electrically connected to an external ship handling simulation system and a ship handling test system; the industrial control computer is communicatively connected to the main control PLC master station; the main control PLC master station is communicatively connected to multiple motion servo control slave stations; the motion servo control slave station is electrically connected to the action execution unit; and the safety PLC master station is communicatively connected to the main control PLC master station. The advantages of the present invention are: the concept of hierarchical control of the main control PLC master station and the motion servo slave station no longer relies solely on the industrial control computer to control the entire system. At the same time, the safety control system is applied to the manned simulation platform, which greatly improves the safety of the manned simulation platform.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of motion platform technology control, and in particular to a safety control system and a control method for a six-degree-of-freedom manned simulation platform. Background Art

[0002] The six-degree-of-freedom manned simulation platform is mainly used to undertake the human-in-the-loop experience and control, as well as experimental research tasks of the operation and control system. By cooperating with the boat handling test system and the boat handling simulation system, it receives and tracks the posture signals sent by the boat handling simulation system, and through solution, drives the servo system to move the turntable to the corresponding position, giving the operator motion perception and verifying the human-machine design of the operation and control equipment.

[0003] Currently, all six-degree-of-freedom manned simulation platforms on the market operate based on industrial control computers. These computers display the user interface (UI) on the display, manage the motion control and logic control algorithms of the motion platform, and receive control commands from the motion simulator, effectively controlling the entire electrical control system. However, the industrial control computers in existing electrical control systems require multiple control cards, including motion control cards, digital I / O cards, analog cards, and other PCI slot cards. These expensive cards significantly increase the cost of the electrical control system. Furthermore, the PCI interface is unreliable and prone to problems. The centralized control provided by the industrial control computer increases the operational burden of the industrial PC, easily causing anomalies such as blue screens, freezes, and system crashes. The electrical control system is also unstable. Some existing manned simulation platforms lack a safety control system independent of the normal control system. A safety control system is a highly reliable safety protection measure and an indispensable component of manned simulation platforms. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, a control system for a manned simulation platform is provided. This technical solution introduces control devices such as a main control PLC master station, a safety control PLC master station, and safety input and safety output slave stations into the control system of the manned simulation platform, thereby improving the safety and reliability of the manned simulation platform and the stability of the control system, and reducing the cost of the control system.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a safety control system for a six-degree-of-freedom manned simulation platform, comprising: an industrial control computer, a display, a main control PLC master station, a safety PLC master station, a safety input slave station, a safety output slave station, a plurality of motion servo control slave stations, and a plurality of action execution units;

[0006] The industrial control computer is electrically connected to the external ship handling simulation system and the ship handling test system, and receives attitude information and displacement information of the submarine simulation cabin sent by the external ship handling simulation system via Ethernet or reflective memory network, wherein the attitude information includes pitch angle, roll angle, and yaw angle, and the displacement information includes displacement in the X direction, displacement in the Y direction, and displacement in the Z direction;

[0007] The display is electrically connected to an industrial control computer, and the industrial control computer runs a UI interface of the display;

[0008] The industrial control computer is connected to the main control PLC master station via Ethernet, and the main control PLC master station is used to calculate the motion amount of each action execution unit according to the posture information of the submarine simulation cabin to obtain control information;

[0009] The main control PLC master station and the plurality of motion servo control slave stations exchange data and information in real time via the EtherCAT bus, and the main control PLC master station sends control information to the motion servo control slave stations in real time;

[0010] The motion servo control slave station is electrically connected to the action execution unit, and the motion servo control slave station is used to drive the action execution unit according to the control information;

[0011] The action execution unit is internally integrated with an upper limit switch, a lower limit switch, a hard limit anti-collision upper contact switch and a hard limit anti-collision lower contact switch;

[0012] The safety PLC master station and the main control PLC master station are connected in communication via a high-speed TwinSAFE network;

[0013] The safety input slave station is electrically connected to the input terminal of the safety PLC master station;

[0014] The safety output slave station is electrically connected to the output end of the safety PLC master station, and the output end of the safety output slave station is electrically connected to the motion servo control slave station.

[0015] Preferably, the input end of the safety input slave station is electrically connected to the emergency stop switch of the control cabinet, the emergency stop switch in the simulated cockpit, the emergency stop switch outside the safety grating fence, the upper limit switch, the lower limit switch, the hard limit anti-collision upper contact switch and the hard limit anti-collision lower contact switch of multiple action execution units.

[0016] Preferably, information exchange is performed between the safety input slave station and the safety PLC master station, the safety output slave station and the safety PLC master station, and the safety output slave station and the motion servo control slave station through the FSOE protocol.

[0017] Preferably, the action execution unit is an electric cylinder, which includes a servo motor. The servo motor is connected to the telescopic ball screw through a synchronous wheel. A ball nut is threadedly engaged on the telescopic ball screw, and a telescopic cylinder is installed on the ball nut.

[0018] A safety control method for a six-degree-of-freedom manned simulation platform, applicable to the safety control system of the six-degree-of-freedom manned simulation platform described above, comprises the following steps:

[0019] System initialization;

[0020] Determine whether initialization is successful. If so, the device is ready to execute the action. If not, output an error code and provide corresponding maintenance measures.

[0021] Select the working mode and determine whether the working mode is local working mode;

[0022] If yes, the local operation control mode is implemented and the user inputs the control parameters;

[0023] If not, go into remote control mode.

[0024] Optionally, the local operation control mode specifically includes the following steps:

[0025] The user inputs the control mode and appropriate control parameters, and the action execution unit executes the action;

[0026] During the execution of the action, determine whether the action execution unit has overspeed, overcurrent or limit triggering;

[0027] If yes, the system will be powered off for protection, and after clearing the system errors, it will be powered on and move to a safe position;

[0028] If not, it is determined to be running normally.

[0029] Optionally, the remote control mode specifically includes the following steps:

[0030] Import local data files and receive remote serial port control signals and remote network control signals;

[0031] Determine whether the attitude, pole length, speed and acceleration are out of limit based on local data files, remote serial port control signals and remote network control signals;

[0032] If yes, the operation will not be executed, and the system will be powered off for protection. After clearing the system errors, the system will be powered on and move to a safe position.

[0033] If not, the action execution unit will execute the action. During the execution of the action, it is determined whether the action execution unit has overspeed, overcurrent or limit triggering;

[0034] If yes, the system will be powered off for protection, and after clearing the system errors, it will be powered on and move to a safe position;

[0035] If not, it is determined to be running normally.

[0036] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are:

[0037] This proposal proposes a control system for a manned simulation platform. This application proposes innovative improvements. The control system introduces the concept of hierarchical control of the master PLC master station and the motion servo slave station. It no longer relies solely on the industrial control computer to control the entire system. Instead, the motion execution commands with strong timeliness and reliability requirements are handed over to the master PLC for control, and the industrial computer is simply responsible for the operation of the UI interface of the display.

[0038] The control system proposed in this application applies the safety control system to the manned simulation platform, providing a highly reliable safety protection means and strategy, which can maximize the avoidance of unsafe conditions in the manned simulation platform, protect sports equipment and personal safety, prevent the occurrence of serious accidents, and reduce losses. The safety PLC master station and the main control PLC master station each perform their duties. The safety PLC is responsible for safety strategy control, and the main control PLC is responsible for the simulated motion simulation control of the six-degree-of-freedom platform, which greatly improves the safety of the manned simulation platform. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Figure 1 This is a structural block diagram of the safety control system of the six-degree-of-freedom manned simulation platform proposed in the present invention;

[0040] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the six-degree-of-freedom manned simulation platform in the present invention;

[0041] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the action execution unit in the present invention;

[0042] Figure 4 This is a flow chart of the safety control method for the six-degree-of-freedom manned simulation platform proposed in the present invention;

[0043] Figure 5 This is a flow chart of the remote control mode method in the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] The following description is intended to disclose the present invention so that those skilled in the art can implement the present invention. The preferred embodiments described below are merely examples, and those skilled in the art may conceive of other obvious variations.

[0045] Reference Figure 1-3As shown, a safety control system for a six-degree-of-freedom manned simulation platform is characterized by comprising: an industrial control computer, a display, a main control PLC master station, a safety PLC master station, a safety input slave station, a safety output slave station, a plurality of motion servo control slave stations, and a plurality of action execution units;

[0046] The industrial control computer is electrically connected to the external ship handling simulation system and the ship handling test system. The industrial control computer receives the attitude information and displacement information of the submarine simulation cabin sent by the external ship handling simulation system through Ethernet or reflective memory network. The attitude information includes pitch angle, roll angle, and yaw angle, and the displacement information includes X-direction displacement, Y-direction displacement, and Z-direction displacement. The industrial control computer sends the pitch angle, roll angle, yaw angle, X-direction displacement, Y-direction displacement, Z-direction displacement and simulation platform self-test information to the ship handling test system, and the ship handling test system sends initialization instructions, termination instructions, etc. to the industrial control computer.

[0047] The display is electrically connected to the industrial control computer, and the industrial control computer runs the UI interface of the display;

[0048] The industrial control computer is connected to the main control PLC master station via Ethernet. The main control PLC master station is used to calculate the motion of each action execution unit according to the posture information of the submarine simulation cabin to obtain control information;

[0049] The main control PLC master station and multiple motion servo control slave stations exchange data and information in real time via the EtherCAT bus. The main control PLC master station sends control information to the motion servo control slave stations in real time. The motion servo control slave stations are electrically connected to the motion execution units and are used to drive the motion execution units based on the control information. EtherCAT (Ethernet Control Automation Technology) is an open-architecture fieldbus system based on Ethernet. The motion servo control slave stations generate motion deviations based on the expected displacements and displacement feedback of the six motion execution units. After calculations in the position loop, velocity loop, and current loop, they ultimately output drive current commands to the six electric cylinders, achieving closed-loop control of the six motion execution units.

[0050] The action execution unit is internally integrated with an upper limit switch, a lower limit switch, a hard limit anti-collision upper contact switch and a hard limit anti-collision lower contact switch;

[0051] The safety PLC master station and the main control PLC master station communicate through the high-speed TwinSAFE network; the safety input slave station is electrically connected to the input end of the safety PLC master station, the safety output slave station is electrically connected to the output end of the safety PLC master station, and the output end of the safety output slave station is electrically connected to the motion servo control slave station. TwinSAFE, as a safety bus, adopts a series of time detection, address detection, connection detection and CRC redundancy check measures on the basis of the existing industrial field bus to achieve a high safety level. The safety input slave station and safety output slave station are a TwinSAFE-based terminal module, which is directly connected to the safety PLC master station.

[0052] The input end of the safety input slave station is electrically connected to the emergency stop switch of the control cabinet, the emergency stop switch in the simulated cockpit, the emergency stop switch outside the safety grating fence, the upper limit switch, the lower limit switch, the hard limit anti-collision upper contact switch and the hard limit anti-collision lower contact switch of multiple action execution units. The CPU of the safety control PLC adopts a redundant multi-processor structure. The multiple processors are respectively connected to different input ends of the safety input slave station. The processors monitor each other. Once an inconsistency occurs, the controller is immediately put into a safe state and an alarm message is issued. At the same time, the safety programmable controller monitors the internal RAM, EPROM, input and output registers and other components in real time, and uses special test pulses to detect input signals and output controlled components. Once any unsafe hidden danger occurs, the controller immediately switches to a safe protection state.

[0053] Information exchange between the safety input slave and the safety PLC master, the safety output slave and the safety PLC master, and the safety output slave and motion servo control slave occurs via the FSOE protocol, a safety data frame protocol with a higher priority than standard EtherCAT data frames. Safety input slave information is programmed into the safety PLC to implement safety logic operations such as AND, OR, and NOT, thereby triggering the safety output slave to execute the corresponding safety action. The FSOE protocol is used for information exchange between the safety input slave and the safety PLC master, the safety output slave and the safety PLC master, and the motion servo control slave, significantly improving the feedback rate of safety signals and ensuring system safety performance.

[0054] The action execution unit is an electric cylinder, which includes a servo motor. The servo motor is connected to the telescopic ball screw through a synchronous wheel structure. The telescopic ball screw is threaded with a ball nut, and the telescopic cylinder is installed on the ball nut. The AC servo motor drives the ball screw to rotate through the synchronous wheel structure. The ball screw converts the rotational motion into linear motion to drive the telescopic cylinder to move linearly. The swinging motion of the manned simulation platform is realized through the telescopic motion of the electric cylinder.

[0055] The operation process of the above safety control system is as follows:

[0056] The submarine simulation system sends control instructions and real-time control data to the industrial control computer. After receiving the data, the industrial control computer determines whether the instructions and data are valid.

[0057] The industrial control computer sends the valid data to the main control PLC master station. The main control PLC master station then calculates the motion of each action execution unit and obtains the control information.

[0058] The master PLC sends control information to the motion servo control slave to drive the action execution unit to move;

[0059] When the safety input slave detects that any one of the emergency stop switch in the control cabinet, the emergency stop switch in the simulation cabin, the emergency stop switch outside the safety grating fence, the upper limit switch, the lower limit switch, the hard limit anti-collision upper contact switch and the hard limit anti-collision lower contact switch of multiple action execution units triggers a safety signal, the safety PLC master station cuts off the system power and powers on after clearing the system errors. The safety output slave outputs the motion control signal to the motion servo control slave to drive the action execution unit to move to a safe position.

[0060] See also Figure 4-5 To further illustrate this solution, a safety control method for a six-degree-of-freedom manned simulation platform is proposed below, including:

[0061] System initialization;

[0062] Determine whether initialization is successful. If so, the device is ready to execute the action. If not, output an error code and provide corresponding maintenance measures.

[0063] Select the working mode and determine whether the working mode is local working mode;

[0064] If yes, the local operation control mode is implemented and the user inputs the control parameters;

[0065] If not, go into remote control mode.

[0066] The local operation control mode specifically includes the following steps:

[0067] The user inputs the control mode and appropriate control parameters, and the action execution unit executes the action;

[0068] During the execution of the action, determine whether the action execution unit has overspeed, overcurrent or limit triggering;

[0069] If yes, the system will be powered off for protection, and after clearing the system errors, it will be powered on and move to a safe position;

[0070] If not, it is determined to be running normally.

[0071] The remote control mode specifically includes the following steps:

[0072] Select the control mode, which includes local data control, remote serial port control and remote network control;

[0073] Import local data files or receive remote serial port control signals or receive remote network control signals according to the selected control mode;

[0074] Determine whether the attitude, pole length, speed and acceleration are out of limit based on local data files or received remote serial port control signals or remote network control signals;

[0075] If yes, the operation will not be executed, and the system will be powered off for protection. After clearing the system errors, the system will be powered on and move to a safe position.

[0076] If not, the action execution unit will execute the action. During the execution of the action, it is determined whether the action execution unit has overspeed, overcurrent or limit triggering;

[0077] If yes, the system will be powered off for protection, and after clearing the system errors, it will be powered on and move to a safe position;

[0078] If not, it is determined to be running normally.

[0079] In this solution, when receiving a command, the first step is to determine whether the posture, rod length, speed and acceleration are out of limit. If they exceed the normal operating range, the user is reminded and the command is not executed.

[0080] During the normal operation of the manned simulation platform, if the action execution unit encounters faults such as overspeed, overcurrent or limit triggering, the safety PLC master station will immediately send relevant commands to the safety output slave station to make the manned simulation platform respond with quick stop and braking action.

[0081] To sum up, the advantages of the present invention are: the concept of hierarchical control of the master PLC master station and the motion servo slave station no longer relies solely on the industrial control computer to control the entire system. At the same time, the safety control system is applied to the manned simulation platform, which greatly improves the safety of the manned simulation platform.

[0082] The above shows and describes the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The above embodiments and descriptions merely illustrate the principles of the present invention. Various changes and modifications may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Such changes and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention. The scope of protection claimed by the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A safety control system for a six-degree-of-freedom manned simulation platform, characterized in that: include: Industrial control computers, displays, main control PLC master station, safety PLC master station, safety input slave station, safety output slave station, several motion servo control slave stations and several action execution units; The industrial control computer is electrically connected to the external ship handling simulation system and the ship handling test system, and receives attitude information and displacement information of the submarine simulation cabin sent by the external ship handling simulation system via Ethernet or reflective memory network, wherein the attitude information includes pitch angle, roll angle, and yaw angle, and the displacement information includes displacement in the X direction, displacement in the Y direction, and displacement in the Z direction; The display is electrically connected to an industrial control computer, and the industrial control computer runs a UI interface of the display; The industrial control computer is connected to the main control PLC master station via Ethernet, and the main control PLC master station is used to calculate the motion amount of each action execution unit according to the posture information of the submarine simulation cabin to obtain control information; The main control PLC master station and the plurality of motion servo control slave stations exchange data and information in real time via the EtherCAT bus, and the main control PLC master station sends control information to the motion servo control slave stations in real time; The motion servo control slave station is electrically connected to the action execution unit, and the motion servo control slave station is used to drive the action execution unit according to the control information; The action execution unit is internally integrated with an upper limit switch, a lower limit switch, a hard limit anti-collision upper contact switch and a hard limit anti-collision lower contact switch; The safety PLC master station and the main control PLC master station are connected in communication via a high-speed TwinSAFE network; The safety input slave station is electrically connected to the input terminal of the safety PLC master station; The safety output slave station is electrically connected to the output end of the safety PLC master station, and the output end of the safety output slave station is electrically connected to the motion servo control slave station.

2. The safety control system of a six-degree-of-freedom manned simulation platform according to claim 1, characterized in that: The input end of the safety input slave station is electrically connected to the emergency stop switch of the control cabinet, the emergency stop switch in the simulated cockpit, the emergency stop switch outside the safety grating fence, the upper limit switch, the lower limit switch, the hard limit anti-collision upper contact switch and the hard limit anti-collision lower contact switch of multiple action execution units.

3. The safety control system of a six-degree-of-freedom manned simulation platform according to claim 2, characterized in that: Information exchange is performed between the safety input slave station and the safety PLC master station, the safety output slave station and the safety PLC master station, and the safety output slave station and the motion servo control slave station through the FSOE protocol.

4. The safety control system of a six-degree-of-freedom manned simulation platform according to claim 1, characterized in that: The action execution unit is an electric cylinder, which includes a servo motor. The servo motor is transmission-connected to a telescopic ball screw through a synchronous wheel. A ball nut is threadedly engaged on the telescopic ball screw, and a telescopic cylinder is mounted on the ball nut.

5. A safety control method for a six-degree-of-freedom manned simulation platform, applicable to the safety control system of a six-degree-of-freedom manned simulation platform according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The steps include: System initialization; Determine whether initialization is successful. If so, the device is ready to execute the action. If not, output an error code and provide corresponding maintenance measures. Select the working mode and determine whether the working mode is local working mode; If yes, the local operation control mode is implemented and the user inputs the control parameters; If not, go into remote control mode.

6. The safety control method for a six-degree-of-freedom manned simulation platform according to claim 5, characterized in that: The local operation control mode specifically includes the following steps: The user inputs the control mode and appropriate control parameters, and the action execution unit executes the action; During the execution of the action, determine whether the action execution unit has overspeed, overcurrent or limit triggering; If yes, the system will be powered off for protection, and after clearing the system errors, it will be powered on and move to a safe position; If not, it is determined to be running normally.

7. The safety control method for a six-degree-of-freedom manned simulation platform according to claim 6, characterized in that: The remote control mode specifically includes the following steps: Import local data files and receive remote serial port control signals and remote network control signals; Determine whether the attitude, pole length, speed and acceleration are out of limit based on local data files, remote serial port control signals and remote network control signals; If yes, the operation will not be executed, and the system will be powered off for protection. After clearing the system errors, the system will be powered on and move to a safe position. If not, the action execution unit will execute the action. During the execution of the action, it is determined whether the action execution unit has overspeed, overcurrent or limit triggering; If yes, the system will be powered off for protection, and after clearing the system errors, it will be powered on and move to a safe position; If not, it is determined to be running normally.

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