A networked robot control system and control method

Abstract

This application discloses a networked robot control system and method. The networked robot control system includes a host computer, a bus, and multiple individual drive control units. Each individual drive control unit is connected to a corresponding soft robot via a bus, which is connected to the host computer. Each individual drive control unit includes a communication master station, a first communication slave station, a second communication slave station, and a multi-channel mixing valve. The first and second communication slave stations are connected to the communication master station, and the second communication slave station is connected to the multi-channel mixing valve. The first and second communication slave stations are of different types. This application can output precise air pressure and perform synchronized drive, thereby improving efficiency, reducing costs, and enhancing real-time control and sensing of the soft robot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of robot control technology, and in particular to a networked robot control system and control method. Background Technology

[0002] As the functional structures of pneumatic soft robots become increasingly complex, higher-performance pneumatic control systems are required. Previous pneumatic control systems suffered from drawbacks such as limited channels, insufficient precision, and low data transmission efficiency, making it difficult to control complex soft robots.

[0003] Therefore, existing technologies still need to be improved and developed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main objective of this application is to provide a networked robot control system and control method, which aims to solve the problem of difficulty in controlling complex soft robots due to the limited control channels in the prior art.

[0005] A first aspect of this application provides a networked robot control system, comprising a host computer, a bus, and multiple individual drive and control units. Each individual drive and control unit is connected to a corresponding multiple soft robots via a bus, which is connected to the host computer. Each individual drive and control unit includes a communication master station, a first communication slave station, a second communication slave station, and a multi-channel mixing valve. The first and second communication slave stations are respectively connected to the communication master station, and the second communication slave station is connected to the multi-channel mixing valve. In each individual drive and control unit, the first communication slave station acquires sensor information and sends it to the host computer via the communication master station. The host computer obtains control information based on the sensor information and sends the control information to the second communication slave station via the communication master station, so that the second communication slave station controls the multi-channel mixing valve according to the control information.

[0006] Optionally, in one embodiment of this application, the single-unit drive control unit further includes a barometric pressure sensor connected to the first communication slave station. The barometric pressure sensor collects analog signals of the environment and sends them to the first communication slave station so that the first communication slave station obtains sensing information based on the analog signals.

[0007] Optionally, in one embodiment of this application, the single-unit drive control unit further includes an air source connected to the multi-channel mixing valve, which receives the control information to adjust the air pressure according to the control information.

[0008] Optionally, in one embodiment of this application, the second communication slave station includes a digital-to-analog converter slave station and a digital quantity converter slave station, the multi-channel mixing valve includes a proportional valve and a solenoid valve, the digital-to-analog converter slave station is connected to the proportional valve, and the digital quantity converter slave station is connected to the solenoid valve.

[0009] Optionally, in one embodiment of this application, the communication master station includes a slave chip, a master control chip, a first driver chip, a second driver chip, and a plurality of physical layer chips. The slave chip is connected to the master control chip, and the master control chip is connected to the first driver chip and the second driver chip respectively. The first driver chip is connected to a portion of the physical layer chips, and the second driver chip is connected to another portion of the physical layer chips.

[0010] Optionally, in one embodiment of this application, the first communication slave station includes a first physical layer chip, a first microcontroller unit, an analog-to-digital converter chip, and a first integrated operational amplifier circuit. The first microcontroller unit is communicatively connected to the analog-to-digital converter chip, the first microcontroller unit is communicatively connected to the first physical layer chip, and the first integrated operational amplifier circuit is connected to the analog-to-digital converter chip.

[0011] The digital-to-analog converter slave includes a second physical layer chip, a second microcontroller unit, a digital-to-analog converter chip, and a second integrated operational amplifier circuit. The second physical layer chip is communicatively connected to the second microcontroller unit, the second microcontroller unit is communicatively connected to the digital-to-analog converter chip, and the second integrated operational amplifier circuit is connected to the digital-to-analog converter chip. The digital type slave includes a third physical layer chip, a third microcontroller unit, and an optocoupler isolation amplifier circuit. The third physical layer chip is communicatively connected to the third microcontroller unit, and the optocoupler isolation amplifier circuit is connected to the third microcontroller unit. The first physical layer chip is connected to a corresponding portion of the connected physical layer chips, and the second physical layer chip and the third physical layer chip are respectively connected to another corresponding portion of the connected physical layer chips.

[0012] A second aspect of this application also provides a control method for a networked robot control system based on any one of the above-described solutions, wherein the control method includes: a first communication slave station in each of the individual drive control units acquires sensor information and sends it to a host computer through a communication master station; the host computer obtains control information corresponding to each of the individual drive control units based on the multiple sensor information corresponding to the multiple individual drive control units, and sends the control information to the second communication slave station corresponding to each of the individual drive control units through the communication master station corresponding to each of the multiple individual drive control units; the second communication slave station corresponding to each of the individual drive control units controls the multi-channel mixing valve according to the control information.

[0013] Optionally, in one embodiment of this application, the sensing information is the current air pressure value; the first communication slave station in each of the individual drive and control units acquires the sensing information, specifically including: the air pressure sensor collects the analog signal of the environment and sends it to the first communication slave station; the first communication slave station obtains the current air pressure value based on the analog signal.

[0014] Optionally, in one embodiment of this application, the control information includes analog control values ​​and pulse waveform control values; the host computer sends the control information to the second communication slave station corresponding to each of the multiple individual drive control units through the communication master station corresponding to each of the individual drive control units, specifically: for each individual drive control unit, the host computer sends the analog control value to the digital-to-analog converter slave station through the communication master station, and the host computer sends the pulse waveform control value to the digital slave station through the communication master station.

[0015] Optionally, in one embodiment of this application, the second communication slave station controls the multi-channel mixing valve according to the control information, specifically including: the analog-to-digital conversion slave station converts the analog control value into a target analog signal and sends it to the proportional valve, the proportional valve adjusting the air pressure according to the target analog signal; the digital slave station converts the pulse waveform control value into a pulse signal and sends it to the solenoid valve, the solenoid valve adjusting the air pressure according to the target pulse waveform.

[0016] Beneficial effects: This application provides a networked robot control system and control method. The system connects multiple individual drive and control units to multiple soft robots in a complex robot in a one-to-one correspondence. With the high bandwidth and low latency of the EtherCAT bus, the system can output precise air pressure and perform synchronous drive by controlling each individual drive and control unit, thereby improving efficiency, reducing costs, and enhancing real-time control and sensing of the soft robot. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall framework of a preferred embodiment of the networked robot control system of this application;

[0019] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a single drive and control unit in a preferred embodiment of the networked robot control system of this application;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the hardware design of the communication master station connected to the communication slave station in a preferred embodiment of the networked robot control system of this application.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a preferred embodiment of the networked robot control system of this application;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the specific steps of a preferred embodiment of the networked robot control system of this application.

[0023] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0024] 100. Host computer; 200. Bus; 300. Individual drive and control unit; 400. Soft robot; 301. Communication master station; 302. First communication slave station; 303. Digital-to-analog conversion slave station; 304. Digital quantity slave station; 305. Air source; 306. Air pressure sensor; 307. Multi-channel mixing valve.

[0025] The accompanying drawings illustrate specific embodiments of this application, which will be described in more detail below. These drawings and descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the concept in any way, but rather to illustrate the concept of this application to those skilled in the art through reference to particular embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and effects of this application clearer and more explicit, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The described embodiments are only possible technical implementations of this application and not all possible implementations. Based on the embodiments in this application, those skilled in the art can obtain other embodiments without creative effort, and these embodiments are also within the protection scope of this application.

[0027] In related technologies, previous pneumatic soft robot control systems have the following main drawbacks: Limited channels: Traditional pneumatic control systems often only provide a limited number of air pressure control channels, which limits the number of actions the soft robot can perform simultaneously; Insufficient precision: Due to hardware and control algorithm limitations, traditional systems often struggle to achieve high-precision air pressure control, posing a significant challenge for soft robots requiring delicate manipulation; Low data transmission efficiency: Traditional communication protocols and interfaces may not provide sufficient data transmission rates, resulting in slow control system response and an inability to accurately reflect the soft robot's state in real time; Difficulty in expansion and maintenance: Traditional systems have low modularity, making expansion and maintenance difficult and hindering system upgrades and repairs.

[0028] The following is a description of the terms used in the embodiments of this application:

[0029] EtherCAT, short for Ethernet for Control Automation Technology;

[0030] IO-Link, short for Open Standard for Industrial Communication;

[0031] PC, short for Personal Computer (often used to refer to the host computer in a control system);

[0032] PLC stands for Programmable Logic Controller.

[0033] ADC stands for Analog-to-Digital Converter.

[0034] DAC stands for Digital-to-Analog Converter.

[0035] MCU, short for Microcontroller Unit;

[0036] SPI stands for Serial Peripheral Interface.

[0037] PWM stands for Pulse Width Modulation.

[0038] GPIO stands for General-Purpose Input / Output.

[0039] AX58100 indicates the model number of the EtherCAT slave chip;

[0040] STM32L431 stands for microcontroller;

[0041] L6364 indicates the IO-Link physical layer chip;

[0042] STM32G071 microcontroller;

[0043] ADC128S052 indicates an analog-to-digital converter chip;

[0044] TLV5608IDW indicates a digital-to-analog converter chip.

[0045] The networked robot control system and control method of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Addressing the problem of limited control channels for complex soft robots in the aforementioned related technologies, leading to control difficulties, this application provides a networked robot control system. In this system, multiple individual drive control units are connected one-to-one with multiple soft robots within a complex robot. Leveraging the high bandwidth and low latency of the EtherCAT bus, precise air pressure output and synchronized drive can be achieved through control of each individual drive control unit. This improves efficiency, reduces costs, and enhances real-time control and sensing of the soft robots. Thus, the technical problem of limited control channels for complex soft robots in the related technologies is solved.

[0046] The networked robot control system based on the EtherCAT / IO-Link topology in this application is based on industrial communication protocols for module expansion and cascading, enabling rapid and accurate air pressure control and sensing.

[0047] The technical solutions of this application will be described in detail below with specific embodiments. The following specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be described again in some embodiments.

[0048] like Figure 1As shown in the figure, this application provides a networked robot control system, wherein the networked robot control system includes a host computer 100, a bus 200, and multiple individual drive control units 300. The multiple individual drive control units 300 are connected one-to-one with multiple soft robots 400, and the multiple individual drive control units 300 are connected via the bus 200, which is connected to the host computer 100. Each individual drive control unit 300 includes a communication master station 301, a first communication slave station 302, a second communication slave station, and a multi-channel mixing valve 307. The first communication slave station 302 and the second communication slave station... Each communication slave station is connected to the communication master station 301, and the second communication slave station is connected to the multi-channel mixing valve 307. The first communication slave station 302 and the second communication slave station are of different types. In each of the individual drive and control units 300, the first communication slave station 302 acquires sensor information and sends it to the host computer 100 through the communication master station 301. The host computer 100 obtains control information based on the sensor information and sends the control information to the second communication slave station through the communication master station 301, so that the second communication slave station controls the multi-channel mixing valve 307 according to the control information.

[0049] Specifically, such as Figure 1 As shown, each soft robot 400 is connected to a single drive and control unit 300, i.e., a pneumatic control system, for realizing air pressure output and sensing functions. Figure 1 One to n individual drive and control units 300 correspond to one to n soft robots 400. The pneumatic control system is cascaded via EtherCAT bus 200 and communicates with the master station (PC / PLC).

[0050] In the hierarchical structure of this application, the bottom layer consists of the soft robot 400 and the connected single-unit drive and control unit 300; the middle layer consists of the IO-Link master station and various IO-Link slave stations inside the single-unit drive and control unit 300; the top layer is the master station (i.e., the host computer 100PC / PLC), which is responsible for overall control and data processing.

[0051] In one embodiment of this application, the single-unit drive control unit 300 further includes a barometric pressure sensor 306, which is connected to the first communication slave station 302 (i.e., ADC type IO-Link slave station). The barometric pressure sensor 306 collects analog signals of the environment and sends them to the first communication slave station 302 so that the first communication slave station 302 obtains sensing information based on the analog signals.

[0052] It is understandable that the barometric pressure sensor collects the air pressure information of the environment and then generates an analog signal based on the air pressure information.

[0053] Specifically, such as Figure 2 As shown, the internal structure of the single drive control unit 300 is as follows: Figure 2 As shown, it includes an IO-Link master station, various types of IO-Link slave stations, a pressure sensor 306, a multi-channel mixing valve 307 (including a solenoid valve and a proportional valve), and a gas source 305. The ADC-type IO-Link slave station acquires the current pressure value by collecting the analog signal from the pressure sensor 306 and uploads it to the IO-Link master station.

[0054] In one embodiment of this application, the second communication slave station includes a digital-to-analog converter slave station 303 (i.e., a DAC type IO-Link slave station) and a digital quantity type slave station 304 (i.e., a digital quantity type IO-Link slave station). The multi-channel mixing valve 307 includes a proportional valve and a solenoid valve. The digital-to-analog converter slave station 303 is connected to the proportional valve, and the digital quantity type slave station 304 is connected to the solenoid valve.

[0055] Specifically, such as Figure 2 As shown, the IO-Link master station sends the corresponding control commands to the DAC-type IO-Link slave station to output analog signals to drive the proportional valve, and sends the control commands to the digital IO-Link slave station to output PWM waveforms to drive the solenoid valve.

[0056] In one embodiment of this application, the single-unit drive control unit 300 further includes an air source 305, which is connected to the multi-channel mixing valve 307. The multi-channel mixing valve 307 receives the control information so that it adjusts the air pressure according to the control information.

[0057] It is understandable that the air pressure input to the multi-channel mixing valve is fixed. After the control information is sent to the multi-channel mixing valve, the multi-channel mixing valve adjusts its own air pressure output according to the control information.

[0058] Specifically, the gas source 305 includes a high-pressure gas source 305 and a negative-pressure gas source 305, used to provide the gas source for the individual drive and control unit 300. It can be understood that the gas source 305 (including the high-pressure gas source 305 and the negative-pressure gas source 305) is the gas source for the individual drive and control unit 300, and in this embodiment, the output of the gas source 305 is fixed. Specifically, the control commands issued by the IO-Link master station are converted into control signals for the proportional valve and solenoid valve through the DAC type and digital IO-Link slave station. These control signals adjust the air pressure output of the multi-channel mixing valve 307, thereby achieving precise control of parameters such as gas flow rate and pressure.

[0059] The networked robot control system of this application embodiment can output precise air pressure and collect pressure information. Furthermore, communication based on IO-Link technology allows the IO-Link master station to monitor the working status of the slave stations. If a communication error occurs, the user can be notified promptly for maintenance or replacement of the slave station. Thanks to IO-Link's hot-swapping capability, this operation can be completed during power-on. Additionally, thanks to the high bandwidth and low latency of the EtherCAT bus 200, individual drive control units 300 can quickly interact with the host computer 100, and multiple individual drive control units 300 can also perform synchronous driving. Finally, the control system uses industrial communication protocols and interfaces, providing strong anti-interference capabilities and enabling long-term operation in harsh environments.

[0060] In one embodiment of this application, the communication master station 301 (IO-Link master station) includes a slave chip, a master control chip, a first driver chip, a second driver chip, and a plurality of connection physical layer chips. The slave chip is connected to the master control chip, and the master control chip is connected to the first driver chip and the second driver chip respectively. The first driver chip is connected to a portion of the connection physical layer chips respectively, and the second driver chip is connected to another portion of the connection physical layer chips respectively.

[0061] In other words, the master station comes with 4+4 physical layer chips, of which 4 are used as part of the physical layer chip connection and the other 4 are used as part of the physical layer chip connection. These physical layer chips are connected to the physical layer chips of the slave station.

[0062] Specifically, such as Figure 3 As shown, the IO-Link master station includes one EtherCAT slave chip (AX58100) and three STM32L431 MCUs. Two of these MCUs are used to drive the IO-Link physical layer chip, and one serves as the core unit, integrating the EtherCAT and IO-Link protocol stack code. The master station contains eight IO-Link ports, capable of connecting four sensor-type slave modules and four driver-type slave modules.

[0063] In one embodiment of this application, the first communication slave station 302 includes a first physical layer chip, a first microcontroller unit, an analog-to-digital converter chip, and a first integrated operational amplifier circuit. The first microcontroller unit is communicatively connected to the analog-to-digital converter chip, the first microcontroller unit is communicatively connected to the first physical layer chip, and the first integrated operational amplifier circuit is connected to the analog-to-digital converter chip. The digital-to-analog converter slave station 303 includes a second physical layer chip, a second microcontroller unit, a digital-to-analog converter chip, and a second integrated operational amplifier circuit. The second physical layer chip is communicatively connected to the second microcontroller unit, the second microcontroller unit is communicatively connected to the digital-to-analog converter chip, and the second integrated operational amplifier circuit is connected to the digital-to-analog converter chip. The digital signal type slave station 304 includes a third physical layer chip, a third microcontroller unit, and an optocoupler isolation amplifier circuit. The third physical layer chip is communicatively connected to the third microcontroller unit, and the optocoupler isolation amplifier circuit is connected to the third microcontroller unit. The first physical layer chip is connected to a corresponding portion of the connection physical layer chips, and the second physical layer chip and the third physical layer chip are respectively connected to another corresponding portion of the connection physical layer chips.

[0064] That is, the first physical layer chip is connected to the physical layer chip (4 connected physical layer chips) corresponding to the first driver chip, and the second and third physical layer chips are respectively connected to the physical layer chip (another 4 connected physical layer chips) corresponding to the second driver chip.

[0065] Specifically, such as Figure 3 As shown, the IO-Link slave includes a first communication slave 302 and a second communication slave (DAC-type IO-Link slave and digital IO-Link slave). The IO-Link slave includes an IO-Link physical layer chip (L6364) and an MCU (STM32G071). In addition, ADC, DAC and other chips are added for different types of slaves.

[0066] Furthermore, an ADC-type slave station is used to acquire information from the barometric pressure sensor 306. The MCU communicates with the ADC chip (ADC128S052) via the SPI1 interface, acquiring external 8-channel analog signal input and quantizing it into digital values ​​between 0 and 255. Further, the MCU sends the data to the IO-Link slave physical layer chip via the SPI2 interface, and the physical layer chip then uploads it to the IO-Link master station.

[0067] Furthermore, the DAC-type slave station is used to drive the proportional valve. The IO-Link slave physical layer chip communicates with the MCU via SPI1 to receive control information from the IO-Link master station. The MCU then sends the data to the DAC chip (TLV5608IDW) via SPI2 for outputting 8 channels of analog signals.

[0068] Furthermore, the digital slave station 304 is used to drive the solenoid valve. The IO-Link slave physical layer chip communicates with the MCU via SPI1 to receive control information from the IO-Link master station. The MCU controls the GPIO port to output a PWM signal with the corresponding duty cycle, which is further amplified by an isolation amplifier circuit to drive the solenoid valve.

[0069] The hardware design of the IO-Link master and slave stations in this application ensures the scalability and flexibility of the system. The master station communicates with the upper-level control system via EtherCAT bus 200, while the slave station communicates with the master station via the IO-Link protocol. The communication between the master and slave stations using the IO-Link protocol guarantees data reliability and real-time performance. The master station performs high-speed, low-latency data interaction with the PC / PLC via EtherCAT bus 200.

[0070] Based on the above embodiments, this application also provides a control method for a networked robot control system based on any of the above solutions.

[0071] like Figure 4 As shown, the control method of the networked robot control system includes:

[0072] In step S101, the first communication slave station in each of the individual drive and control units acquires sensor information and sends it to the host computer through the communication master station;

[0073] In one possible implementation, the sensing information is the current air pressure value. The air pressure sensor acquires an analog signal from the environment and sends it to the first communication slave station; the first communication slave station obtains the current air pressure value based on the analog signal.

[0074] In step S102, the host computer obtains control information corresponding to each of the multiple individual drive control units based on the multiple sensor information corresponding to the multiple individual drive control units, and sends the control information to the second communication slave station corresponding to each of the multiple individual drive control units through the communication master station corresponding to each individual drive control unit.

[0075] In one possible implementation, the control information includes analog control values ​​and pulse waveform control values. For each individual drive and control unit, the host computer sends the analog control values ​​to the analog-to-digital converter slave station via the communication master station, and the host computer sends the pulse waveform control values ​​to the digital slave station via the communication master station.

[0076] In step S103, the second communication slave station corresponding to each of the individual drive control units controls the multi-channel mixing valve according to the control information.

[0077] In one possible implementation, the analog-to-digital converter slave station converts the analog control value into a target analog signal and sends it to a proportional valve, which adjusts the air pressure according to the target analog signal; the digital slave station converts the pulse waveform control value into a pulse signal and sends it to a solenoid valve, which adjusts the air pressure according to the target pulse waveform.

[0078] Specifically, the analog-to-digital converter slave station receives analog control values ​​and outputs analog signals. The proportional valve receives the analog signal and then adjusts the air pressure according to the analog signal. The digital slave station receives pulse waveform control values ​​and outputs the corresponding pulse waveform through GPIO (General-Purpose Input / Output) to the solenoid valve, which then adjusts the air pressure.

[0079] In the embodiments of this application, such as Figure 5 As shown, in step S10, the ADC-type IO-Link slave station first collects the output of the pressure sensor and summarizes the information to the IO-Link master station via IO-Link; in step S20, the master station uploads the information to the PC host computer via EtherCAT communication; in step S30, after the host computer processes the feedback information, it sends it down to the IO-Link master station of the individual drive and control unit via the EtherCAT bus; in step S40, it further sends it down to the slave station for valve control.

[0080] The specific implementation of this application will be described below with reference to a specific application scenario.

[0081] Step K10: System initialization and configuration.

[0082] Step K11, System Startup: The master station (PC / PLC) starts up and loads the control program; the IO-Link master and slave stations in the individual drive and control units start up and initialize respectively;

[0083] Step K12, Configuration and Connection: The master station scans and identifies each connected individual drive and control unit through the EtherCAT bus; the IO-Link master station in each individual drive and control unit identifies and configures the connected ADC, DAC and digital IO-Link slave stations through the IO-Link interface.

[0084] Step K20: Barometric pressure information collection and transmission.

[0085] Step K21, Barometric Pressure Acquisition: The ADC-type IO-Link slave station communicates with the ADC chip through its MCU to acquire the analog signal from the barometric pressure sensor and quantize it into a digital value between 0 and 255.

[0086] Step K22, Data Upload: The ADC-type IO-Link slave station uploads the collected air pressure data to the IO-Link master station through its physical layer chip;

[0087] Step K23, Data aggregation and upload to the master station: The IO-Link master station receives air pressure data from each ADC-type slave station and aggregates it; the IO-Link master station uploads the aggregated air pressure data to the master station (PC / PLC) via the EtherCAT bus.

[0088] Step K30: Issuance and execution of control commands.

[0089] Step K31, Control Command Generation: The master station (PC / PLC) generates corresponding control commands based on the received air pressure data and other control requirements;

[0090] Step K32: Control commands are sent to the individual drive and control unit: The master station sends control commands to the IO-Link master station of the target individual drive and control unit via the EtherCAT bus;

[0091] Step K33: Control commands are distributed to slave stations: The IO-Link master station distributes the control commands to the corresponding DAC type or digital IO-Link slave station according to the type of the control command;

[0092] Step K34: Execute control command: After receiving the control command, the DAC slave station communicates with the DAC chip through its MCU and outputs the corresponding analog signal to drive the proportional valve.

[0093] After receiving control commands, the digital slave station outputs a PWM signal with the corresponding duty cycle through its MCU-controlled GPIO port, which then drives the solenoid valve through an isolation amplifier circuit.

[0094] Step K40: System monitoring and fault handling.

[0095] Step K41, Slave Status Monitoring: The IO-Link master station monitors the working status of each slave station in real time through the IO-Link interface, including communication status, data integrity, etc.

[0096] Step K42, Fault Detection and Notification: Once a slave station fault or communication error is detected, the IO-Link master station immediately notifies the master station (PC / PLC) and may trigger an alarm;

[0097] Step K43, Fault Handling: The master station (PC / PLC) instructs the user to perform maintenance or replace the slave station according to the fault type. Since IO-Link supports hot-swapping, these operations can be completed during system power-on without stopping the machine.

[0098] Step K50: Data interaction and synchronization.

[0099] Step K51, Data Interaction: The individual drive and control unit communicates with the master station quickly and with low latency via the EtherCAT bus to ensure real-time performance;

[0100] Step K52, Synchronous Drive: Multiple individual drive and control units can achieve synchronous drive under the coordination of the master station, ensuring the overall coordination and performance of the soft robot;

[0101] Step K60: System anti-interference and long-term operation.

[0102] Step K61, Anti-interference capability: Because the control system adopts industrial communication protocols and interfaces, it has strong anti-interference capability and can operate stably for a long time in harsh environments;

[0103] Step K62, Long-term operation monitoring: The main station (PC / PLC) can continuously monitor the system status and record operating data, providing a basis for system maintenance and optimization.

[0104] The embodiments of this application ensure the efficient, accurate and reliable operation of the pneumatic soft robot control system.

[0105] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between them; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication between two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0106] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0107] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0108] It should be noted that, in this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0109] The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” etc. (if present) in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a particular order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of the application described herein can be implemented, for example, in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms “comprising” and “having,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0110] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this disclosure. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0111] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A networked robot control system, characterized in that, The networked robot control system includes a host computer, a bus, and multiple individual drive and control units. Each of the multiple individual drive and control units is connected to a corresponding multiple soft robot. The multiple individual drive and control units are connected through the bus, and the bus is connected to the host computer. Each of the aforementioned individual drive and control units includes a communication master station, a first communication slave station, a second communication slave station, and a multi-channel mixing valve. The first communication slave station and the second communication slave station are respectively connected to the communication master station, and the second communication slave station is connected to the multi-channel mixing valve. In each of the aforementioned individual drive and control units, the first communication slave station acquires sensor information and sends it to the host computer through the communication master station. The host computer obtains control information based on the sensor information and sends the control information to the second communication slave station through the communication master station, so that the second communication slave station controls the multi-channel mixing valve according to the control information. The second communication slave station includes a digital-to-analog converter slave station and a digital quantity converter slave station. The multi-channel mixing valve includes a proportional valve and a solenoid valve. The digital-to-analog converter slave station is connected to the proportional valve, and the digital quantity converter slave station is connected to the solenoid valve. The communication master station is an IO-Link master station, which includes a slave chip, a master control chip, a first driver chip, a second driver chip, and multiple physical layer chips. The slave chip is connected to the master control chip, and the master control chip is connected to the first driver chip and the second driver chip respectively. The first driver chip is connected to a portion of the physical layer chips, and the second driver chip is connected to another portion of the physical layer chips. The first communication slave station is an ADC-type IO-Link slave station. The first communication slave station includes a first physical layer chip, a first microcontroller unit, an analog-to-digital converter chip, and a first integrated operational amplifier circuit. The first microcontroller unit is communicatively connected to the analog-to-digital converter chip, the first microcontroller unit is communicatively connected to the first physical layer chip, and the first integrated operational amplifier circuit is connected to the analog-to-digital converter chip. The digital-to-analog converter slave station is a DAC-type IO-Link slave station. The digital-to-analog converter slave station includes a second physical layer chip, a second microcontroller unit, a digital-to-analog converter chip, and a second integrated operational amplifier circuit. The second physical layer chip is communicatively connected to the second microcontroller unit, the second microcontroller unit is communicatively connected to the digital-to-analog converter chip, and the second integrated operational amplifier circuit is connected to the digital-to-analog converter chip. The digital slave station is a digital I / O-Link slave station, which includes a third physical layer chip, a third microcontroller unit, and an optocoupler isolation amplifier circuit. The third physical layer chip is communicatively connected to the third microcontroller unit, and the optocoupler isolation amplifier circuit is connected to the third microcontroller unit. The first physical layer chip is connected to a corresponding portion of the connection physical layer chip, and the second physical layer chip and the third physical layer chip are respectively connected to another corresponding portion of the connection physical layer chip.

2. The networked robot control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The single-unit drive control unit also includes a barometric pressure sensor, which is connected to the first communication slave station. The barometric pressure sensor collects analog signals of the environment and sends them to the first communication slave station so that the first communication slave station can obtain sensing information based on the analog signals.

3. The networked robot control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The single-unit drive control unit also includes an air source, which is connected to the multi-channel mixing valve. The multi-channel mixing valve receives the control information so that it can adjust the air pressure according to the control information.

4. A control method based on the networked robot control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The control method includes: The first communication slave station in each of the individual drive and control units acquires sensor information and sends it to the host computer through the communication master station; The host computer obtains control information corresponding to each of the multiple individual drive and control units based on the multiple sensor information corresponding to the multiple individual drive and control units, and sends the control information to the second communication slave station corresponding to each of the multiple individual drive and control units through the communication master station corresponding to each individual drive and control unit. The second communication slave station corresponding to each of the individual drive and control units controls the multi-channel mixing valve according to the control information.

5. The control method for the networked robot control system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The sensing information is the current air pressure value; The acquisition of sensor information by the first communication slave station in each of the aforementioned individual drive and control units specifically includes: The barometric pressure sensor collects analog signals from the environment and sends them to the first communication slave station; The first communication slave station obtains the current air pressure value based on the analog signal.

6. The control method for the networked robot control system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The control information includes analog control values ​​and pulse waveform control values; The host computer sends the control information to the second communication slave station corresponding to each of the multiple individual drive and control units through the communication master station corresponding to each individual drive and control unit, specifically: In each of the aforementioned individual drive and control units, the host computer sends the analog control value to the digital-to-analog converter slave station through the communication master station, and the host computer sends the pulse waveform control value to the digital slave station through the communication master station.

7. The control method for the networked robot control system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The second communication slave station controls the multi-channel mixing valve according to the control information, specifically including: The digital-to-analog converter transforms the analog control value into a target analog signal and sends it to the proportional valve, which then adjusts the air pressure according to the target analog signal. The digital slave station converts the pulse waveform control value into a pulse signal and sends it to the solenoid valve, which then regulates the air pressure according to the pulse signal.

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