Communication bus switching control structure and method of reconfigurable space robot system

Abstract

The invention discloses a reconfigurable space robot system communication bus switching control structure and method, and belongs to the technical field of space robot communication. The problem that when an on-orbit working mode of an existing space robot is changed, an internal communication network of the space robot cannot be adjusted in a self-adaptive and dynamic mode is solved. Each mechanical arm controller comprises two 1553B controllers and a main control module, wherein the two 1553B controllers are respectively connected with the main control module; the 1553B controller on the satellite platform is connected with one 1553B controller arranged in the mechanical arm through a bus; when the two mechanical arms are connected in series through the mechanical arm adapter, the mechanical arm connected to the tail end of the first-stage mechanical arm is converted into a second-stage mechanical arm, and a mechanical arm controller of the second-stage mechanical arm stops directly communicating with the 1553B controller on the satellite platform through the bus and starts communicating with the other 1553B controller of the first-stage mechanical arm through the mechanical arm adapter. The method is mainly used for self-adaptive communication when the two mechanical arms are connected in series through the mechanical arm adapter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of space robot communication technology. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the structural form and degree of freedom configuration of space robots are determined during the ground production stage. Therefore, the working range and accuracy are fixed. The working space of the robotic arm is determined by the arm length. The larger the working space, the longer the robotic arm needs to be. However, the increase in length will reduce the accuracy of end control.

[0003] There are two ways to increase the workspace: one is on-orbit crawling, which expands the workspace by changing the position of the base; the other is to connect two or more robotic arms in series, increasing the overall length of the robot system. If the robot system can both crawl on the track and connect in series, the workspace can be further expanded, thus achieving workspace expansion without changing the operational accuracy. Therefore, on-orbit crawlable and reconfigurable space robots have attracted widespread attention.

[0004] The communication system is the nervous system of a robot system. To enable a robot system to have modes such as on-orbit crawling, independent work, and serial work, the problem of on-orbit reconfigurability of the communication system must be solved first. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention aims to address the problem that the internal communication network of existing space robots cannot adaptively and dynamically adjust when the on-orbit working mode changes. It provides a reconfigurable space robot system communication bus adaptive connection structure and method.

[0006] The first aspect of this application provides an adaptive connection structure for a reconfigurable space robot system communication bus, including: a 1553B controller installed on a satellite platform and connected to a satellite controller, a robotic arm controller installed on a robotic arm, and a bus for signal transmission;

[0007] Each robotic arm controller includes two 1553B controllers and one main control module, with the two 1553B controllers connected to the main control module respectively.

[0008] The 1553B controller on the satellite platform is connected to a 1553B controller located inside the robotic arm 200 via a bus.

[0009] When all robotic arm controllers communicate directly with the 1553B controller on the satellite platform via the bus, all robotic arms are first-level robotic arms, performing independent operations. One 1553B controller in a first-level robotic arm receives the communication signal from the satellite platform and transmits it to the connected main control module; at the same time, it transmits the robotic arm status signal fed back by the main control module to the 1553B controller on the satellite platform via the bus.

[0010] When two robotic arms are connected in series via a robotic arm adapter, the robotic arm connected to the end of the first-level robotic arm transforms into a second-level robotic arm. The robotic arm controller of the second-level robotic arm stops communicating directly with the 1553B controller on the satellite platform via the bus and begins to communicate with the other 1553B controller of the first-level robotic arm via the robotic arm adapter.

[0011] The robotic arm adapter is equipped with two transformer coupling circuits, which are coupled together. Each of the two transformer coupling circuits is coupled to a 1553B controller in one of the two robotic arms connected in series via a bus. The two transformer coupling circuits are connected in parallel. Both transformer coupling circuits are used to couple communication signals received from the connected robotic arm controllers to the other transformer coupling circuit after impedance transformation. The other transformer coupling circuit then transmits the communication signals to the connected robotic arm via the bus.

[0012] Furthermore, in this invention, when all the robotic arm controllers communicate directly with the 1553B controller on the satellite platform via the bus, the other 1553B controller in the robotic arm controller is in standby mode.

[0013] Furthermore, in this invention, the A and B lines of the main bus are each connected to a matching resistor, and are located at both ends of the bus.

[0014] Furthermore, in this invention, each transformer coupling circuit includes a coupler and a matching resistor, the matching resistor being connected to the bus of the coupler.

[0015] Furthermore, in this invention, when the robotic arm controller communicates with the satellite platform, it is connected to the bus on the satellite platform via a coupler.

[0016] Furthermore, in this invention, the 1553B controller on the satellite platform is connected to the bus on the satellite platform via a coupler.

[0017] The second aspect of this application provides an adaptive signal transmission method for a communication bus switching control structure of a reconfigurable space robot system. This method is based on the aforementioned structure and includes:

[0018] When all robotic arms are performing independent operations, all robotic arms are first-level robotic arms. The 1553B controller on satellite platform 100 transmits communication signals to a 1553B controller inside the robotic arm via a bus.

[0019] A 1553B controller inside the robotic arm outputs the received signal to the connected main control module; the main control module then feeds back the robotic arm status signal to the 1553B controller on the satellite platform via the 1553B controller.

[0020] When a robotic arm connection command is received, the 1553B controller of the satellite platform sends a drive signal to a 1553B controller that will be used as a secondary robotic arm to move the primary robotic arm that it will be connected to.

[0021] At the same time, a connection test signal and a robotic arm operation drive signal are sent to a 1553B controller that continues to act as a first-level robotic arm, so that the first-level robotic arm can grasp the robotic arm adapter and place the adapter base between the first-level robotic arm base and the second-level robotic arm base, and make connection.

[0022] When a 1553B controller acting as a secondary robotic arm receives a connection test signal from a primary robotic arm, it stops communicating with the 1553B controller on the satellite platform and communicates with another 1553B controller of the primary robotic arm via an adapter.

[0023] Furthermore, in this invention, after receiving the connection test signal and the robot arm operation drive signal as a 1553B controller of the first-level robot arm, the 1553B controller of the first-level robot arm transmits the connection test signal and the robot arm operation drive signal to the connected main control module. The main control module sends the test signal to a 1553B controller of the second-level robot arm through another 1553B controller connected to it, and then transmits the drive signal to the drive control module of its own robot arm.

[0024] This invention achieves true on-orbit communication reconfiguration. By integrating dual 1553B bus control modules into each robotic arm controller and designing dedicated 1553B coupling adapters, the communication network topology of the robot system can be dynamically and adaptively adjusted according to changes in the physical connections of the robotic arms, solving one of the core bottlenecks for reconfigurable robots to be applied in engineering. It fully utilizes the high reliability of mature technologies, communicating based on the MIL-STD-1553B standard, a mature bus standard proven in aerospace flight, inheriting all its reliability advantages, such as command / response mechanisms, error detection, redundancy backup, and deterministic real-time performance, ensuring absolute reliability of communication in harsh space environments. It enhances system flexibility and task adaptability. The system can perform distributed tasks independently by the robotic arms, or it can be combined in series to form long-arm manipulator units to perform large-scale, high-precision collaborative operations. It also supports on-orbit crawling, greatly expanding the task range and capability boundaries of a single robot system. It has good scalability; the design method is not limited to the series connection of two robotic arms. By defining a clear hierarchical protocol, it is theoretically possible to cascade more robotic arms to form a multi-level control network, laying the communication foundation for more complex space robot swarm applications in the future. The control logic is clear, and the software implementation is relatively simple. It adopts a hierarchical control strategy of "the upper level BC (bus controller) controls the lower level RT (remote terminal)," with a clear logical structure similar to the traditional satellite subsystem management mode, which facilitates software development, testing, and on-orbit maintenance. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing each robotic arm independently connected to a satellite platform;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of two robotic arms connected in series to a satellite platform. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0028] Specific implementation method one: Refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2This embodiment specifically describes the reconfigurable space robot system communication bus adaptive connection structure, which includes: a 1553B controller 101 installed on the satellite platform 100 and connected to the satellite controller, a robotic arm controller installed on the robotic arm 200, and a bus for signal transmission.

[0029] Each robotic arm controller includes two 1553B controllers 101 and a main control module 201, wherein the two 1553B controllers 101 are respectively connected to the main control module 201;

[0030] The 1553B controller 101 on the satellite platform is connected to a 1553B controller 101 installed in the robotic arm 200 via a bus.

[0031] When all robotic arm controllers communicate directly with the 1553B controller 101 on the satellite platform via the bus, all robotic arms 200 are first-level robotic arms, performing independent operations. One of the 1553B controllers 101 in the first-level robotic arm receives the communication signals from the satellite platform 100 and transmits them to the connected main control module 201; at the same time, it transmits the robotic arm status signals fed back by the main control module 201 to the 1553B controller 101 on the satellite platform via the bus.

[0032] When two robotic arms are connected in series via a robotic arm adapter, the robotic arm connected to the end of the first-level robotic arm transforms into a second-level robotic arm. The robotic arm controller of the second-level robotic arm stops communicating directly with the 1553B controller 101 on the satellite platform via the bus and begins to communicate with the other 1553B controller 101 of the first-level robotic arm via the robotic arm adapter.

[0033] The robotic arm adapter is equipped with two transformer coupling circuits, which are coupled together. Each of the two transformer coupling circuits is coupled to a 1553B controller 101 in one of the two robotic arms connected in series via a bus. The two transformer coupling circuits are connected in parallel. Both transformer coupling circuits are used to couple communication signals received from the connected robotic arm controllers to the other transformer coupling circuit after impedance transformation. The other transformer coupling circuit then transmits the communication signals to the connected robotic arm via the bus.

[0034] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when all the robotic arm controllers communicate directly with the 1553B controller 101 on the satellite platform via the bus, the other 1553B controller 101 in the robotic arm controller is in standby mode.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the A and B lines of the main bus are each connected to a matching resistor, and are located at both ends of the bus.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, each transformer coupling circuit includes a coupler 301 and a matching resistor 302, wherein the matching resistor 302 is connected to the bus of the coupler 301.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the robotic arm controller communicates with the satellite platform 100, it is connected to the bus on the satellite platform 100 through a coupler.

[0038] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the 1553B controller 101 on the satellite platform 100 is connected to the bus on the satellite platform 100 via a coupler.

[0039] Specific Implementation Method Two: Refer to Figure 1 and 2 This embodiment specifically describes the adaptive signal transmission method for the communication bus switching control structure of the reconfigurable space robot system. This method is based on the structure described in Specific Embodiment One and includes:

[0040] When all robotic arms 200 are performing independent operations, all robotic arms are first-level robotic arms. The 1553B controller 101 on the satellite platform 100 transmits communication signals to a 1553B controller 101 inside the robotic arm via a bus.

[0041] A 1553B controller 101 inside the robotic arm outputs the received signal to the connected main control module 201; the main control module 201 then feeds back the robotic arm status signal to the 1553B controller 101 on the satellite platform via the 1553B controller 101.

[0042] When a robotic arm connection command is received, the 1553B controller 101 of the satellite platform 100 sends a drive signal to a 1553B controller 101 that will be used as a secondary robotic arm to move the primary robotic arm that it will be connected to.

[0043] At the same time, a connection test signal and a robotic arm operation drive signal are sent to a 1553B controller 101 that continues to act as a first-level robotic arm, so that the first-level robotic arm grasps the robotic arm adapter and places the adapter base between the first-level robotic arm base and the second-level robotic arm base, and connects them.

[0044] When a 1553B controller 101 acting as a secondary robotic arm receives a connection test signal from a primary robotic arm, it stops communicating with the 1553B controller 101 on the satellite platform and communicates with another 1553B controller 101 of the primary robotic arm via an adapter 300.

[0045] Furthermore, in this embodiment, after receiving the connection test signal and the robot arm operation drive signal as a 1553B controller 101 of the first-level robot arm, the controller 101 transmits the connection test signal and the robot arm operation drive signal to the connected main control module 201. The main control module 201 sends the test signal to a 1553B controller 101 of the second-level robot arm via another connected 1553B controller 101, and then transmits the drive signal to its own robot arm's drive control module.

[0046] When two robotic arms are connected in series via a robotic arm adapter, one 1553B controller 101 of the first-stage robotic arm receives communication signals from the satellite platform 100 and forwards them to the other 1553B controller 101 via the connected main control module 201. The other 1553B controller 101 transmits the received communication signals to one 1553B controller 101 of the second-stage robotic arm via two couplers in the robotic arm adapter. The 1553B controller 101 of the second-stage robotic arm transmits the received signals to the second-stage main control module 201, and simultaneously returns the second-stage robotic arm status signals fed back by the second-stage main control module 201 to the other 1553B controller 101 of the first-stage robotic arm.

[0047] The method described in this invention aims to solve the problem that when a space robot system changes its working mode on-orbit, such as changing the serial or parallel connection of multiple robotic arms, or changing the base due to on-orbit crawling, its internal communication network can adapt and dynamically adjust accordingly, ensuring that control commands can be reliably, in real time, and accurately delivered to the target execution unit under any configuration.

[0048] This embodiment implements a reconfigurable system consisting of two seven-DOF robotic arms, an adapter, and a satellite platform 100. In terms of hardware composition and configuration, the satellite platform 100's host computer is equipped with a 1553B controller 101. Matching resistors are connected to both ends of the bus, A and B. The satellite platform's 1553B controller, acting as the upstream controller (BC), is pre-configured as the highest-level bus manager in the system. The two robotic arms have identical structures. Each robotic arm (100) joint is driven by a motor and equipped with a high-precision encoder and torque sensor. The robotic arm controller is the core processing unit. The robotic arm controller includes two 1553B controllers 101 and a main control module 201. Both 1553B controllers 101 can be configured via the main control module 201 and operate independently in BC (upstream controller) and RT (downstream controller) modes. The robotic arm adapter 300 is a passive mechanism, containing two completely independent transformer coupling circuits. Each circuit corresponds to a sub-line, whose function is to couple the 1553B bus signals A and B from one end of the robotic arm to the other end after impedance transformation. Matching resistors are also connected to the end of the bus to ensure that the impedance of the entire bus is continuous whether the adapter is connected or not, thus ensuring signal integrity.

[0049] The system's reconfiguration process is controlled by a software algorithm that runs on the satellite platform 100 and the robotic arm controller. In the initial independent mode, after launch and orbit insertion, all robotic arms function as primary robotic arms, independently mounted at different target points on the satellite platform 100. Their structure and communication connections are as follows... Figure 1 As shown. The main control module 201 of the first-level robotic arm configures its 1553B controller 101 to RT mode. Similarly,

[0050] The platform BC detects that two RTs are online, and the system enters independent working mode. In independent working mode, the platform sends joint angle commands, trajectory commands, or status query commands to all RTs according to their different addresses, controlling all robotic arms 200 to move independently. When mode switching is required to prepare for serial connection, the ground command or the on-board autonomous mission planning system decides to connect the two robotic arms 200 in series. The satellite platform's 1553B controller, acting as the BC, sends a mode switching command to the 1553B controller (at this time, the RT) acting as the first-level robotic arm, instructing it to prepare for serial reconfiguration, setting the other 1553B controller 101 as the RT, and informing it of the address of the robotic arm (100) that it will be connected to as the remote terminal.

[0051] At the same time, a command is sent to the 1553B controller, which will serve as the secondary robotic arm, to set the 1553B controller 101 at the docking end to RT working mode;

[0052] Communication connection of the robotic arm in serial mode, such as Figure 2 As shown. During the communication reconfiguration process, after receiving the mode switching command, the robot controller of the first-level robot arm performs the following operations: It self-tests the functionality of its other 1553B controller 101 via the main control module. It wakes up the other 1553B controller 101, which will continue to function as the first-level robot arm, from standby mode and configures it to BC mode. It configures one of the 1553B controllers 101 in the second-level robot arm controller to RT (downstream controller) mode. The end effector of the first-level robot arm grasps the robot arm adapter 300, moves the signal received by the second-level robot arm towards the first-level robot arm, and aligns and locks the base interface of the second-level robot arm with the base socket of the adapter 300, completing the physical connection. After the physical connection is established, the 1553B controller 101 configured in RT mode in the second-level robot arm controller connects to the downlink bus managed by the 1553B controller 101 (upstream controller) configured in BC mode in the first-level robot arm. The BC of the first-level robot arm detects the RT of the second-level robot arm online and reports "cascading successful" to the controller of the first-level robot arm. The controller of the first-level robotic arm reports this status to the platform BC via its RT. The controller of the second-level robotic arm takes another 1553B controller 101 offline from the satellite platform 100 bus. At this point, the 1553B controller communicating between the first-level robotic arm and the satellite platform is RT, and the 1553B controller communicating with the second-level robotic arm is BC (for the second-level robotic arm).

[0053] The communication process in serial operation mode is as follows: Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the system communication topology is: Platform BC — Platform Bus — Primary Robotic Arm RT — Controller Internal Logic — Primary Robotic Arm BC — Secondary Robotic Arm RT. For example, when the platform controls the movement of joint 3 of the secondary robotic arm to 30 degrees, the instruction sequence is as follows: The satellite platform 100BC initiates a "send instruction" transaction on the platform bus. The data block contains the address of the target final RT (secondary robotic arm 1553B controller 101) and its actual control instruction "joint 3, 30 degrees". The primary robotic arm RT receives and parses the data block, recognizing it as an instruction to be forwarded to the next-level RT. The primary robotic arm controller encapsulates the "joint 3, 30 degrees" instruction into a standard 1553B message format. The primary robotic arm BC initiates a "send instruction" transaction on its managed secondary bus, sending out the encapsulated instruction. The secondary robotic arm RT receives and parses the instruction, drives its joint 3 to move to 30 degrees, and can reply to the primary robotic arm BC via a status word, which then reports it up the chain to the platform. To return to independent mode, the above process is executed in reverse. The satellite platform sends a "disconnect" command, the controller of the secondary robotic arm takes its RT address offline, and reconfigures its primary controller to connect to the platform bus with its RT address. The controller of the primary robotic arm then puts its BC into standby mode. After physical separation, the system returns to the state of two independent robotic arms.

[0054] In summary, this invention, through its ingenious hardware design of dual controllers, couplers, and corresponding software control logic, successfully achieved on-orbit dynamic reconfiguration of a space robot communication system based on the 1553B bus, providing crucial technical support for future flexible, intelligent, and multi-tasking on-orbit space services.

[0055] While the invention has been described herein with reference to specific embodiments, it should be understood that these embodiments are merely examples of the principles and applications of the invention. Therefore, it should be understood that many modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments, and other arrangements can be designed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It should be understood that different dependent claims and features described herein can be combined in ways different from those described in the original claims. It is also understood that features described in conjunction with individual embodiments can be used in other described embodiments.

Claims

1. An adaptive connection structure for the communication bus of a reconfigurable space robot system, characterized in that, include: A 1553B controller (101) installed on the satellite platform (100) and connected to the satellite controller, a robotic arm controller installed on the robotic arm (200), and a bus for signal transmission; Each robotic arm controller includes two 1553B controllers (101) and one main control module (201), wherein the two 1553B controllers (101) are respectively connected to the main control module (201); The 1553B controller (101) on the satellite platform is connected via a bus to a 1553B controller (101) located inside the robotic arm (200); When all robotic arm controllers communicate directly with the 1553B controller (101) on the satellite platform via the bus, all robotic arms (200) are first-level robotic arms, performing independent operations. One of the 1553B controllers (101) in the first-level robotic arm receives the communication signal from the satellite platform (100) and transmits it to the connected main control module (201); at the same time, the robotic arm status signal fed back by the main control module (201) is transmitted to the 1553B controller (101) on the satellite platform via the bus. When two robotic arms are connected in series via a robotic arm adapter, the robotic arm connected to the end of the first-level robotic arm becomes the second-level robotic arm. The robotic arm controller of the second-level robotic arm stops communicating directly with the 1553B controller (101) on the satellite platform via the bus and begins to communicate with the other 1553B controller (101) of the first-level robotic arm via the robotic arm adapter. The robotic arm adapter is equipped with two transformer coupling circuits, which are coupled together. The two transformer coupling circuits are respectively coupled to a 1553B controller (101) in one of the two robotic arms connected in series via a bus. The two transformer coupling circuits are connected in parallel. Both transformer coupling circuits are used to couple communication signals received from the connected robotic arm controller to another transformer coupling circuit after impedance transformation. The other transformer coupling circuit then transmits the communication signals to the connected robotic arm via a bus.

2. The adaptive connection structure for the communication bus of the reconfigurable space robot system according to claim 1, characterized in that, When all the robotic arm controllers communicate directly with the 1553B controller (101) on the satellite platform via the bus, another 1553B controller (101) in the robotic arm controllers is in standby mode.

3. The adaptive connection structure for the communication bus of the reconfigurable space robot system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The A and B lines of the main bus are each connected to a matching resistor, and are located at both ends of the bus.

4. The adaptive connection structure for the communication bus of the reconfigurable space robot system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Each transformer coupling circuit includes a coupler (301) and a matching resistor (302) connected to the bus of the coupler (301).

5. The adaptive connection structure for the communication bus of the reconfigurable space robot system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, When the robotic arm controller communicates with the satellite platform (100), it is connected to the bus on the satellite platform (100) through a coupler.

6. The adaptive connection structure for the communication bus of the reconfigurable space robot system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The 1553B controller (101) on the satellite platform (100) is connected to the bus on the satellite platform (100) via a coupler.

7. An adaptive signal transmission method for a communication bus switching control structure of a reconfigurable space robot system, the method being implemented based on the system described in claims 1-6, characterized in that... include: When all robotic arms (200) are performing independent operations, all robotic arms are first-level robotic arms. The 1553B controller (101) on the satellite platform (100) transmits communication signals to a 1553B controller (101) inside the robotic arm via a bus. A 1553B controller (101) inside the robotic arm outputs the received signal to the connected main control module (201); the main control module (201) then feeds back the robotic arm status signal to the 1553B controller (101) on the satellite platform via the 1553B controller (101). When a robotic arm connection command is received, the 1553B controller (101) of the satellite platform (100) sends a drive signal to a 1553B controller (101) that will be used as a secondary robotic arm to move the primary robotic arm that it will be connected to. At the same time, a connection test signal and a robotic arm operation drive signal are sent to a 1553B controller (101) that continues to act as a first-level robotic arm, so that the first-level robotic arm grasps the robotic arm adapter and places the adapter base between the first-level robotic arm base and the second-level robotic arm base, and makes a connection. When a 1553B controller (101) acting as a secondary robotic arm receives a connection test signal from a primary robotic arm, it stops communicating with the 1553B controller (101) on the satellite platform and communicates with another 1553B controller (101) of the primary robotic arm via an adapter (300).

8. The adaptive signal transmission method for the communication bus switching control structure of the reconfigurable space robot system according to claim 7, characterized in that, After receiving the connection test signal and the robot arm operation drive signal as a 1553B controller (101) of the first-level robot arm, the 1553B controller (101) transmits the connection test signal and the robot arm operation drive signal to the connected main control module (201). The main control module (201) sends the test signal to a 1553B controller (101) of the second-level robot arm through another 1553B controller (101) connected to it, and then transmits the drive signal to the drive control module of its own robot arm.

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