Driving and control all-in-one machine for industrial internet of things and method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a driving and control all-in-one machine for an industrial internet of things and a method thereof, and relates to the technical field of industrial internet of things control. The driving and control all-in-one machine comprises a central control unit, a signal isolation module, an intelligent power output unit and an external load interface, and the intelligent power output unit comprises a power electronic switch and a current sensing unit. The driving and control all-in-one machine completes conversion from passive protection to active intelligent protection by realizing closed loop of control and feedback, can perform real-time state monitoring and fault diagnosis on a load, remarkably simplifies a circuit structure, and improves system reliability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of industrial automation control, and more specifically, to a drive and control integrated machine and method thereof for industrial Internet of Things. Background Technology

[0002] Against the backdrop of industrial automation moving towards Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), production equipment faces increasingly stringent requirements for intelligence, integration, miniaturization, and high reliability. In traditional industrial control systems, logic control functions are typically handled by independent units such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs), while power drives for external loads such as motors, solenoid valves, and relays are handled by separate drivers or relay boards. This separation of control and drive architecture not only results in bulky electrical cabinets, complex internal wiring, and increased potential failure points, but also brings numerous inconveniences to system debugging and subsequent maintenance, making it difficult to meet the demands of modern industrial equipment for compact design and rapid deployment. To simplify system structure, optimize product space, and improve overall efficiency, drive-control integrated machines (DCIs) that integrate control logic and power drive functions have emerged and are widely used in automation fields such as injection molding machine robots, CNC machining centers, and stamping equipment.

[0003] Research on existing integrated drive and control technology revealed that current integrated drive and control systems generally employ a relatively traditional and basic circuit architecture in their output port design. For example... Figure 1 As shown, a typical implementation involves a control signal from a central control unit (such as a microcontroller (MCU)) that, after electrical isolation via an optocoupler, drives a field-effect transistor (FET) or similar transistor as a power switch to control the flow to and from the external load. To protect the circuit and load, this architecture typically includes a discrete passive protection element, such as a resettable fuse (PTC), connected in series in the output circuit. However, this approach has significant inherent limitations.

[0004] First, its protection mechanism is purely passive. The self-resetting fuse only responds to severe overcurrent events by melting or increasing resistance based on its fixed physical threshold. It cannot be flexibly configured according to actual working conditions, nor can it provide early warning of abnormal conditions.

[0005] Secondly, the architecture lacks critical status feedback capabilities. The central control unit is in a blind control state of the output port's operating status and cannot know the actual operating current of the load in real time. This means that when the load has wiring errors, is gradually aging, or has an initial short circuit, resulting in abnormal current but not yet reaching the fuse blowing threshold, the system cannot detect it. This may damage external equipment or cause long-term damage to the controller itself.

[0006] Finally, this discrete design consisting of "switching transistors + passive protection devices" not only increases the complexity of circuit design and the number of components, which goes against the trend of product miniaturization, but more importantly, it cannot provide intelligent diagnostics and closed-loop active protection capabilities, which runs counter to the core concepts of data acquisition, condition monitoring and predictive maintenance emphasized by the Industrial Internet of Things. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To overcome the limitations of existing technologies, according to one aspect of this application, a drive and control integrated machine for industrial Internet of Things is provided, characterized in that it includes:

[0008] Central control unit;

[0009] Signal isolation module;

[0010] The intelligent power output unit includes a power electronic switch and a current sensing unit;

[0011] External load interface;

[0012] The central control unit is connected to the input terminal of the signal isolation module via an internal bus and receives feedback signals from the current sensing unit of the intelligent power output unit.

[0013] The signal isolation module is located between the central control unit and the intelligent power output unit, and is used to achieve electrical isolation between the low-voltage signal on the control side and the high-voltage circuit on the drive side.

[0014] The external load interface is used to connect to an external load.

[0015] According to another aspect of this application, a method for an integrated drive and control unit for industrial Internet of Things is also provided, characterized by comprising the steps of:

[0016] The central control unit parses the received external command data packets to obtain port control signals;

[0017] The central control unit inputs the port control signal to the signal isolation module and the power electronic switch to obtain the driven power flow;

[0018] The current sensing unit collects operating status data of the driven power flow to obtain the current quantity;

[0019] The electrical sensing unit feeds back the current quantity to the central control unit;

[0020] The central control unit performs closed-loop active protection based on the current quantity to obtain a fault log.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the drive and control integrated machine and method for industrial Internet of Things provided in this application overcome the technical defects of existing dual-axis synchronous control schemes, such as high hardware cost, structural redundancy, complex wiring, and insufficient synchronization accuracy and dynamic response due to long communication links.

[0022] To address the shortcomings of existing integrated drive and control units, which employ a discrete "switching transistor + passive protection device" architecture at their output ports, including rigid protection mechanisms, lack of status feedback capabilities, circuit redundancy, and inability to integrate into the industrial IoT smart ecosystem, this application provides an integrated drive and control unit and its method for industrial IoT. The core technical concept lies in constructing an integrated, closed-loop active protection system with real-time data feedback capabilities, thereby resolving the specific problems existing in the background technology.

[0023] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the technical solution proposed in this application fundamentally reshapes the architecture and operating logic of the controller output port. It no longer relies on passive fuses lacking communication capabilities, but instead introduces an intelligent power output unit integrating a power electronic switch and a current sensing unit. Under this concept, the central control unit, while issuing drive commands, can capture precise current data flowing through the external load in real time and quantitatively via the current sensing unit. This real-time current quantity is transmitted back to the central control unit as a key feedback signal, transforming it from a blind controller into an intelligent decision-maker capable of understanding the actual operating state of the load. Based on this real-time feedback data, the central control unit can intelligently analyze and judge against user-preset or dynamically adjusted protection parameters. Once an abnormal current is detected—even if this abnormality has not reached a destructive level sufficient to trigger a traditional fuse—the central control unit can proactively and rapidly take intervention measures according to a predetermined strategy, such as immediately cutting off the output or recording a fault log and issuing an alarm.

[0024] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial technical effects brought about by this application are significant and multifaceted.

[0025] First, by introducing current feedback and closed-loop control, this solution achieves a qualitative leap from passive fuse protection to active intelligent protection. It can not only respond to faults such as overcurrent and short circuits much faster and more accurately than fuses, but also flexibly set protection thresholds through software to adapt to different loads, greatly improving the safety and reliability of the system and external equipment.

[0026] Secondly, by acquiring and analyzing the real-time current data of the load, the integrated drive and control unit according to this application has advanced diagnostic capabilities, which can provide key equipment status information for industrial IoT systems and provide a solid data foundation for predictive maintenance, fault source tracing and energy efficiency management.

[0027] Finally, the original field-effect transistors and resettable fuses were replaced with power electronic switches that integrate multiple protection functions, which significantly simplified the circuit design, reduced the number of components and wiring complexity on the PCB board, thereby optimizing product space, promoting the miniaturization and integration of drive and control integrated machines, and reducing production and material costs. Attached Figure Description

[0028] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of this application will become more apparent from the more detailed description of the embodiments of this application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings are provided to further illustrate the embodiments of this application and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of this application to explain this application and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings, the same reference numerals generally represent the same components or steps.

[0029] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of an existing integrated drive unit.

[0030] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of the integrated drive and control unit according to an embodiment of this application.

[0031] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional perspective view of the integrated driver according to an embodiment of this application.

[0032] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a method for driving an all-in-one machine according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0033] Embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While some embodiments of this disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of this disclosure. It should be understood that the accompanying drawings and embodiments of this disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0034] Example 1

[0035] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of the integrated drive and control unit according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional perspective view of the integrated drive unit according to an embodiment of this application. Referring to the accompanying drawings, this embodiment discloses an integrated drive and control unit for industrial Internet of Things (IoT). The integrated drive and control unit mainly includes a central control unit 100, a signal isolation module 200, an intelligent power output unit 300, and an external load interface 400 for connecting to external devices. These components work together to form a complete system capable of intelligent control and closed-loop active protection of external loads.

[0036] Specifically, the central control unit 100 is typically a microcontroller (MCU) or an embedded processor. It is the control core and decision-making brain of the entire integrated drive and control system, responsible for executing user programs or control logic issued by the upper-level system, processing all input and output signals, and making intelligent decisions and controls based on real-time feedback data.

[0037] The signal isolation module 200 is located between the central control unit 100 and the intelligent power output unit 300. Its core function is to physically isolate the low-voltage digital circuits on the control side from the high-voltage power circuits on the drive side. In a preferred embodiment of this application, the signal isolation module 200 may be one or more optocouplers or one or more isolation amplifiers. By using optocouplers, voltage spikes, surges, or other electrical noise that may occur in the drive-side circuit can be effectively prevented from being conducted back to the central control unit 100, thereby ensuring the stable operation and safety of the control core.

[0038] The intelligent power output unit 300 is the core innovation of this application, replacing the discrete architecture of field-effect transistors and resettable fuses in the prior art. As a highly integrated module, this unit includes a power electronic switch 310 and a current sensing unit 320. Specifically, the power electronic switch 310 replaces the original field-effect transistor (e.g., WSP6946) and 250mA resettable fuse, integrating multiple hardware-level protection functions. Therefore, in one embodiment, the power electronic switch 310 can provide at least one of overcurrent protection, overvoltage protection, and overtemperature protection. As a specific option, the power electronic switch 310 can be a ZXMS6004DT8 model. The introduction of the current sensing unit 320 is the cornerstone of realizing the active protection strategy. Its function is to monitor the actual operating current flowing through the power electronic switch 310 and the external load in real time, and quantify this current information to provide it to the central control unit 100. In another alternative technical approach, an integrated current acquisition chip (such as a chip with a built-in ADC) can be used to acquire the real-time operating current of the output port and feed it back to the control chip to achieve continuous monitoring of the output port status.

[0039] The external load interface 400 provides ample physical connection points for connecting this drive and control unit to various types of industrial external loads such as motors, solenoid valves, relays, and indicator lights.

[0040] Regarding the connection between the various components of the system, the central control unit 100 establishes a connection with the input terminal of the signal isolation module 200 through its internal bus or GPIO pins to send out control command signals. Simultaneously, the central control unit 100 is also equipped with corresponding pins or communication interfaces for receiving data, to receive feedback signals generated by the current sensing unit 320 in the intelligent power output unit 300. This bidirectional connection lays the foundation for subsequent closed-loop data control.

[0041] In the detailed workflow of the device, the central control unit 100 first receives and parses the external command data packet issued by the external control system, and obtains the target port number to be driven, the expected state of the port (e.g., on or off state) and related protection parameters (e.g., maximum current threshold) from it, and generates corresponding high and low level port control signals on specific pins accordingly.

[0042] Subsequently, the port control signal is input to the input terminal of the signal isolation module 200, such as the light-emitting diode of the optocoupler. According to a preferred embodiment disclosed in this invention, when the port control signal is high, the signal isolation module 200 generates an optical signal. This optical signal passes through the electrical isolation gap within the module and illuminates the phototransistor at its output terminal, reliably turning on the phototransistor. The turned-on phototransistor then generates an isolation gate drive signal logically consistent with the input signal. This signal is stably applied to the control gate of the power electronic switch 310 in the intelligent power output unit 300, causing its internal power transistor to quickly switch from a high-resistance state (off) to a low-resistance state (on). After the power electronic switch 310 is turned on, a complete circuit is formed between the power supply and the external load, thereby generating a driven power flow, which flows precisely to the designated external load through the external load interface 400, causing it to start operating as instructed.

[0043] While the power flow drives the load, the current sensing unit 320 begins acquiring data on the operating status of this driven power flow. In this embodiment, the entire driven power flow passes through a high-precision sampling resistor connected in series in the loop. According to Ohm's law (V = I·R), a weak analog sensing voltage, strictly proportional to the current magnitude, is generated instantaneously across the resistor. This sensing voltage may undergo necessary analog signal amplification and filtering through a signal conditioning circuit to obtain a conditioned analog signal with a better signal-to-noise ratio.

[0044] Ultimately, this current reading, as the most critical real-time feedback data, is transmitted back to the central control unit 100 by the current sensing unit 320. Upon receiving this current reading, the central control unit 100 can initiate and execute closed-loop active protection logic. In a reliable implementation, the central control unit 100 retrieves the previously stored maximum current threshold for that port from memory and compares it with the real-time current reading. If the current reading is less than or equal to the threshold, the load is considered to be operating normally, and the system continues to maintain its current state and monitor continuously. However, if the current reading is detected to exceed the set maximum current threshold for multiple consecutive sampling periods, the central control unit 100 can determine that an overcurrent fault has occurred and can immediately generate and store a fault log containing time, port, and fault information, providing a basis for subsequent equipment maintenance and fault analysis. Furthermore, upon determining that an overcurrent fault has occurred, the central control unit 100 will immediately take proactive intervention measures, namely, actively generating a port control signal representing a closed state. This signal, through the aforementioned isolation and drive link, will quickly shut down the power electronic switch 310, thereby cutting off the power flow to the load, in order to achieve the purpose of comprehensive protection of equipment and system safety.

[0045] Example 2

[0046] To more comprehensively illustrate the method for an integrated drive and control unit for the Industrial Internet of Things proposed in this application, its complete execution flow will be described in detail and clearly below. Unless otherwise specified, the equipment involved in this application refers to the integrated drive and control unit described in the foregoing embodiments.

[0047] As mentioned earlier, to overcome the shortcomings of traditional integrated drive and control units in the background technology, which can only achieve open-loop control and passive, delayed protection, this application introduces a closed-loop control logic. This method enables the central control unit to perceive and understand the actual load's operating status in real time, thereby transforming passive control into proactive control and allowing for intelligent intervention in the early stages of a fault or even before the fault manifests. This is crucial for improving the reliability and safety of industrial equipment and realizing predictive maintenance in an industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) environment.

[0048] like Figure 4 As shown, the method for an integrated drive and control unit for industrial IoT according to this application includes the following steps: S110, the central control unit parses the received external command data packet to obtain a port control signal; S120, the central control unit inputs the port control signal into a signal isolation module and a power electronic switch to obtain a driven power flow; S130, the current sensing unit collects operating status data of the driven power flow to obtain the current quantity; S140, the electrical measurement sensing unit feeds back the data to the central control unit; and S150, the central control unit performs closed-loop active protection based on the current quantity to obtain a fault log.

[0049] In step S110, the central control unit parses the received external command data packet to obtain the port control signal. The external command data packet refers to structured data sent to the drive-control integrated machine by a host computer, human-machine interface (HMI), or industrial IoT cloud platform via a communication bus (such as CAN, EtherNet / IP, Modbus, etc.). This data packet encapsulates a clear control intent, typically including the target port number to be operated, the desired state the port needs to switch to (e.g., ON or OFF), and personalized protection parameters set for the port, such as the maximum current threshold (Max_Current) and fault response behavior (Response_Behavior). After receiving this data packet, the central control unit's internal firmware immediately parses the data packet to extract this key information. Subsequently, the central control unit generates a physical, clearly defined high / low level port control signal on its corresponding general-purpose input / output (GPIO) pin according to the parsed desired state. For example, if the desired state is ON, a high level is output; if it is OFF, a low level is output. Meanwhile, the extracted protection parameters are temporarily stored in the internal registers or RAM of the central control unit for subsequent steps. For example, in a specific application scenario, such as the development project of the 6004 integrated drive and control controller, the host computer sends a command to start the solenoid valve connected to output port 3. The central control unit generates a high-level port control signal accordingly and loads a preset 1A current protection threshold onto the port.

[0050] In step S120, the central control unit inputs the port control signal to the signal isolation module and the power electronic switch to obtain a driven power flow. The technical objective of this step is to safely and efficiently convert the weak, sensitive logic level signal generated in the previous step into a powerful power flow sufficient to drive an industrial load. In practice, this port control signal is first sent to the input of a signal isolation module (such as an optocoupler).

[0051] In one embodiment, when the port control signal is high, the LED inside the optocoupler is illuminated, generating a light signal. This light signal passes through the electrical isolation gap and illuminates the phototransistor, causing it to conduct. This generates an isolation gate drive signal that is completely identical to the original signal logic level but electrically isolated. This drive signal is applied to the control gate of the power electronic switch in the intelligent power output unit, causing it to quickly switch from a high-impedance off state to a low-impedance on state. Once the power electronic switch is on, the external main power supply, the switch, the current sensing unit, and the external load form a complete electrical circuit, generating a strong current. This current that actually flows to the external load to enable its operation is the driven power flow. Taking the aforementioned 6004 integrated drive and control controller as an example, the high-level signal output by the central control unit, after being isolated by the optocoupler, drives the power electronic switch (such as ZXMS6004DT8) to conduct, thereby stably delivering the power of the 24V DC power supply to the external load interface.

[0052] In step S130, the current sensing unit acquires operating status data of the driven power flow to obtain the current quantity. The purpose of this step is to achieve quantitative monitoring of the system output state, providing an indispensable data foundation for subsequent closed-loop control. The current sensing unit can be an integrated current acquisition chip or a discrete circuit consisting of a sampling resistor and an operational amplifier.

[0053] The data acquisition process can be performed as follows in one embodiment: The driven power flow, on its way to the load, first flows through a low-resistance, high-precision sampling resistor connected in series in the circuit. According to Ohm's law (V_sense = I_load × R_sense), the flowing driven power flow (I_load) will generate a weak analog voltage signal across the sampling resistor (R_sense), which is strictly proportional to its current value; this is the sense voltage (V_sense). This sense voltage can then be amplified and filtered by a signal conditioning circuit to obtain a more suitable conditioned analog signal for acquisition. Finally, this analog signal is transmitted to the central control unit through an isolation amplifier. For example, when the solenoid valve of a punch press operates, it generates a 250mA driven power flow. If this flow passes through a 0.1-ohm sampling resistor, a 25mV sense voltage will be generated. After amplification and filtering, this voltage can be easily used to obtain a corresponding current for subsequent analysis and processing.

[0054] In step S140, the electrical sensing unit feeds back the current quantity to the central control unit. This is a crucial data feedback step, completing the information flow from the physical world to the digital control core. The current quantity is either directly transmitted to the central control unit via the ADC, or processed into a digital current quantity by the ADC chip and then transmitted to the central control unit via serial communication buses such as SPI and I2C. The central control unit periodically reads this data into its internal registers.

[0055] In step S150, the central control unit performs closed-loop active protection based on the current quantity to obtain a fault log. That is, the central control unit transforms the data collected from the front end into meaningful protection actions. Closed-loop active protection refers to an intelligent protection mechanism based on real-time feedback data rather than fixed physical thresholds.

[0056] The specific execution process is as follows: After reading the real-time current, the central control unit immediately retrieves the maximum current threshold bound to the current port from its internal memory for comparison. If the current is less than or equal to the threshold, the controller determines that the load is working normally, and the process loops back to the third step of continuous monitoring. However, if the central control unit detects that the current exceeds the maximum current threshold for multiple consecutive sampling cycles, this indicates that an overcurrent fault such as load stall or line short circuit is very likely to have occurred. In this case, the controller will immediately identify the fault and generate a fault log. This fault log typically contains key information such as the timestamp of the fault occurrence, the ID of the faulty port, the fault type (e.g., overcurrent), and the current value recorded at the time of the fault, and stores it in non-volatile memory for future reference.

[0057] As part of active protection, upon detecting an overcurrent fault, the central control unit immediately generates a shut-off port control signal. This signal then rapidly shuts off the power electronic switch via the link described in step two, thereby cutting off power output and ultimately protecting the equipment. This flexible, intelligent, and configurable protection logic effectively handles various complex industrial field conditions, such as excessive operating current caused by incorrect wiring or damage to external devices, far surpassing the single, coarse-grained protection mode of traditional resettable fuses.

[0058] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Any simple modifications made by those skilled in the art to the technical solution of the present invention by means of equivalent substitution or equivalent transformation without departing from all the technical content described in the technical solution of the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A drive and control integrated machine for industrial Internet of Things, characterized in that, include: Central control unit; Signal isolation module; The intelligent power output unit includes a power electronic switch and a current sensing unit; External load interface; The central control unit is connected to the input terminal of the signal isolation module via an internal bus and receives feedback signals from the current sensing unit of the intelligent power output unit. The signal isolation module is located between the central control unit and the intelligent power output unit, and is used to achieve electrical isolation between the low-voltage signal on the control side and the high-voltage circuit on the drive side. The external load interface is used to connect to an external load.

2. The integrated drive and control unit for industrial IoT according to claim 1, characterized in that, The signal isolation module is an optocoupler and an isolated amplifier.

3. The integrated drive and control unit for industrial IoT according to claim 2, characterized in that, The power electronic switch is used to provide at least one of the following functions: overcurrent protection, overvoltage protection, and overtemperature protection.

4. The integrated drive and control unit for industrial IoT according to claim 3, characterized in that, The power electronic switch is model ZXMS6004DT8.

5. A method for a drive and control integrated machine for industrial Internet of Things, characterized in that, Including the following steps: The central control unit parses the received external command data packets to obtain port control signals; The central control unit inputs the port control signal to the signal isolation module and the power electronic switch to obtain the driven power flow; The current sensing unit acquires operating status data of the driven power flow to obtain digital current. The electrical sensing unit feeds back the digital current quantity to the central control unit; The central control unit performs closed-loop active protection based on the digital current to obtain a fault log.

6. The method for a drive and control integrated machine for industrial IoT according to claim 5, characterized in that, The central control unit inputs the port control signal to the signal isolation module and the power electronic switch to obtain the driven power flow, including: The port control signal is input to the input terminal of the signal isolation module. When the port control signal is high, the signal isolation module generates an optical signal. The optical signal passes through the electrical isolation gap inside the signal isolation module and shines on the phototransistor at its output end, so that the phototransistor is turned on. The phototransistor that is turned on generates an isolation gate drive signal, which acts on the control gate of the power electronic switch to switch it from a high-resistance state to a low-resistance state. After the power electronic switch is turned on, the power flow is driven to flow to the external load through the external load interface.

7. The method for a drive and control integrated machine for industrial IoT according to claim 5, characterized in that, The current sensing unit acquires operating status data of the driven power flow to obtain digital current, including: The driven power flow passes through the sampling resistor to obtain the sensed voltage; The sensed voltage is amplified and conditioned to obtain a conditioned analog signal; The conditioned analog signal is transmitted to the central control unit through a signal isolation module.

8. The method for a drive and control integrated machine for industrial IoT according to claim 5, characterized in that, The central control unit performs closed-loop active protection based on the digital current to obtain a fault log, including: The central control unit reads the current quantity; The central control unit retrieves the maximum current threshold. If the current is less than the maximum current threshold, the load is considered to be working normally. If the current exceeds the maximum current threshold for multiple consecutive sampling periods, an overcurrent fault is determined to have occurred.

9. The method for a drive and control integrated machine for industrial IoT according to claim 8, characterized in that, The central control unit performs closed-loop active protection based on the digital current to obtain a fault log, and also includes: In response to the detection of an overcurrent fault, a port control signal in the off state is generated and sent to the signal isolation module and the power electronic switch.

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