Control method and equipment of EPSON industrial robot

Abstract

The invention discloses a control method for an EPSON industrial robot, and the method comprises the following steps: powering on the industrial robot, enabling the industrial robot to start a background main task, and enabling a background task for TCP message processing and a background task for monitoring the state of the robot in real time through the background main task; establishing communication connection between the upper computer and the industrial robot; sending an instruction and waiting for reply; the industrial robot carries out a background task, analyzes a message instruction of TCP message processing, and carries out classification processing on the message; when the message is an instruction for obtaining the state of the robot, data content in the background task is packaged and then replied to the upper computer; the message is an action execution type instruction, starting a foreground task to respond to a related action, and replying to the upper computer after execution is completed. The invention discloses a control method and equipment of an EPSON industrial robot. Resources are intensive, configuration is simple, expansion is convenient, and work is flexible; complex IO connection is not needed, and stability and reliability are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of artificial intelligence technology, and in particular to a control method and device for an EPSON industrial robot. Background Art

[0002] Industrial robots are fast, flexible, and highly accurate programmable devices that are widely used in the fields of automation such as automobiles, electronics, medical treatment, aviation, and aerospace. More and more automation projects require the use of industrial robots. However, their operation is complex, the programming workload is large, and their stability is limited by the proficiency of developers. In many cases, professional robot manufacturers are required to provide one-on-one guidance, which has a certain impact on the project development cycle.

[0003] On the other hand, as more and more factories are undergoing "intelligent transformation to digital transformation", the demand for factory systems (such as MES, SCADA, digital twin systems, etc.) to collect production equipment status data is also increasing. Traditional PLC-based control methods (IO signal control, fieldbus control, etc.) cannot collect all operating status of industrial robots. Therefore, it is very necessary to directly connect the factory system and the robot.

[0004] Disadvantages of traditional IO control methods: 1. Wires need to be connected, and a large number of wires are required.

[0005] 2. The reliability of wire connection is low, and when a circuit break occurs, the robot may perform incorrect actions.

[0006] 3. Unable to transfer analog quantities or some complex variables.

[0007] Based on industrial fieldbus, although the above IO control problems can be solved through industrial Ethernet or dedicated communication cables, the following disadvantages still exist: 1. The amount of data transmitted is limited, generally 512 bytes, making it difficult to transmit longer string variables.

[0008] 2. Industrial PCs, servers and other host systems need to purchase bus boards to communicate with them, and bus boards are generally expensive. Summary of the invention

[0009] The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art and provides a control method and device for an EPSON industrial robot; the control method has the advantages of resource intensiveness, simple configuration, convenient expansion, and flexible operation; and does not require complex IO wiring, thereby improving stability and reliability.

[0010] To achieve the above object, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a control method for an EPSON industrial robot, comprising the following steps: Step S1, when the industrial robot is powered on, the background main task is automatically started, and the background main task starts the background task for TCP message processing and the background task for real-time monitoring of the robot status; Step S2: Establish a communication connection between the host computer and the industrial robot Step S3, the host computer sends a command to the industrial robot and waits for its response; Step S4, the industrial robot performs a background task of TCP message processing, parses the message instructions of TCP message processing, and classifies the messages in the message instructions, the classifications including status acquisition instructions and action execution instructions; Step S5, when the message is an instruction to obtain the robot status, the data content in the background task of monitoring the status is encapsulated and replied to the host computer; when the message is an instruction of action execution, the foreground task is started to respond to the relevant action, and after the action is executed, the message is replied to the host computer.

[0011] Specifically, the state acquisition instruction includes: obtaining the position posture information and working mode information of the robot; the action execution instruction includes: powering on the robot motor and moving it to a specific position.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the steps of establishing a communication connection between the host computer and the industrial robot include: Determine whether the command content of the instruction sent by the host computer is empty; when the command content is empty, an error is reported, and the process of the host computer sending instructions to the industrial robot ends; When the command content is not empty, it is determined whether the host computer is connected to the robot; when connected to the robot, the command content is sent, and after waiting to receive the reply content, the process of the host computer sending instructions to the industrial robot ends; when not connected to the robot, the content of the receiving buffer is cleared, and the process of the host computer sending instructions to the industrial robot ends.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the workflow of the industrial robot includes the following steps: Preset at least one foreground task to execute the robot's actions; set the background main task to manage the robot's background tasks and ensure that necessary background tasks can be automatically executed after power-on; set at least 2 background tasks to process background TCP messages and monitor the robot's status.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the foreground task includes the following steps: The foreground task is started on demand by the TCP message processing background task. The background task extracts the remote code content from the action execution instruction and passes it to the foreground task. The foreground task parses the remote code content and then executes the action corresponding to the parsed remote code content, while determining whether an error occurs during the execution of the action. If an error occurs, an error code is returned and the foreground task ends. If no error occurs, the task completion instruction is returned after the action execution is completed, thus ending the foreground task.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least two background tasks include the following steps: Send the background main task: The background main tasks include background task 1 and background task 2; Background task 1 is: start the TCP message processing background task, wait for TCP messages, and determine whether the TCP connection is disconnected; when TCP is disconnected, terminate all other tasks started by this task and jump to waiting for TCP messages; when TCP is connected, parse the message instructions and then determine whether to execute remote code. When remote code needs to be executed, start the foreground task and wait for the foreground task result. Then use the content of the foreground task result as the reply content and then jump to waiting for TCP messages; The second background task is to start the status monitoring background task and then refresh it regularly to obtain the real-time status of the robot.

[0016] In a preferred solution of the present invention, the background task is implemented using the Nestar Robot API, and the NestarRobot API includes an EStop attribute and a GetCurrentPos and / or GoABS method.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the EStop attribute is used by the host computer to obtain the emergency stop status of the robot; and the implementation method of the host computer includes: calling the SendCommand method, the command content can be customized, such as "GetEStop", and then parsing the content in the output parameter reply; the implementation method of the robot includes: the robot adopts the CtrlInfo function, the 8th bit of the return value of the robot represents the emergency stop status, the function will be executed cyclically in the status monitoring background task, and its 8-bit result will be assigned to the global variable IsEstopped; in the TCP message processing background task, when a request message about the Estop status is received, the value of IsEstopped will be immediately replied to the host computer.

[0018] In a preferred solution of the present invention, the GetCurrentPos method is used by the host computer to obtain the current position of the robot; and the implementation method of the host computer includes: calling the SendCommand method, the command content can be customized, such as "GetCurrentPos", and then parsing the content in the output parameter reply; the robot side implementation method includes: taking the X-axis coordinate as an example, executing FmtStr$(CX(RealPos), "00000.000") in the robot code can format the X-axis coordinate parameter into a format with 5 digits in the integer part and 3 digits in the decimal part; similarly, replacing CX with CY, CZ, CU, CV, CW can obtain the data of each axis of Y, Z, U, V, and W respectively. In the TCP message processing background task, when a request message about the current position data is received, the above axis coordinate data are immediately combined and replied to the host computer.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the GoABS method is used for the host computer to command the robot to execute the PTP action and move to the TargetPoint; The implementation method on the host computer side includes: first parsing the TargetPoint data into a specific format, then calling the SendCommand method, the command content can be customized, such as "Execute," GO XY (XXX, YYY, ZZZ, UUU, VVV, WWW) "", and then parsing the content in the output parameter reply; The implementation method on the robot side includes: in the TCP message processing background task, when a request message about executing a PTP action is received, the 63rd foreground program Main63 is started; in Main63, the action instruction GO XY(XXX,YYY,ZZZ,UUU,VVV,WWW) is executed, and errors that may occur during the execution process are captured; when the action is executed normally, the error code 0 is returned; when an error occurs in the middle of the action, the current error code is returned.

[0020] Specifically, XXX to WWW are specific coordinate values.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a device for implementing the control method of an EPSON industrial robot includes: a memory; a processor; and a computer program; wherein the computer program is stored in the memory and is configured to be executed by the processor to implement the control method of the EPSON industrial robot.

[0022] The present invention solves the defects existing in the background technology: The invention discloses a control method and device for an EPSON industrial robot. The control method has the advantages of resource concentration, simple configuration, convenient expansion and flexible operation; and does not require complicated IO connection, thereby improving stability and reliability.

[0023] The present invention uses TCP / IP messages for data collection and control. A real-time background task is written in the robot program to receive and respond to TCP messages. The host computer part uses C# language to develop the Nestar Robot API for processing and communicating with the robot, which can be called when the host computer system is developed. The low-cost method is convenient for the host computer system such as industrial PC and MES to collect the status data of the robot and control the action of the robot. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The present invention is further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0025] Figure 1 It is a principle structure diagram of a control method for an EPSON industrial robot in a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 It is a SendCommand workflow diagram of a host computer of a control method for an EPSON industrial robot in a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 It is a workflow diagram of an industrial robot of a control method of an EPSON industrial robot in a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 The following is a schematic diagram of an interface program defined in the Nestar Robot API written in C# language. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The present invention will now be further described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. These drawings are simplified schematic diagrams that only illustrate the basic structure of the present invention in a schematic manner, and therefore only show the components related to the present invention. Embodiment 1

[0027] like Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, a control method for an EPSON industrial robot comprises the following steps: Step S1, when the industrial robot is powered on, the background main task is automatically started, and the background main task starts the background task for TCP message processing and the background task for real-time monitoring of the robot status. Specifically, the status acquisition instruction includes: obtaining the robot's position posture information and working mode information; the action execution instruction includes: powering on the robot motor and moving it to a specific position.

[0028] Step S2: The host computer establishes a communication connection with the industrial robot.

[0029] Step S3: The host computer sends a command to the industrial robot and waits for its response.

[0030] Step S4, the industrial robot performs background tasks of TCP message processing, parses message instructions of TCP message processing, and classifies messages in the message instructions, the classifications including status acquisition instructions and action execution instructions.

[0031] Step S5, when the message is an instruction to obtain the robot status, the data content in the background task of monitoring the status is encapsulated and replied to the host computer; when the message is an instruction of action execution, the foreground task is started to respond to the relevant action, and after the action is executed, the message is replied to the host computer.

[0032] Specifically, the steps of the host computer sending instructions to the industrial robot include: Determine whether the command content is empty; if the command content is empty, an error is reported, and the process of the host computer sending instructions to the industrial robot ends; When the command content is not empty, it is determined whether the robot is connected; when the robot is connected, the command content is sent, and after waiting for the reply content to be received, the process of the host computer sending instructions to the industrial robot ends; when the robot is not connected, the receiving buffer content is cleared, and the process of the host computer sending instructions to the industrial robot ends.

[0033] Specifically, the workflow of the industrial robot includes the following steps: At least one foreground task is preset to execute the robot's actions; and at least two background tasks are set to process background TCP messages and monitor the robot's status.

[0034] Furthermore, the foreground task includes the following steps: Foreground task No. 63 is started on demand by the TCP message processing background task. The background task will extract the remote code content from the action execution instruction and pass it to foreground task No. 63. The foreground task will parse the remote code content and then execute the action corresponding to the parsed remote code content. At the same time, it will determine whether an error occurs during the execution of the action. If an error occurs, an error code is returned and the foreground task ends. If no error occurs, the task completion instruction is returned after the action execution is completed, ending the foreground task.

[0035] Furthermore, in EPSON industrial robots, there can be up to 64 main functions, and the program numbers are 0 to 63. Because daily programming usually starts from 0, number 63, which is not usually used, is selected for the foreground task started by the background task.

[0036] Further, 1 background main task and at least 2 background tasks include the following steps; Start the background main task; The background main task starts background task 1 and background task 2 in sequence; Background task 1 is: start the TCP message processing background task, wait for TCP messages, and determine whether the TCP connection is disconnected; when TCP is disconnected, terminate all other tasks started by this task and jump to waiting for TCP messages; when TCP is connected, parse the message instructions and then determine whether to execute remote code. When remote code needs to be executed, start the foreground task and wait for the foreground task result. Then use the content of the foreground task result as the reply content and then jump to waiting for TCP messages; The second background task is to start the status monitoring background task and then refresh it regularly to obtain the real-time status of the robot.

[0037] More specifically, the background task is implemented using the Nestar Robot API, which includes properties such as Estop, methods such as GetCurrentPos and GoABS. Specifically, the content defined in the Nestar Robot API is as follows: Figure 4 , which contains the robot's status information (attributes) and functions (methods) for operating the robot.

[0038] Among them, the EStop attribute is used by the host computer to obtain the emergency stop status of the robot; and the implementation method of the host computer includes: calling the SendCommand method, the command content can be customized, such as "GetEStop", and then parsing the content in the output parameter reply; the implementation method of the robot includes: the robot uses the CtrlInfo function, the 8th bit of the robot's return value represents the emergency stop status, the function will be executed cyclically in the status monitoring background task, and its 8-bit result will be assigned to the global variable IsEstopped; in the TCP message processing background task, when a request message about the Estop status is received, the value of IsEstopped will be immediately replied to the host computer; Among them, the GetCurrentPos method is used by the host computer to obtain the current position of the robot; and the implementation method of the host computer includes: calling the SendCommand method, the command content can be customized, such as "GetCurrentPos", and then parsing the content in the output parameter reply; the implementation method on the robot side includes: taking the X-axis coordinate as an example, executing FmtStr$(CX(RealPos), "00000.000") in the robot code can format the X-axis coordinate parameter into a format with 5 digits in the integer part and 3 digits in the decimal part; similarly, replacing CX with CY, CZ, CU, CV, CW can obtain the data of the Y, Z, U, V, and W axes respectively. In the TCP message processing background task, when a request message about the current position data is received, the coordinate data of the above axes can be immediately combined and replied to the host computer.

[0039] Among them, the GoABS method is used by the host computer to command the robot to perform PTP action and move to TargetPoint; The implementation method on the host computer side includes: first parsing the TargetPoint data into a specific format, then calling the SendCommand method, the command content can be customized, such as "Execute," GO XY (XXX, YYY, ZZZ, UUU, VVV, WWW) "", and then parsing the content in the output parameter reply; The implementation method on the robot side includes: in the TCP message processing background task, when a request message about executing a PTP action is received, the 63rd foreground program Main63 is started; in Main63, the action instruction GO XY(XXX,YYY,ZZZ,UUU,VVV,WWW) is executed, and errors that may occur during the execution process are captured; when the action is executed normally, the error code 0 is returned; when an error occurs in the middle of the action, the current error code is returned. Embodiment 2

[0040] Based on the first embodiment, Figure 1-Figure 4 As shown, the industrial robot is powered on, and the industrial robot starts the background main task, which starts the background task for TCP message processing and the background task for real-time monitoring of the robot status; establish a communication connection between the host computer and the industrial robot; the industrial robot starts the background main task, which has 4 tasks, namely the foreground main task No. 63, the background main task, the TCP message processing background task, and the status monitoring background task. The execution order is: the robot is powered on, the background main task is automatically started, and the background main task automatically starts the TCP message processing background task and the status monitoring background task. The TCP message processing background task starts the foreground task No. 63 when receiving the robot action execution instruction. Because the EPSON robot must be in the foreground task to perform actions. Embodiment 3

[0041] like Figure 1-Figure 4 As shown, a device for implementing the control method of an EPSON industrial robot includes: a memory; a processor; and a computer program; wherein the computer program is stored in the memory and is configured to be executed by the processor to implement the control method of the EPSON industrial robot. Embodiment 4

[0042] like Figure 1-Figure 4 As shown, a computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program / instruction for implementing the steps of the control method of the EPSON industrial robot.

[0043] Working principle: like Figure 1-Figure 4 As shown, a control method and device for EPSON industrial robots; the control method is resource-intensive, simple to configure, easy to expand, and flexible to work; no complex IO connection is required, which improves stability and reliability. The present invention uses TCP / IP messages for data acquisition and control. A real-time background task is written in the robot program to receive and respond to TCP messages. The host computer part uses C# language to develop the Nestar Robot API for processing communication with the robot, which can be called when the host computer system is developed. The low-cost method is convenient for the host computer system such as industrial PC and MES to collect the status data of the robot and control the action of the robot. The present invention also does not need to purchase expensive bus boards, and can have a higher data throughput than the bus boards. The method is widely used and can be used in industrial systems based on host computer control, so that the system can flexibly configure the robot's operations, and is flexible and efficient when adding new product formulas to the automation equipment, without modifying the robot program, thereby achieving standardization; it can also be used for factory systems such as MES for data acquisition, such as collecting real-time posture data of the robot, for model construction of digital twin systems, etc.

[0044] It can be understood that the various embodiments described in this specification can be implemented individually or in combination, and the embodiments of this specification are not limited to this.

[0045] Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used in the embodiments of this specification are the same as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art of the technical field of this specification. The terms used in this specification are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of this specification.

[0046] The term "and / or" used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items. The singular forms "a", "above", and "the" used in the embodiments of this specification and the appended claims are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates other meanings.

[0047] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this specification.

[0048] In the several embodiments provided in this specification, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device implementation described above is only schematic. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0049] Based on the ideal embodiment of the present invention, through the above description, relevant personnel can make various changes and modifications without departing from the technical concept of the present invention. The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the content in the specification, and the technical scope must be determined according to the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A control method for an EPSON industrial robot, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Step S1, when the industrial robot is powered on, the background main task is automatically started, and the background main task starts the background task for TCP message processing and the background task for real-time monitoring of the robot status; Step S2: Establish a communication connection between the host computer and the industrial robot Step S3, the host computer sends a command to the industrial robot and waits for its response; Step S4, the industrial robot performs a background task of TCP message processing, parses the message instructions of TCP message processing, and classifies the messages in the message instructions, the classifications including status acquisition instructions and action execution instructions; Step S5, when the message is an instruction to obtain the robot status, the data content in the background task of monitoring the status is encapsulated and replied to the host computer; when the message is an instruction of action execution, the foreground task is started to respond to the relevant action, and after the action is executed, the message is replied to the host computer.

2. The control method of the EPSON industrial robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The steps to establish a communication connection between the host computer and the industrial robot include: Determine whether the command content of the instruction sent by the host computer is empty; when the command content is empty, an error is reported, and the process of the host computer sending instructions to the industrial robot ends; When the command content is not empty, it is determined whether the host computer is connected to the robot; when connected to the robot, the command content is sent, and after waiting to receive the reply content, the process of the host computer sending instructions to the industrial robot ends; when not connected to the robot, the content of the receiving buffer is cleared, and the process of the host computer sending instructions to the industrial robot ends.

3. The control method of the EPSON industrial robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The workflow of the industrial robot includes the following steps: Preset at least one foreground task to execute the robot's actions; set the background main task to manage the robot's background tasks and ensure that necessary background tasks can be automatically executed after power-on; set at least 2 background tasks to process background TCP messages and monitor the robot's status.

4. The control method of the EPSON industrial robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The foreground task includes the following steps: The foreground task is started on demand by the TCP message processing background task. The background task extracts the remote code content from the action execution instruction and passes it to the foreground task. The foreground task parses the remote code content and then executes the action corresponding to the parsed remote code content, while determining whether an error occurs during the execution of the action. If an error occurs, an error code is returned and the foreground task ends. If no error occurs, the task completion instruction is returned after the action execution is completed, thus ending the foreground task.

5. The control method of the EPSON industrial robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: At least 2 background tasks, including the following steps; Send the background main task: The background main tasks include background task 1 and background task 2; Background task 1 is: start the TCP message processing background task, wait for TCP messages, and determine whether the TCP connection is disconnected; when TCP is disconnected, terminate all other tasks started by this task and jump to waiting for TCP messages; when TCP is connected, parse the message instructions and then determine whether to execute remote code. When remote code needs to be executed, start the foreground task and wait for the foreground task result. Then use the content of the foreground task result as the reply content and then jump to waiting for TCP messages; The second background task is to start the status monitoring background task and then refresh it regularly to obtain the real-time status of the robot.

6. The control method of the EPSON industrial robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The background task is implemented using the Nestar Robot API, which includes the EStop attribute and the GetCurrentPos and / or GoABS methods.

7. The control method of the EPSON industrial robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: The EStop property is used by the host computer to obtain the emergency stop status of the robot; and the implementation method of the host computer includes: calling the SendCommand method, the command content can be customized, such as "GetEStop", and then parsing the content in the output parameter reply; the implementation method of the robot includes: the robot uses the CtrlInfo function, the 8th bit of the robot's return value represents the emergency stop status, the function will be executed cyclically in the status monitoring background task, and its 8-bit result will be assigned to the global variable IsEstopped; in the TCP message processing background task, when a request message about the Estop status is received, the value of IsEstopped will be immediately replied to the host computer.

8. The control method of the EPSON industrial robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: The GetCurrentPos method is used by the host computer to obtain the current position of the robot; and the implementation method of the host computer includes: calling the SendCommand method, the command content can be customized, such as "GetCurrentPos", and then parsing the content in the output parameter reply; the implementation method on the robot side includes: taking the X-axis coordinate as an example, executing FmtStr$(CX(RealPos), "00000.000") in the robot code can format the X-axis coordinate parameter into a format with 5 digits in the integer part and 3 digits in the decimal part; similarly, replacing CX with CY, CZ, CU, CV, CW can obtain the data of the Y, Z, U, V, and W axes respectively. In the TCP message processing background task, when a request message about the current position data is received, the above axis coordinate data can be immediately combined and replied to the host computer.

9. The control method of the EPSON industrial robot according to claim 8, characterized in that: The GoABS method is used by the host computer to command the robot to perform a PTP action and move to the TargetPoint; The implementation method on the host computer side includes: first parsing the TargetPoint data into a specific format, then calling the SendCommand method, the command content can be customized, such as "Execute,"GO XY(XXX,YYY,ZZZ,UUU,VVV,WWW)"", and then parsing the content in the output parameter reply; The implementation method on the robot side includes: in the TCP message processing background task, when a request message about executing a PTP action is received, the 63rd foreground program Main63 is started; in Main63, the action instruction GO XY(XXX,YYY,ZZZ,UUU,VVV,WWW) is executed, and errors that may occur during the execution process are captured; when the action is executed normally, the error code 0 is returned; when an error occurs in the middle of the action, the current error code is returned.

10. A device for implementing a control method of an EPSON industrial robot, characterized in that: include: Memory; processor; as well as Computer programs; Wherein, the computer program is stored in the memory and is configured to be executed by the processor to implement the control method of the EPSON industrial robot according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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