Control software of automation equipment and building method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides control software of automation equipment and a building method thereof, and the control software of the automation equipment comprises a resource pool module which is used for storing callable software and hardware resources of the automation equipment; and the process configuration module abstractly packages standard production nodes based on the software and hardware resources, the standard production nodes are used for customizing and monitoring operation steps and automatic processes in the production process, and the process configuration module comprises business process editing, signal scanning process editing, system zeroing process editing and process monitoring and control. Compared with a traditional programming control mode of automation equipment, the operation difficulty is greatly reduced, and the method is user-friendly; meanwhile, the control software is high in expandability and has good universality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automation equipment control, and in particular to control software for automation equipment and a construction method thereof. Background Art

[0002] The use of existing technologies in the control process in the field of automated equipment control faces many challenges, the most important of which is the poor uniformity of production logic and process, and the same control software is difficult to adapt to the ever-changing application scenarios. This leads to the need to frequently change the code or use equipment software to adapt to new requirements. However, due to the high complexity of the control logic and the large differences in requirements for different production scenarios, the control software writing cycle is long and the requirements for the professionalism of developers are high, which increases the cost of equipment debugging and verification risks. In addition, the non-standardization of control software also brings operational inconveniences, making it difficult for application personnel to operate the equipment and increasing the learning cost. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of the deficiencies in the prior art, the first purpose of the present invention is to provide a control software for automation equipment, which greatly reduces the difficulty of operation and is user-friendly compared to the traditional programming method of controlling automation equipment; at the same time, the control software has strong scalability and good versatility.

[0004] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for building control software for automation equipment, which can quickly and efficiently build the control software, greatly reducing the workload and difficulty of building the control software.

[0005] The embodiments of the present invention are implemented by the following technical solutions:

[0006] A control software for automation equipment includes: a resource pool module for storing the software and hardware resources of the automation equipment that can be called; a process configuration module, based on the software and hardware resources, abstractly encapsulates standard production nodes, the standard production nodes are used to customize and monitor the operation steps and automation processes in the production process, and the process configuration module includes business process editing, signal scanning process editing, system zero return process editing, and process monitoring and control. In this way, compared with the traditional programming control method of automation equipment, the operation difficulty is greatly reduced and it is user-friendly; at the same time, the control software has strong scalability and good versatility.

[0007] According to a preferred embodiment, the control software also includes a resource configuration module, which is used to create the software and hardware resources, including hardware resource configuration and software resource configuration; the hardware resource configuration is used to configure the hardware properties required by the automation equipment; the software resource configuration is used to configure the software properties required by the automation equipment.

[0008] According to a preferred implementation, the hardware resource configuration includes system configuration, motion control configuration, PLC control configuration, communication module configuration, laser configuration, IO device configuration, light source device configuration, camera device configuration, vision engine configuration, sensor configuration, solder ball controller configuration, laser external access configuration and script editing configuration.

[0009] According to a preferred implementation, the software resource configuration includes recording point configuration, interpolation motion configuration, barcode matching rule configuration and data recording configuration.

[0010] According to a preferred embodiment, the control software also includes a system function module for realizing user management and service operations. The system function module includes user management, system settings and a home page, wherein the home page integrates key functions of system zero return, emergency stop reset, process monitoring and control, and the home page includes production process viewing, loading, execution and stop operations.

[0011] According to a preferred embodiment, the control software also includes a system management module for uniformly managing user permissions, role assignments, account information, and monitoring login behavior. The system management module includes permission management, role management, user management, and data logging.

[0012] According to a preferred embodiment, the control software also includes a manual operation module for performing specific manual tasks and adjusting the welding process, and the manual operation module includes camera acquisition, welding scheme configuration and manual point welding.

[0013] According to a preferred embodiment, hardware resources are embedded in the software resource configuration.

[0014] A method for building automation equipment control software comprises the following steps:

[0015] Store the software and hardware resources of automation equipment in the resource pool module;

[0016] Abstract packaging standard production nodes based on the software and hardware resources in the resource pool module;

[0017] Setting a user interface, the user interface being configured to be able to respond to a user's operation request and to call the corresponding standard production node according to the user's operation request;

[0018] According to the production logic, the standard production nodes are connected.

[0019] In this way, the control software can be built quickly and efficiently, greatly reducing the workload and difficulty of control software construction.

[0020] According to a preferred embodiment, before storing the software and hardware resources of the automation device in the resource pool module, the following step is also included: abstractly encapsulating the automation device into standard and callable software resources and hardware resources.

[0021] According to a preferred embodiment, abstracting and encapsulating the automation equipment into the standard and callable software resources and hardware resources comprises the following steps:

[0022] Define the underlying interfaces of the software resources and the hardware resources in IEntity;

[0023] Create parameter objects and controller objects in Entity by class name to implement the common interface defined by the IEntity layer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the embodiments are briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present invention and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the control software provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 A flowchart of a control software construction method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the home page and IO debugging interface of the control software provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a hardware resource configuration interface of the control software provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a software resource configuration interface of the control software provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a process configuration interface of a control software provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a point selection welding interface in a manual operation module of the control software provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a signal scanning process configuration interface in a process configuration of a control software provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of a system zero return process configuration interface in a process configuration of a control software provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of the rights management interface of the control software provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Fig.11 This is the control flow chart of a double-station operation machine.

[0036] Icons: 11-resource pool module, 12-process configuration module, 13-resource configuration module, 131-hardware resource configuration, 132-software resource configuration, 14-system function module, 15-system management module, 16-manual operation module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] For better understanding and implementation, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0038] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art of the present invention. The terms used in the specification of the present invention herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0039] Please refer to Figure 1 , a control software for automation equipment, including a resource pool module 11 and a process configuration module 12, the resource pool module 11 is used to store the software and hardware resources of the callable automation equipment; the process configuration module 12 is based on the software and hardware resources, abstractly encapsulates the standard production node, the standard production node is used to customize and monitor the operation steps and automation process in the production process, and the process configuration module 12 includes business process editing, signal scanning process editing, system return to zero process editing, and process monitoring and control. Specifically, the resource pool module 11 here includes a software resource pool and a hardware resource pool, which are respectively used to store the software resources and hardware resources of the automation equipment; in the process configuration module 12, the standard production node is abstractly encapsulated, and the user selects the appropriate standard production node according to the specific processing requirements and the processing logic, and connects them according to the production logic to call and control the corresponding software and hardware resources to realize processing. Compared with the traditional programming control method of automation equipment, the operation difficulty is greatly reduced and it is user-friendly; at the same time, the control software has strong scalability and good versatility.

[0040] Furthermore, the control software also includes a resource configuration module 13, which is used to create software and hardware resources, including hardware resource configuration 131 and software resource configuration 132; the hardware resource configuration 131 is used to configure the hardware properties required for the automation equipment. Specifically, on the packaged standard hardware configuration interface, the hardware is configured according to different actual situations to achieve the purpose of flexibly applying the hardware to actual production; the software resource configuration 132 is used to configure the software properties required for the automation equipment. Specifically, it is to adjust and record the key points in the production process, motion path parameters and other manufacturing process-related data and corresponding rule configurations. In this embodiment, by analyzing the common characteristics of different software resources and different hardware resources of the automation equipment, and then abstracting the standardized configuration interface, the user can easily configure the required software resources and hardware resources. Furthermore, the software resources and hardware resources here are both defined by the underlying interface method, which ensures the flexibility and convenience of subsequent function expansion.

[0041] In this embodiment, the underlying interface is IEntity, which defines the underlying interfaces of all objects and is the starting point for the entire software construction. Entity is basically a specific implementation of the general definition of the IEntity layer, and parameter objects and controller objects can be created by class names. Furthermore, the IEntity underlying interface includes parameter object interface, control object interface, operation data management, pool management, and custom collection management.

[0042] Specifically, the parameter object interface adopts a single-root inheritance structure, with IEntityBase as the common base class for all classes, and supports the legality check of attribute values ​​(format check, boundary check, and duplication check). The attribute ParamsTypeName is used to record the type name of the parameter object that inherits this interface, and provides support for the creation of entities through underlying reflection. Among them, the parameter object interface includes controller parameter objects and resource parameter objects; controller parameter objects are used to represent objects that have external control interfaces and controllers that call these interfaces externally, such as control card parameter objects, corresponding to control card controllers, and provide interface functions such as axis control to the outside world. Resource parameter objects are used to record parameter records that need to be saved, but the specific execution depends on other controllers, such as the interpolation resources and point recording resources of the control card.

[0043] The control object interface defines the protocol for the control object to communicate with the outside world, allowing external entities to call the software and hardware resources implemented internally through these interfaces. IControllerEntity is the basic interface of the controller object, which uniformly provides functions for checking the status of the controller, including verifying whether the controller has been initialized and whether it has been successfully connected. The interface also contains Connect, ConnectAsync, Close, and Release methods for performing controller connection, shutdown, and resource release operations. In addition, IControllerEntity defines Connected, Closed, and Errored events, allowing external callers to subscribe to these events so that they can perform corresponding processing responses when the controller triggers the corresponding event.

[0044] Pool management is used to manage parameter objects and control objects saved in the software system, and provides support for object management and localized saving and loading. IPoolEntity is the underlying interface of the pool object. It contains methods for recording the type of control module to which the pool belongs, provides a public method to check whether a parameter value already exists within a specific range, and provides methods for reading locally stored parameter configuration files. In addition, IPoolEntity also provides public methods for adding, deleting, checking and modifying parameter records in the pool. IControllerPoolEntity is the base class of the controller parameter pool. It inherits from IPoolEntity and not only supports the management of parameter objects, but also adds the management of control objects. It mainly obtains the corresponding control object based on the parameter object or the guid of the parameter object.

[0045] Custom collection management implements basic collection functions, which are used to monitor and respond to changes in parameters within the collection.

[0046] Operational data management is used to manage operational data.

[0047] In some embodiments, the software resource configuration 132 has embedded hardware resources (here, the hardware resources refer to the hardware resources in the software and hardware resources) to enable the user to operate the automation equipment more conveniently in the control software. For example, when recording key points in the production process, it is necessary to ensure the precise position of the automation equipment. To this end, the control can be implemented by calling the hardware module pre-set in the hardware configuration through Guid, so that the design can simplify the user operation process.

[0048] Specifically, hardware resource configuration 131 includes system configuration, motion control configuration, PLC control configuration, communication module configuration, laser configuration, IO device configuration, light source device configuration, camera device configuration, vision engine configuration, sensor configuration, solder ball controller configuration, laser external access configuration and script editing configuration. By classifying hardware types and defining different basic interfaces, users can quickly expand and add various hardware through classification.

[0049] Software resource configuration 132 includes recording point configuration, interpolation motion configuration, barcode matching rule configuration and data recording configuration. By pre-configuring key points, trajectories and rule data, they can be used directly in subsequent production processes without the need for users to repeatedly configure them, which improves the convenience of operating the control software.

[0050] In this embodiment, the control software also includes a system function module 14 for implementing user management and service operations. The system function module 14 includes user management, system settings and a home page, wherein the home page integrates key functions of system zero return, emergency stop reset, and process monitoring and control.

[0051] The control software also includes a system management module 15 for uniformly managing user permissions, role allocation, account information, and monitoring login behavior. The system management module 15 includes permission management, role management, user management, and data logging.

[0052] In some embodiments, the control software also includes a manual operation module 16 for performing specific manual tasks and adjusting the welding process. The manual operation module 16 includes camera acquisition, welding scheme configuration, and manual point welding. Specifically, camera acquisition is used to monitor and locate the welding position of the product in real time, and collect image information of the product; welding scheme configuration is used to set and adjust the hardware parameters of the equipment during the actual welding process, and perform necessary debugging; manual point welding is used for the operator to manually select the welding point, and the system displays the welding status and coordinates of the point and other information.

[0053] like Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment also provides a method for building automation equipment control software, including the following steps:

[0054] Step S10: storing the software and hardware resources of the automation equipment in the resource pool module 11;

[0055] Step S20: abstractly encapsulate standard production nodes based on the software and hardware resources in the resource pool module 11;

[0056] Step S30: Setting a user interface, where the user interface is configured to respond to a user's operation request and retrieve a corresponding standard production node according to the user's operation request;

[0057] Step S40: Connect each standard production node according to the production logic.

[0058] In this way, the control software can be built quickly and efficiently, greatly reducing the workload and difficulty of building the control software.

[0059] Furthermore, before step S10, the method further includes step S00: abstractly encapsulating the automation equipment into standard and callable software and hardware resources.

[0060] Furthermore, step S00 includes:

[0061] Step S001: define the underlying interfaces of software resources and hardware resources in IEntity;

[0062] Step S002: Create parameter objects and controller objects in Entity by class name to implement the common interface defined by the IEntity layer.

[0063] Specifically, the construction method is described using the solder ball controller module as an example:

[0064] Step S1: Create a solder ball controller parameter object base interface ISorderBallParams in IEntity, which inherits from IControllerParamsEntity and defines common parameter properties of the solder ball controller;

[0065] Step S2: Create a solder ball controller running data object base interface ISorderBallRunData in IEntity, which inherits from IRunData and defines the common data attribute fields generated during the solder ball controller running process, such as whether there is a solder ball, whether the ball is blocked, etc.;

[0066] Step S3: Create a solder ball controller control object base interface IOlderBallController in IEntity, which inherits from IControllerEntity and IControllerReset, and defines the RunData data attribute used by the solder ball controller to record the running status and the general external call method (ball output, nozzle cleaning, etc.);

[0067] Step S4: Write the default implementation of the above interface in Entity;

[0068] Step S5: Add a new class library SolderBall to write the relevant code for the specific implementation of the solder ball controller;

[0069] Step S6: Add a solder ball controller pool in UW.TinWeld.Entity / Pool, and add public general methods for the solder ball controller object collection in the pool;

[0070] Step S7: In UW.TinWeld.Forms\ControllerView, add the view corresponding to the module.

[0071] Among them, step S1 to step S3 belong to step S001; step S4 to step S6 belong to step S002.

[0072] Furthermore, in step S5, various types of hardware are differentiated according to software development kits (SDKs) or general industrial protocols provided by brand suppliers. These tools and protocols allow various types of hardware to be packaged into standard modules for users to select and configure according to specific needs.

[0073] For further explanation, this embodiment provides a method for using the above control software, including the following steps:

[0074] Step S11: The administrator logs in to the software and configures the operator / technician account and permissions in "System Management";

[0075] Step S12: The administrator / operator / technician logs into the software;

[0076] Step S13: The user selects "Control Configuration" - "Controller Configuration" in the menu to configure the device hardware module;

[0077] Step S14: The user selects "Control Configuration" - "Operation Resource Configuration" in the menu to configure the resources required in the subsequent process;

[0078] Step S15: The user selects “Process Configuration” - “System Zero Return Process” in the menu to configure and debug the equipment zero return automation process by dragging standard nodes;

[0079] Step S16: The user selects "Process Configuration" - "Signal Scanning Process" in the menu to configure and debug the device signal scanning process by dragging standard nodes;

[0080] Step S17: The user selects "Process Configuration" - "Business Process" in the menu to configure and debug the equipment production process by dragging standard nodes;

[0081] Step S18: The user selects "Manual Operation" - "Select Point Welding" in the menu to locate the welding position of the product and configure and debug the equipment welding parameters.

[0082] Furthermore, step S13 includes:

[0083] Step S131: The user selects "Motion Control", adds the device's corresponding brand control card and configures the corresponding parameters

[0084] Step 132: The user selects "IO device" and configures the newly added control card IO, including modifying the IO name, signal inversion, etc. For devices equipped with expansion card modules, the user also needs to configure the expansion IO accordingly.

[0085] Step 133: The user adds configurations to the required hardware modules in the list one by one according to actual needs.

[0086] It should be noted that in the above content:

[0087] "Control configuration" is equivalent to the "resource configuration module 13" mentioned above;

[0088] "Controller configuration" is equivalent to the "hardware resource configuration 131" mentioned above;

[0089] “Process configuration” is equivalent to the “process configuration module 12” mentioned above;

[0090] “Motion control” is equivalent to the “hardware resource configuration 131” mentioned above.

[0091] In this embodiment, the hardware resource configuration 131 distinguishes and standardizes the various types of hardware resources, and the user can quickly and easily select the type and perform configuration.

[0092] The method for building control software for automation equipment in this embodiment can improve the adaptability of the control software to application scenarios, simplify the operation process, reduce debugging risks and shorten the new function development cycle.

[0093] In the control software of the automation equipment, the actual scheduling of equipment resources (software and hardware resources) is carried out in the form of flowchart nodes, and the flowchart is used to build the interactive operation logic of the equipment resources. By editing the flowcharts of different standard production nodes and operation logic, the equipment production logic in different application scenarios can be realized. The drawback that the past software cannot adapt to different application scenarios is solved by adding standard production nodes and modules to change the current situation where the debugging time is too long due to the need to change the software code. This technology can also be flexibly applied to various project application scenarios by encapsulating standard new functions, nodes, and modules during later maintenance and expansion, shortening maintenance time and reducing expansion costs. Fig.11 As shown in the figure, it is very easy to collide with the equipment when operating in a double-station operation machine. Under the original technical conditions, technicians can only avoid collisions by writing anti-collision program codes. The codes are complicated and time-consuming. However, with the support of this control software, users can directly configure anti-collision conditions through easy-to-understand process nodes, which takes less time and has lower requirements for operators. This software will simplify the way of resource scheduling and operation logic by writing codes to the work of designing flowcharts by dragging the mouse, greatly reducing the technical requirements of control software implementers.

[0094] like Figures 3 to 10 The following is a partial interface diagram of the control software.

[0095] The technical means disclosed in the scheme of the present invention are not limited to the technical means disclosed in the above-mentioned implementation mode, but also include technical schemes composed of any combination of the above-mentioned technical features. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications are also regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control software for automation equipment, characterized in that: include: Resource pool module, used to store the software and hardware resources of callable automation equipment; The process configuration module abstractly encapsulates standard production nodes based on the software and hardware resources. The standard production nodes are used to customize and monitor the operating steps and automated processes in the production process. The process configuration module includes business process editing, signal scanning process editing, system return to zero process editing, and process monitoring and control.

2. The control software of the automation equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control software also includes a resource configuration module, which is used to create the software and hardware resources, including hardware resource configuration and software resource configuration; The hardware resource configuration is used to configure the hardware properties required by the automation device; The software resource configuration is used to configure software properties required by the automation device.

3. The control software of the automation equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The hardware resource configuration includes system configuration, motion control configuration, PLC control configuration, communication module configuration, laser configuration, IO device configuration, light source device configuration, camera device configuration, vision engine configuration, sensor configuration, solder ball controller configuration, laser external access configuration and script editing configuration.

4. The control software of the automation equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The software resource configuration includes recording point configuration, interpolation motion configuration, barcode matching rule configuration and data recording configuration.

5. The control software of the automation equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control software also includes a system function module for implementing user management and service operations. The system function module includes user management, system settings and a home page, wherein the home page integrates key functions of system zero return, emergency stop reset, process monitoring and control, and the home page includes production process viewing, loading, execution and stop operations.

6. The control software of the automation equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control software also includes a system management module for uniformly managing user permissions, role allocation, account information, and monitoring login behavior. The system management module includes permission management, role management, user management, and data logging.

7. The control software of the automation equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control software also includes a manual operation module for performing specific manual tasks and adjusting the welding process. The manual operation module includes camera acquisition, welding scheme configuration and manual point welding.

8. The control software of the automation equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The software resource configuration has hardware resources embedded in it.

9. A method for building automation equipment control software, characterized in that: The steps include: Store the software and hardware resources of automation equipment in the resource pool module; Abstract packaging standard production nodes based on the software and hardware resources in the resource pool module; Setting a user interface, the user interface being configured to be able to respond to a user's operation request and to call the corresponding standard production node according to the user's operation request; According to the production logic, the standard production nodes are connected.

10. The method for building automation equipment control software according to claim 9, characterized in that: Before storing the software and hardware resources of the automation equipment in the resource pool module, the following steps are also included: abstractly encapsulating the automation equipment into standard and callable software resources and hardware resources.

11. The method for building automation equipment control software according to claim 10, characterized in that: Abstracting and encapsulating the automation equipment into standard and callable software resources and hardware resources comprises the following steps: Define the underlying interfaces of the software resources and the hardware resources in IEntity; Create parameter objects and controller objects in Entity by class name to implement the common interface defined by the IEntity layer.

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