An automatic calibration system for an X-ray fluorescence analyzer
By designing an automated calibration system, a multi-machine parallel calibration of X-ray fluorescence analyzers is achieved using robotic arms and control devices, solving the problems of high time consumption and errors caused by manual operation, and improving calibration efficiency and accuracy.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202511581838.9
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-10-31
- Publication Date
- 2025-12-30
- Estimated Expiration
- 2045-10-31
AI Technical Summary
The calibration process of existing X-ray fluorescence spectrometers relies on manual operation, resulting in high human resource consumption and long time consumption. Furthermore, in the context of multi-machine parallel calibration, the allocation of standard sample resources depends on manual decision-making, which can easily lead to misplacement, reuse, or omission, affecting calibration efficiency and accuracy.
Design an automated calibration system for X-ray fluorescence analyzers, including an automated calibration platform, a robotic arm assembly, and a control device. The robotic arm automatically picks up and places standard samples, and combined with a standard sample scheduling and management module and an XRF process control module, it enables parallel calibration of multiple machines and reduces manual intervention.
It automates multi-machine parallel calibration, reduces reliance on professional operators, lowers labor costs, improves calibration efficiency and accuracy, and avoids the risks of errors and cross-contamination caused by manual operation.
Smart Images

Figure CN121049319B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy analysis technology, and in particular to an automated calibration system for an X-ray fluorescence analyzer. Background Technology
[0002] The establishment of quantitative analysis methods using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) relies on a series of standard samples with similar compositions and certified elemental contents. By accurately measuring the characteristic X-ray fluorescence intensity of each standard sample, a quantitative calibration model between elemental content and fluorescence intensity can be constructed; this process is called calibration. The quality of the calibration model further determines the accuracy and reliability of the analytical results for the elemental content of unknown samples. To ensure the predictive performance and generalization ability of the model, a sufficient number of standard samples must be used for calibration. Because XRF uses a sequential detection mechanism, each standard sample requires an independent measurement time, significantly extending the overall calibration cycle.
[0003] Currently, the entire XRF calibration process still requires dedicated personnel. For example, the placement and retrieval of standard samples are handled manually. Although each calibration operation mainly involves simple mechanical actions, the high frequency and long duration of operations due to the need to process a large number of samples continuously result in inefficient use of human resources. In addition, in a multi-machine parallel calibration environment, the scheduling of standard sample resources involves the time-series coordination and physical allocation of multiple devices and samples. Currently, this relies entirely on manual decision-making. Operators need to monitor the status of each XRF instrument in real time and allocate standard samples. Any lack of experience or inattention may lead to misplacement, reuse, or omission of standard samples, which can cause cross-contamination, interruption of measurement sequences, or invalidation of calibration data. Summary of the Invention
[0004] This invention provides an automated calibration system for X-ray fluorescence analyzers, which can automatically perform parallel calibration of multiple instruments, reduce reliance on professional operators, lower labor costs, and improve calibration efficiency.
[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an automated calibration system for an X-ray fluorescence analyzer, comprising:
[0006] An automatic calibration platform is provided, which is equipped with multiple stations for fixing the X-ray fluorescence analyzer and a standard sample tray for storing multiple standard samples.
[0007] A robotic arm assembly includes a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm and a gripper disposed at the end of the robotic arm, the gripper being used to perform at least the grasping and placement of a standard sample;
[0008] Control device, the control device comprising:
[0009] The standard sample scheduling management module is used to maintain standard sample status information, respond to standard sample requests, and generate standard sample scheduling tasks based on the standard sample status information;
[0010] Multiple XRF process control modules, each of which is communicatively connected to an X-ray fluorescence analyzer, are used to control the calibration process of the corresponding X-ray fluorescence analyzer and send standard sample requests to the standard sample scheduling and management module.
[0011] The robotic arm control module is communicatively connected to the robotic arm assembly and is used to receive the standard sample scheduling task and convert the standard sample scheduling task into a sequence of instructions to control the actions of the robotic arm assembly.
[0012] Furthermore, the standard sample scheduling and management module is used to maintain standard sample status information through a standard sample status table. The standard sample status table records the current status information of each standard sample, including available status and occupied status.
[0013] The standard sample scheduling management module is configured as follows:
[0014] In response to a standard sample request for a target standard sample from an XRF process control module, the standard sample status table is queried.
[0015] If the target standard sample is in an available state, a standard sample scheduling task is generated to instruct the target standard sample to be allocated to the X-ray fluorescence analyzer controlled by the XRF process control module, and the status information of the target standard sample is updated to be occupied.
[0016] If the target standard sample is in use, the standard sample request for the target standard sample is added to a waiting queue.
[0017] Furthermore, the standard sample scheduling and management module is further configured as follows:
[0018] When a standard sample changes from an occupied state to an available state, the waiting queue is checked;
[0019] If there is a standard sample request for the standard sample in the waiting queue, a standard sample scheduling task is generated to instruct the standard sample to be allocated to the X-ray fluorescence analyzer controlled by the XRF process control module that initiated the standard sample request, and at the same time the status information of the standard sample is updated to the occupied status.
[0020] If there are multiple standard sample requests for the standard sample in the waiting queue, a standard sample scheduling task is generated according to the priority of the multiple standard sample requests to instruct the standard sample to be allocated to the X-ray fluorescence analyzer controlled by the XRF process control module that initiated the highest priority standard sample request, and at the same time the status information of the standard sample is updated to occupied status.
[0021] Furthermore, the XRF process control module is configured as follows:
[0022] By analyzing the handshake message sent by the connected X-ray fluorescence analyzer during connection, the basic instrument information of the connected X-ray fluorescence analyzer is automatically identified.
[0023] Obtain the corresponding preset calibration process based on the instrument's basic information;
[0024] The connected X-ray fluorescence analyzer is controlled to execute the preset calibration process step by step, wherein when the process reaches the point where a standard sample is required, a standard sample request is sent to the standard sample scheduling and management module.
[0025] After receiving the standard sample in place signal, it sends a measurement control command to the connected X-ray fluorescence analyzer.
[0026] Furthermore, the robotic arm control module is configured as follows:
[0027] Listen to a robotic arm task queue to obtain the standard scheduled task;
[0028] The standard scheduling task is parsed into a sequence of instructions including a movement path, a grasping action, and a placement action, and sent to the robotic arm assembly;
[0029] The system monitors the execution status of the robotic arm assembly in real time, and controls the robotic arm assembly to stop its current action and trigger an alarm when an abnormality occurs.
[0030] Furthermore, the automated calibration system also includes an automated calibration function module installed in the X-ray fluorescence analyzer. The automated calibration function module is configured to evaluate the calibration results after completing the calibration operations of all standard samples. The parameters used for evaluation include at least one of goodness of fit, residual distribution, and cross-validation results, and the evaluation results are fed back to the corresponding XRF process control module.
[0031] Furthermore, the control device also includes a graphical user interface module;
[0032] The graphical user interface module is configured to receive parameter configuration input, display system status, and provide manual intervention controls.
[0033] Furthermore, the control device also includes an alarm and prompt module;
[0034] The alarm and notification module is configured as follows:
[0035] Monitor the operating status information reported by the robotic arm control module and the XRF process control module;
[0036] Determine whether the running status information is abnormal based on predefined exception rules;
[0037] When an anomaly is detected, an alarm message is generated and simultaneously sent to the graphical user interface module for display, recorded to a log file, and triggered by an audio-visual alert device.
[0038] Furthermore, the robotic arm assembly also includes a vision positioning module disposed at the end of the robotic arm, the vision positioning module being used to acquire images for positioning.
[0039] Furthermore, each workstation is provided with a rotatable tray, and the X-ray fluorescence analyzer is fixed on the tray. The tray has a first working position and a second working position. In the first working position, the measurement opening of the X-ray fluorescence analyzer faces the working area of the robotic arm assembly. In the second working position, the measurement opening of the X-ray fluorescence analyzer is turned to the outside of the automatic calibration platform.
[0040] Beneficial Effects: The present invention provides an automated calibration system for an X-ray fluorescence analyzer, comprising an automated calibration platform, a robotic arm assembly, and a control device. The automated calibration platform is equipped with multiple workstations for fixing the X-ray fluorescence analyzer and a standard sample tray for storing multiple standard samples. The robotic arm assembly includes a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm and a gripper located at the end of the robotic arm, the gripper being used to at least perform the gripping and placement of standard samples. The control device includes a standard sample scheduling management module, multiple XRF process control modules, and a robotic arm control module. The standard sample scheduling management module is used to maintain standard sample status information, respond to standard sample requests, and generate standard sample scheduling tasks based on the standard sample status information. Each XRF process control module is communicatively connected to one X-ray fluorescence analyzer, used to control the calibration process of the corresponding X-ray fluorescence analyzer and initiate standard sample requests to the standard sample scheduling management module. The robotic arm control module is communicatively connected to the robotic arm assembly, used to receive standard sample scheduling tasks and convert the standard sample scheduling tasks into a sequence of instructions to control the actions of the robotic arm assembly. Through the above method, multi-machine parallel calibration can be automated, reducing reliance on professional operators, lowering labor costs, and improving calibration efficiency. Attached Figure Description
[0041] The technical solution and its beneficial effects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
[0042] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the automated calibration system for the X-ray fluorescence analyzer of the present invention;
[0043] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the control device of the present invention;
[0044] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the X-ray fluorescence analyzer of the present invention. Detailed Implementation
[0045] Please refer to the accompanying drawings, in which the same component symbols represent the same components. The principles of the invention are illustrated by way of example implemented in a suitable computing environment. The following description is based on the illustrative specific embodiments of the invention and should not be construed as limiting the invention to other specific embodiments not detailed herein.
[0046] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 This invention provides an automated calibration system for an X-ray fluorescence analyzer, including an automated calibration platform 100, a robotic arm assembly 200, and a control device 300. The control device 300 is a host computer, for example, which can be integrated into a computer device.
[0047] The automatic calibration platform 100 is equipped with multiple stations 102 for fixing the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 and a standard sample tray 103 for storing multiple standard samples. Furthermore, the automatic calibration platform 100 can be formed using a combined frame structure of standard profiles and metal plates. There can be multiple stations 102, for example, five or seven. Each station 102 has a unique identifier, such as XRF-1 station, XRF-2 station, XRF-3 station, etc., and each standard sample also has a unique code identifier, such as standard sample A, standard sample B, standard sample C, etc., and the position of each standard sample in the standard sample tray 103 remains fixed.
[0048] Optionally, each workstation 102 may be equipped with a rotatable tray 104, on which the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 is fixed. The tray 104 may be rotatable, for example, 180°, and has a first working position and a second working position. In the first working position, the system is in an automated calibration mode, and the measurement opening of the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 faces the working area of the robotic arm assembly 200 to facilitate automated operation of the robotic arm assembly 200. In the second working position, the system may be in a manual intervention mode, and the measurement opening of the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 is turned to the outside of the automated calibration platform 100 to facilitate manual operation.
[0049] The robotic arm assembly 200 includes a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 201 and a gripper 203 disposed at the end of the robotic arm 201. The gripper 203 is used to perform the grasping and placement of standard samples and the opening and closing operation of the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500. Further, the robotic arm assembly 200 may also include a vision positioning module 202 disposed at the end of the robotic arm 201, which is used to acquire images for positioning. The robotic arm assembly 200 has a storage module for pre-storing the standard sample handling paths and opening / closing operations of different models of the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500. The robotic arm assembly 200 can complete standard sample identification, grasping, placement, and opening / closing operations of the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 according to the instructions of the control device 300.
[0050] In this invention, the control device 300 includes a graphical user interface module 310, a standard sample scheduling and management module 320, multiple XRF process control modules 330, a robotic arm control module 340, and an alarm and prompt module 350. The multiple XRF process control modules 330 are independent of each other.
[0051] The standard sample scheduling management module 320 is used to maintain standard sample status information, respond to standard sample requests, and generate standard sample scheduling tasks based on the standard sample status information. The standard sample scheduling management module 320 is the scheduling center of the control device 300, responsible for managing standard samples and coordinating the work between the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 and the robotic arm assembly 200.
[0052] Specifically, the standard sample scheduling management module 320 maintains standard sample status information through a standard sample status table, which records the current status information of each standard sample, including available status and occupied status. The control device 300 also includes a storage module for storing the standard sample status table. The standard sample scheduling management module 320 is configured to: query the standard sample status table in response to a standard sample request for a target standard sample from an XRF process control module 330; if the target standard sample is in an available status, generate a standard sample scheduling task to instruct the allocation of the target standard sample to the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 controlled by the XRF process control module 330, and update the status information of the target standard sample to occupied status; if the target standard sample is in an occupied status, add the standard sample request for the target standard sample to a waiting queue.
[0053] For example, when the target standard sample is standard sample A, and the XRF process control module 330 that initiates the standard sample request is connected to the XRF fluorescence analyzer 500 on station XRF-1, then when standard sample A is available, the generated standard sample scheduling task can be "take standard sample A from the standard sample tray to station XRF-1".
[0054] The standard sample scheduling management module 320 is further configured to: when a standard sample changes from an occupied state to an available state, check the waiting queue; if there is a standard sample request for the standard sample in the waiting queue, generate a standard sample scheduling task to instruct the standard sample to be allocated to the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 controlled by the XRF process control module 330 that initiated the standard sample request, and update the status information of the standard sample to the occupied state; if there are multiple standard sample requests for the standard sample in the waiting queue, generate a standard sample scheduling task according to the priority of the multiple standard sample requests to instruct the standard sample to be allocated to the X-ray fluorescence analyzer controlled by the XRF process control module 330 that initiated the highest priority standard sample request, and update the status information of the standard sample to the occupied state.
[0055] The priority of a standard sample request can be determined based on the time it is received. For example, the first standard sample request received has the highest priority, and the last standard sample request received has the lowest priority.
[0056] Each XRF process control module 330 is communicatively connected to an X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500, controlling the calibration process of the corresponding X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 and initiating standard sample requests to the standard sample scheduling and management module 320. In other words, a single XRF process control module 330 controls the connected X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 to perform calibration operations, thus enabling multiple analyzers to operate in parallel without interference.
[0057] Furthermore, the XRF process control module 330 is configured to: automatically identify the basic instrument information of the connected X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 by parsing the handshake message sent by the connected X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 during connection; obtain the corresponding preset calibration procedure based on the basic instrument information; control the connected X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 to execute the preset calibration procedure step by step, wherein when the execution reaches the point where a standard sample is required, a standard sample request is initiated to the standard sample scheduling and management module 320; after receiving the standard sample in place signal, a measurement control command is sent to the connected X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500. The XRF process control module 330 also monitors the calibration progress of the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 and receives the process execution results fed back by the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500.
[0058] The storage module of the control device 300 is also used to pre-store preset calibration procedures for different models of X-ray fluorescence analyzers 500. These preset calibration procedures include, for example, peak drift correction, resolution correction, standard sample test 1, and standard sample test 2. When the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 is connected to an XRF process control module 330 of the control device 300 via a communication medium such as a data cable, the XRF process control module 330 can automatically identify the model, serial number, and other basic information of the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 based on the handshake message. It then automatically loads the corresponding preset calibration procedure based on this information and controls the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 to execute the preset calibration procedure step by step. For example, when the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 executes the "standard sample test 1" procedure, the XRF process control module 330 generates a standard sample request based on the steps executed by the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500, or the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 generates a standard sample request to the XRF process control module 330. The XRF process control module 330 sends the standard sample request to the standard sample scheduling management module 320, which then schedules the standard samples according to the request.
[0059] The XRF process control module 330 monitors the data fed back by the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 in real time, including process execution results, and decides whether to advance the process, retry, or report errors based on the success or failure of each process node. For example, after the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 executes the peak drift correction process, if the process is completed successfully, it reports a successful peak drift correction message. Based on this successful message, the XRF process control module 330 advances the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 to execute the resolution correction process. If the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 reports a failure in the process execution, it advances the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 to re-execute the failed process. If it still fails, it reports an error message to the alarm and prompt module 350.
[0060] The robotic arm control module 340 is communicatively connected to the robotic arm assembly 200 and is used to receive standard sample scheduling tasks and convert the standard sample scheduling tasks into a sequence of instructions to control the actions of the robotic arm assembly 200.
[0061] Furthermore, the robotic arm control module 340 is configured to: listen to a robotic arm task queue to obtain standard scheduling tasks; parse the standard scheduling tasks into a sequence of instructions including movement path, grasping action, placement action and opening / closing action and send it to the robotic arm assembly 200; monitor the execution status of the robotic arm assembly 200 in real time, and control the robotic arm assembly 200 to stop the current action and trigger an alarm when an abnormality occurs in the robotic arm assembly 200.
[0062] The storage module of the control device 300 is also used to store the robotic arm task queue. Standard sample scheduling tasks generated by the standard sample scheduling management module 320 are pushed to the robotic arm task queue. The robotic arm control module 340 sends a sequence of instructions to the robotic arm assembly 200, thereby controlling the robotic arm assembly 200 to perform operations such as grasping and placing standard samples according to the sequence of instructions. Upon receiving the sequence of instructions, the robotic arm assembly 200 executes the grasping and placing operations of standard samples according to the pre-stored standard sample picking and placing path.
[0063] For example, when the scheduling task corresponding to the instruction sequence is "move standard sample A from the XRF-1 station to position A of the standard sample tray", the robotic arm assembly 200 receives the instruction sequence and, according to the standard sample pick-up and drop path and cover opening and closing action of the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 pre-stored at the XRF-1 station, moves the gripper 203 to the XRF-1 station and opens the cover of the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 according to the pre-stored cover opening and closing action. Then, it picks up the standard sample A from the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 and moves the gripper 203 according to the pre-stored standard sample pick-up and drop path to put the retrieved standard sample A back to position A of the standard sample tray 103. When the robotic arm control module 340 detects that the task is completed, it sends a task completion signal to the standard sample scheduling management module 320, thereby updating the status of standard sample A to the available status.
[0064] The abnormalities of the robotic arm component 200 include execution timeouts and positional deviations. When an abnormality is detected in the robotic arm component 200, the robotic arm control module 340 reports an alarm to the alarm and prompt module 350. Furthermore, during the movement of the gripper 203 by the robotic arm component 200, the robotic arm control module 340 sends a photo-taking command to the robotic arm component 200 in real time or at regular intervals. Based on this command, the robotic arm component 200 controls the visual positioning module 202 to take photos to capture images of the gripper 203's movement. The robotic arm component 200 then uses image processing algorithms to calculate the positional deviation based on the captured images. For example, it calculates the actual movement path based on the captured images, compares the actual movement path with a pre-stored standard sample pick-and-place path to obtain the positional deviation, and corrects its movement trajectory based on the positional deviation.
[0065] Optionally, such as Figure 3As shown, the automated calibration system also includes an automated calibration function module 400 installed in the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500. The automated calibration function module 400 is configured to evaluate the calibration results after the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 completes the calibration operations for all standard samples. The parameters used for evaluation include at least one of goodness of fit, residual distribution, and cross-validation results. The evaluation results are then fed back to the corresponding XRF process control module 330. In this embodiment of the invention, by using a built-in algorithm in the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 to calculate the goodness of fit (R²), residual distribution, and cross-validation results in real time, automatic model quality assessment and anomaly warning are achieved. This eliminates the inconsistencies and omission risks caused by subjective human judgment, significantly improving the reliability of the calibration model and the accuracy of the final analysis results.
[0066] In this embodiment of the invention, the graphical user interface module 310 is configured to receive parameter configuration input, display system status, and provide manual intervention controls. As the sole user interface of the automated calibration system, the graphical user interface module 310 is responsible for all interactions with the operator. Specifically, the graphical user interface module 310 provides graphical forms for parameter configuration during system initialization, robotic arm initialization, and the XRF calibration process; this configuration information is persistently stored. Furthermore, the graphical user interface module 310 also displays the real-time operating status of the entire system using multi-level text and status indicator lights, including the calibration progress of each X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500, the current task of the robotic arm, and the status of standard samples. This data is derived from monitoring status messages released by other modules. The graphical user interface module 310 also provides manual intervention controls, such as "Emergency Pause," "Task Skip," and "Continue" buttons when a system error occurs, directly sending intervention commands to the relevant modules to interrupt or continue the automated process.
[0067] The alarm and prompt module 350 is configured to: monitor the operating status information reported by the robotic arm control module 340 and the XRF process control module 330; determine whether the operating status information is abnormal according to the predefined abnormal rules; when an abnormality is determined, generate alarm information and send it to the graphical user interface module 310 for display, record it to the log file, and trigger the sound and light prompt device.
[0068] The working process of the automated calibration system according to the present invention will be further described below.
[0069] When the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 located at a workstation 102, such as the XRF-1 workstation, is connected to the control device 300 via a data cable, an XRF process control module 330 in the control device 300 communicates with the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500. The XRF process control module 330 parses the handshake information uploaded by the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 to obtain basic instrument information such as the model and serial number of the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500. Then, based on the basic instrument information, it automatically loads the corresponding preset calibration process and controls the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 to perform calibration according to the preset calibration process. When the calibration reaches the point where a standard sample is required, such as standard sample A, a standard sample request is sent to the standard sample scheduling and management module 320.
[0070] The standard sample scheduling management module 320 queries the standard sample status table according to the standard sample request, and confirms whether the standard sample A is in an available state based on the query result. If the standard sample A is in an available state, a standard sample scheduling task is generated and pushed to the robotic arm task queue. At the same time, the status of the standard sample A is updated to the occupied state. The robotic arm control module 340 listens to the robotic arm task queue to obtain standard sample scheduling tasks, and parses the standard sample scheduling tasks into a sequence of instructions including movement path, gripping action, placement action, and cover opening / closing action, and sends it to the robotic arm assembly 200. The robotic arm assembly 200, based on this instruction sequence and the pre-stored standard sample pick-up / placement path and cover opening / closing action corresponding to the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500, controls the gripper 203 to move to the XRF-1 station and performs a cover opening operation on the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 at the XRF-1 station. Then, it controls the gripper 203 to move to the standard sample tray 103 and grip standard sample A, moving standard sample A into the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 at the XRF-1 station. Finally, it performs a cover closing operation and sends a task completion signal back to the robotic arm control module 340, which in turn sends a task completion signal back to the standard sample scheduling management module 320. The standard sample scheduling management module 320 then sends a signal to the XRF process control module 330 indicating that standard sample A is in place. After receiving the positioning signal of standard sample A, the XRF process control module 330 sends a measurement control command to the connected X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500, thereby enabling the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 to calibrate standard sample A.
[0071] If standard sample A is in an occupied state, the standard sample request for standard sample A is added to a waiting queue until standard sample A changes from an occupied state to an available state. Then, the standard sample scheduling management module 320 checks the waiting queue. If there is a standard sample request for standard sample A in the waiting queue, a standard sample scheduling task is generated to instruct that standard sample A be allocated to the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 controlled by the XRF process control module 330 that initiated the standard sample request, and the status information of the standard sample is updated to occupied state. If there are multiple standard sample requests for standard sample A in the waiting queue, a standard sample scheduling task is generated according to the priority of the multiple standard sample requests to instruct that standard sample A be allocated to the X-ray fluorescence analyzer controlled by the XRF process control module 330 that initiated the highest priority standard sample request, and the status information of standard sample A is updated to occupied state.
[0072] After calibration, the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 sends a calibration completion signal to the XRF process control module 330. Based on this signal, the XRF process control module 330 sends a standard sample retrieval request to the standard sample scheduling management module 320. The standard sample scheduling management module 320 then generates a standard sample scheduling task and pushes it to the robotic arm task queue. After receiving the standard sample scheduling task, the robotic arm control module 340 controls the robotic arm assembly 200 to remove the standard sample A from the X-ray fluorescence analyzer 500 at the XRF-1 station and return it to the standard sample tray 103. The robotic arm assembly 200 sends a standard sample return task completion signal to the robotic arm control module 340, which in turn sends a standard sample A return task completion signal to the standard sample scheduling management module 320. As a result, the standard sample scheduling management module 320 updates the status of standard sample A to be available.
[0073] Therefore, the automated calibration system of this invention solves the problem of standard sample resource competition during the parallel calibration of multiple X-ray fluorescence analyzers by dynamically managing the status (available / occupied) and waiting queue of standard samples. This achieves intelligent allocation and efficient turnover of standard sample resources, enabling independent calibration processes of multiple X-ray fluorescence analyzers to be performed collaboratively without conflict, significantly improving overall calibration efficiency. Furthermore, by employing a "robotic arm task queue" as an instruction buffer, the upper-level scheduling logic is decoupled from the lower-level robotic arm execution. The standard sample scheduling management module generates abstract standard sample scheduling tasks, which are then parsed and executed by the robotic arm control module, forming a clear hierarchical control pipeline and enhancing the system's asynchronous processing capability and robustness. Furthermore, by equipping each X-ray fluorescence analyzer with an independent XRF process control module, this module can automatically identify the X-ray fluorescence analyzer model and other information through communication handshake, and load the corresponding preset calibration process configuration. The robotic arm component pre-stores the standard sample pick-up and drop paths and cover opening and closing actions for different instrument models, realizing the system's universality and flexibility. It supports mixed-line and plug-and-play operation of different X-ray fluorescence analyzers without manual reconfiguration, reducing operational complexity and expanding the system's application scenarios.
[0074] Therefore, the automated calibration system of this invention can automatically achieve multi-machine parallel calibration, which can reduce reliance on professional operators, reduce labor costs, and improve calibration efficiency.
[0075] This document uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of the present invention. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of the present invention. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.
Claims
1. An X-ray fluorescence analyzer automated calibration system, characterized by, The application relates to an automatic calibration platform (100) comprising a plurality of workstations (102) for fixing X-ray fluorescence analyzers and a standard sample tray (103) for storing a plurality of standard samples; a mechanical arm assembly (200) comprising a multi-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm (201) and a gripper (203) arranged at the end of the mechanical arm (201), the gripper (203) being used to at least perform standard sample grabbing and placing; and a control device (300) comprising: a standard sample scheduling management module (320) for maintaining standard sample state information, responding to a standard sample request and generating a standard sample scheduling task according to the standard sample state information; a plurality of XRF process control modules (330), each XRF process control module (330) being in communication connection with an X-ray fluorescence analyzer, used for controlling a calibration process of the corresponding X-ray fluorescence analyzer and initiating a standard sample request to the standard sample scheduling management module (320); and a mechanical arm control module (340) in communication connection with the mechanical arm assembly (200), used for receiving the standard sample scheduling task and converting the standard sample scheduling task into an instruction sequence for controlling actions of the mechanical arm assembly (200). The standard sample scheduling management module (320) is used for maintaining standard sample state information through a standard sample state table, the standard sample state table recording current state information of each standard sample, the state information comprising an available state and an occupied state. The standard sample scheduling management module (320) is configured to: in response to a standard sample request for a target standard sample from an XRF process control module (330), query the standard sample state table; if the target standard sample is in the available state, generate a standard sample scheduling task to indicate that the target standard sample is allocated to an X-ray fluorescence analyzer controlled by the XRF process control module (330), and update state information of the target standard sample to the occupied state; and if the target standard sample is in the occupied state, add the standard sample request of the target standard sample to a waiting queue. The standard sample scheduling management module (320) is further configured to: when a standard sample changes from the occupied state to the available state, check the waiting queue; if there is a standard sample request for the standard sample in the waiting queue, generate a standard sample scheduling task to indicate that the standard sample is allocated to an X-ray fluorescence analyzer controlled by an XRF process control module (330) initiating the standard sample request, and update state information of the standard sample to the occupied state; and if there are a plurality of standard sample requests for the standard sample in the waiting queue, generate a standard sample scheduling task according to priorities of the plurality of standard sample requests to indicate that the standard sample is allocated to an X-ray fluorescence analyzer controlled by an XRF process control module (330) initiating a standard sample request with the highest priority, and update state information of the standard sample to the occupied state. The XRF process control module (330) is configured to: 2. The X-ray fluorescence analyzer automated calibration system of claim 1, wherein, 3. The X-ray fluorescence analyzer automated calibration system of claim 2, wherein, 4. The X-ray fluorescence analyzer automated calibration system of claim 1, wherein, Automatic identification of instrument basic information of the connected X-ray fluorescence analyzer by analyzing handshake messages sent by the connected X-ray fluorescence analyzer at the time of connection; Obtaining a corresponding preset calibration process according to the instrument basic information; Controlling the connected X-ray fluorescence analyzer to execute step by step according to the preset calibration process, wherein when a standard sample is needed, a standard sample request is initiated to the standard sample scheduling management module (320); After receiving the standard sample in place signal, sending a measurement control instruction to the connected X-ray fluorescence analyzer.
5. The X-ray fluorescence analyzer automated calibration system of claim 1, wherein, The mechanical arm control module (340) is configured to: Listen to a mechanical arm task queue to obtain the standard sample scheduling task; Send the standard sample scheduling task to the mechanical arm assembly (200) as an instruction sequence including a moving path, a grabbing action and a placing action; Real-time monitoring of the execution state of the mechanical arm assembly (200), and when an abnormality occurs in the mechanical arm assembly (200), controlling the mechanical arm assembly (200) to abort the current action and triggering an alarm.
6. The X-ray fluorescence analyzer automated calibration system of claim 1, wherein, The automatic calibration system further comprises an automatic calibration function module (400) arranged in the X-ray fluorescence analyzer, which is configured to evaluate the calibration results after completing the calibration operation of all standard samples, and the parameters used for evaluation include at least one of goodness of fit, residual distribution and cross-validation results, and the evaluation results are fed back to the corresponding XRF process control module (330).
7. The X-ray fluorescence analyzer automated calibration system of claim 1, wherein, The control device (300) further comprises a graphical user interface module (310); The graphical user interface module (310) is configured to receive parameter configuration input, display system state, and provide manual intervention control.
8. The X-ray fluorescence analyzer automated calibration system of claim 7, wherein, The control device (300) further comprises an alarm and prompt module (350); The alarm and prompt module (350) is configured to: Listen to the running state information reported by the mechanical arm control module (340) and the XRF process control module (330); Determine whether the running state information is abnormal according to the predefined abnormality rules; When an abnormality is determined, generate alarm information and send it to the graphical user interface module (310) for display, record it to a log file, and trigger an audible and light prompt device.
9. The X-ray fluorescence analyzer automated calibration system of claim 1, wherein, The mechanical arm assembly (200) further comprises a visual positioning module (202) arranged at the end of the mechanical arm (201), which is used to collect images for positioning.
10. The X-ray fluorescence analyzer automated calibration system of claim 1, wherein, Each of the stations (102) is provided with a rotatable tray (104), and the X-ray fluorescence analyzer is fixed on the tray (104), and the tray (104) has a first working position and a second working position; in the first working position, the measurement opening of the X-ray fluorescence analyzer faces the working area of the mechanical arm assembly (200); in the second working position, the measurement opening of the X-ray fluorescence analyzer turns to the outside of the automatic calibration platform (100).
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