Modular control board for an automated conveyor

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of modular control panel for automation conveying device, the control panel includes main control processing unit and array distribution standardization sensor interface, external input voltage is converted into multiple stable low-voltage DC power supply rail by on-board power supply circuit, and unified output is to each sensor interface, realizes the standardization management for external sensor power supply;Each sensor interface is integrated with physical anti-reverse structure, cooperate fixed pin definition, ensure the polar correct of sensor connection, realize plug and play and blind insertion operation;In addition, control panel built-in signal conditioning path includes current limiting, voltage division, filtering, opto-isolation and waveform shaping circuit, can be identified as the standard logic level of microcontroller by the switching value or pulse signal output of each kind of sensor, enhance the anti-interference ability of system;The control panel is also provided with module expansion communication interface, supports multi-board cascade to adapt to the conveying line demand of different length.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of industrial automation control technology, specifically a modular control board for automated conveying devices. Background Technology

[0002] In electronic manufacturing, logistics sorting, and packaging production lines, automated conveyor systems are the core equipment for realizing material flow. Traditional conveyor system control systems typically employ a discrete wiring scheme, where control boards, sensors (such as photoelectric switches and proximity switches), and actuators (such as motors and solenoid valves) are connected in the field via a large number of loose wires.

[0003] The existing technology has the following significant drawbacks: Complex and error-prone wiring: Traditional control boards have confusing interface definitions, and sensor cables often need to be stripped, crimped, and connected one by one on-site. This not only results in a messy wiring harness inside the control cabinet (commonly known as a "spider web"), but also makes it very easy for sensors or control boards to burn out due to wiring errors during maintenance and replacement.

[0004] Distributed power supply system: Existing sensors typically require independent switching power supplies or multiple messy power lines from the control board. This distributed power supply method lacks unified overcurrent and overvoltage protection and cannot adapt to the different voltage requirements (such as 5V, 12V, 24V) of different sensors, resulting in chaotic power management on site.

[0005] Poor signal compatibility: Industrial field sensors have diverse output types (such as NPN, PNP, push-pull output, dry contact, etc.). Traditional control boards require manual jumpers or changes to hardware resistor configurations to match the signal type, making it impossible to achieve plug-and-play functionality for sensors and resulting in long debugging cycles.

[0006] Limited scalability: When it is necessary to extend the conveyor belt or add testing stations, the traditional solution requires to re-lay the main cable and signal lines, which is difficult to construct. In addition, the number of control board interfaces is fixed and it is difficult to flexibly increase or decrease them.

[0007] In conclusion, developing a modular control board with standardized interfaces, unified power supply, adaptive signals, and easy expansion is an urgent problem to be solved in the field of automated transmission. Summary of the Invention

[0008] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the purpose of this invention is to provide a modular control board for an automated conveying device to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, a specific embodiment of the present invention provides a modular control board for an automated conveying device, including a main control processing unit, a power input port, an onboard power circuit, standardized sensor interface terminals, and a physical anti-reverse insertion structure. The power input port is used to connect to an external DC power supply. The input terminal of the onboard power circuit is electrically connected to the power input port to convert the external power supply voltage into at least one low-voltage DC power supply rail. A set of standardized sensor interface terminals is arrayed on the edge region of the control board body. The physical anti-reverse insertion structure is integrated on the physical connector of the standardized sensor interface terminals. The low-voltage DC power supply rail of the onboard power circuit is electrically connected to the power pin VCC and the ground pin GND of each standardized sensor interface terminal to feed power to the inserted external sensor. The input channel port of the main control processing unit is electrically connected to the signal pin SIG of each standardized sensor interface terminal via its respective signal conditioning path. The physical anti-reverse insertion structure is configured such that the connector can only be inserted in a single orientation to avoid reverse connection of the power pin and the signal pin.

[0010] In addition, the modular control board for an automated conveying device proposed in this application may also have the following additional technical features: In one embodiment of this application, the onboard power supply circuit includes a DC-DC buck regulator module, which is configured to convert the 24V DC voltage connected to the power input port into low-voltage DC power rails of 5V and 3.3V, and the low-voltage DC power rails are output to the power pin VCC of each of the standardized sensor interface terminals.

[0011] In one embodiment of this application, the standardized sensor interface terminal is a 3-Pin connector, whose pin arrangement is fixed as follows: the first pin is the power supply pin VCC, the second pin is the signal pin SIG, and the third pin is the ground pin GND; the physical anti-reverse insertion structure is an asymmetrical guide key integrally formed with the housing of the 3-Pin connector, which cooperates with the fixed pin arrangement to ensure that the plug can only be inserted in the correct polarity.

[0012] In one embodiment of this application, the signal conditioning path includes an input channel circuit connected in series between the signal pin SIG and the input capture port of the main control processing unit. The input channel circuit includes one or more combinations of a current limiting network, a voltage divider network, an RC filter stage, a pull-up resistor, a pull-down resistor, an optocoupler isolation stage, and a Schmitt trigger shaping stage to adjust the switching signal or pulse signal of the external sensor to a logic level that the main control processing unit can sample.

[0013] In one embodiment of this application, a module expansion communication interface is also included. The module expansion communication interface is a plug-in communication connector located on the edge of the control board. It is connected to the communication peripheral of the main control processing unit via a bus transceiver and is used for multiple modular control boards to communicate end-to-end via a cascaded bus along the transmission direction.

[0014] In one embodiment of this application, a status indicator array is further included, which is configured one-to-one with each of the standardized sensor interface terminals. Each indicator unit includes at least a power status LED and a signal trigger LED, used to display the power supply status and signal validity status of the corresponding interface.

[0015] In one embodiment of this application, the control board body is encapsulated within an insulating sealing layer, and the insulating sealing layer has corresponding openings at the positions of the standardized sensor interface terminals and the status indicator array.

[0016] The advantages of this invention compared to existing technologies are: (1) By defining a 3-pin standardized interface with fixed pins and a physical anti-reverse insertion structure, the sensor cable can be installed in a "foolproof" manner, without having to distinguish between positive and negative poles and signal types, which greatly reduces the technical requirements for on-site workers.

[0017] (2) The onboard integrated DC-DC step-down regulator module provides a stable and clean DC power supply for all sensors, avoiding interference from external power fluctuations to the control system. At the same time, the insulation and sealing layer improves the moisture-proof, dust-proof and shock-resistant performance of the control board.

[0018] (3) The input channel circuit integrates multiple protections such as current limiting, voltage division, filtering and opto-isolation, and is compatible with most types of industrial sensor signals on the market without manual configuration.

[0019] (4) By expanding the communication interface through modules, multiple control boards can be cascaded, easily meeting the needs of long-distance, multi-station transmission lines and greatly reducing the cost of system expansion.

[0020] Additional aspects and advantages of this application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a modular control board for an automated conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a partial structural diagram of a modular control board for an automated conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 ; Figure 3 This is a partial structural diagram of a modular control board for an automated conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 ; Figure 4 This is a partial structural diagram of a modular control board for an automated conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 ; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the internal electrical connections of a modular control board for an automated conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the modular composition of a modular control board for an automated conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Main control processing unit; 2. Power input port; 3. Onboard power supply circuit; 31. DC-DC step-down voltage regulator module; 4. Standardized sensor interface terminal; 5. Input channel circuit; 6. Module expansion communication interface; 7. Physical anti-reverse insertion structure; 10. Status indicator array; 11. Insulating sealing layer. Detailed Implementation

[0024] 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 some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. 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.

[0025] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a modular control board for an automated conveying device, which is made of a high-density multilayer printed circuit board (PCB). The control board body is physically divided into a logic control area and an interface function area.

[0026] The core of the logic control area is the main control processing unit 1. In this embodiment, the main control processing unit 1 uses the STM32F103 series high-performance microcontroller from STMicroelectronics as its core chip. This chip integrates an ARM Cortex-M3 core, multiple general purpose input / output (GPIO) ports, advanced timers, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and multiple serial communication interfaces (USART, SPI, I2C). The main control processing unit 1 is soldered onto the upper core board and interconnected with the lower interface functional area via board-to-board connectors. The main control processing unit 1 is responsible for parsing sensor signals, executing transmission logic algorithms, and controlling external actuators (such as motor start / stop and cylinder movement).

[0027] In one embodiment of this application, the power input port 2 is located on the side edge of the control board and uses a screw-type terminal block (such as KF128-2P). In automated production line applications, the external DC power supply is typically an industrial standard 24V DC power supply, which is connected to the power input port 2 via a wire.

[0028] The onboard power supply circuit 3 is integrated into the power layer of the control board. Since the main control processing unit 1 and its peripheral digital circuits typically require a lower DC voltage (such as 5V or 3.3V) to operate, and the connected external sensors may also require different voltage levels, the onboard power supply circuit 3 undertakes the voltage conversion task.

[0029] Specifically, the onboard power supply circuit 3 includes a DC-DC buck regulator module 31. This module 31 is constructed using a switching buck chip (such as the MP1584EN or LM2596 series) and its surrounding inductors, capacitors, and feedback resistor network. When an external 24V DC voltage is input, the DC-DC buck regulator module 31 uses PWM modulation technology to efficiently convert the high-voltage 24V into two independent low-voltage DC power rails: one is a 5V DC power rail, and the other is a 3.3V DC power rail. These two voltages are delivered to the respective functional modules through copper plating on the power plane inside the control board.

[0030] In one embodiment of this application, a set of standardized sensor interface terminals 4 are arranged in an array on the edge region of the control board. In this embodiment, the standardized sensor interface terminals 4 are straight-through pin headers (model XH-3A or PH-3A) with a pitch of 2.54mm.

[0031] To eliminate wiring confusion and achieve plug-and-play functionality, the pin definitions for all standardized sensor interface terminals 4 have been enforced. Pin 1 of each terminal is defined as the power supply pin VCC, pin 2 as the signal pin SIG, and pin 3 as the ground pin GND.

[0032] In accordance with the aforementioned pin definitions, each standardized sensor interface terminal 4 integrates a physical anti-reverse insertion structure 7 on its physical connector. This structure 7 is implemented as follows: in addition to the conventional snap-fit ​​structure, an asymmetrical guide key (e.g., a raised ridge or groove on one side) is integrally molded onto the connector's plastic housing. A corresponding slot is also provided on the matching sensor plug housing. Since the position of this guide key is fixed and strongly correlated with the relative positions of pin 1 (VCC) and pin 3 (GND), when an operator attempts to insert the plug in reverse, the guide key will physically interfere with the socket housing, preventing insertion. This design ensures that the sensor plug can only be inserted with the correct polarity (VCC to VCC, GND to GND, SIG to SIG), fundamentally eliminating the risk of short circuits and burnout due to reverse connection.

[0033] In one embodiment of this application, when an external sensor (such as a photoelectric switch or proximity switch) is connected to the standardized sensor interface terminal 4, its signal needs to be transmitted to the main control processing unit 1 through a signal conditioning path. This path is implemented by the input channel circuit 5.

[0034] Input channel circuit 5 is connected in series between signal pin SIG and the input capture port of main control processing unit 1. To be compatible with various sensor types such as NPN, PNP, and dry contact, and to resist electromagnetic interference in industrial environments, input channel circuit 5 employs a combination of multi-stage processing circuits: Current limiting network and voltage divider network: The signal pin SIG is first connected to a series network consisting of resistors R1 and R2. R1 acts as a current limiting resistor, limiting the current flowing into the subsequent circuit to prevent excessive current from damaging the chip; R2 acts as a voltage divider resistor, working with the subsequent circuit to clamp the voltage signal output by the sensor (which may be 24V, 12V, or 5V) within a safe level range suitable for reading by the main control processing unit 1.

[0035] RC Filter Stage: The signal after voltage division enters a low-pass filter circuit composed of resistor R3 and capacitor C1. This RC filter stage is used to filter out high-frequency glitches and interference on the signal line (such as transient pulses generated by relay activation), improving the signal-to-noise ratio.

[0036] Pull-up and pull-down resistor configuration: Depending on the sensor type, the signal line is connected to a pull-up resistor (connected to VCC) or a pull-down resistor (connected to GND) via a jumper or default connection to ensure that the signal line remains at a defined high or low level when there is no signal input, thus avoiding false triggering caused by floating.

[0037] Optocoupler isolation stage: After preprocessing, the signal is input to the input side of the optocoupler. The optocoupler uses optical signal transmission to achieve electrical isolation between the input and output sides, completely cutting off the common-mode interference loop between the sensor ground and the control board ground, and protecting the main control processing unit 1 from high-voltage impacts.

[0038] Schmitt Trigger Shaping Stage: The output signal of the optocoupler may have edge jitter or irregular waveforms, so the signal then enters a Schmitt trigger (such as 74HC14). The Schmitt trigger utilizes its hysteresis characteristic to tune the slowly changing input signal to a steep, clean standard TTL / CMOS logic level (0V or 3.3V), ultimately delivering it to the GPIO port or timer input capture pin of the main control processing unit 1.

[0039] Through the above multi-stage processing, regardless of the form of switching quantity or pulse signal output by the external sensor, the main control processing unit 1 can receive a stable and reliable logic level.

[0040] In one embodiment of this application, in order to meet the expansion requirements of long-distance conveyor belts, the control board is also provided with a module expansion communication interface 6. This interface 6 is a plug-in communication connector (such as an RJ45 network port or an 8P DuPont connector) located on the other edge of the control board.

[0041] The module expansion communication interface 6 is internally connected to the serial communication peripherals of the main control processing unit 1 via a bus transceiver (such as MAX3485 for RS485 communication or TJA1050 for CAN communication). In practical applications, when the production line needs to add inspection stations, the user only needs to connect the module expansion communication interface 6 of the first control board to the module expansion communication interface 6 of the second control board via a twisted pair or network cable, and so on to form a daisy-chain topology. The main control processing unit 1 uses a bus protocol (such as Modbus RTU or a custom protocol) to address and manage all cascaded control boards, achieving seamless system expansion.

[0042] In one embodiment of this application, for ease of on-site debugging and maintenance, the control board is provided with a status indicator array 10. The status indicator array 10 consists of multiple light-emitting diodes (LEDs), each corresponding to a standardized sensor interface terminal 4.

[0043] Each indicator unit contains two LEDs: Power status LED: The anode is connected to the VCC pin of standardized sensor interface terminal 4 via a current-limiting resistor. When the sensor is correctly inserted and powered, this LED is constantly lit, visually indicating that the power supply is normal.

[0044] Signal-triggered LED: The cathode is connected to the output of input channel circuit 5. When the sensor detects an object and outputs a valid signal, this LED flashes, visually indicating that the signal channel is clear.

[0045] Finally, to improve the reliability of the control board in harsh industrial environments (dust, humidity, vibration), the control board body is encapsulated within an insulating sealing layer 11. The specific process is as follows: after SMT assembly and functional testing, the control board is placed in a mold, and liquid epoxy resin or polyurethane potting compound is injected. After curing, the insulating sealing layer 11 is formed. This sealing layer completely covers the electronic components on the control board, exposing only the pins of the standardized sensor interface terminal 4, the light-transmitting window of the status indicator array 10, and the metal conductor portion of the power input port 2. This encapsulation method effectively isolates external moisture, conductive dust, and mechanical impact, significantly extending the equipment's lifespan.

[0046] Workflow Description 1. Power-on initialization: When the system is connected to a 24V external power supply, the onboard power circuit 3 starts up, outputting 5V and 3.3V voltages. The main control processing unit 1 resets and begins running the firmware program.

[0047] 2. Sensor Connection: The operator aligns the sensor connector with the standardized sensor interface terminal 4 and inserts it. Due to the physical anti-reverse insertion structure 7, it can only be inserted properly if the polarity is correct.

[0048] 3. Unified power supply: Once inserted, the sensor’s power supply terminal is immediately connected to the 5V power supply rail of the onboard power circuit 3 through pin 1 (VCC) of terminal 4, and the ground terminal is connected through pin 3 (GND), so that the sensor can immediately obtain working power.

[0049] 4. Signal Transmission and Processing: When the sensor detects an object, the output level of the SIG signal pin changes. This changing signal is then processed by the input channel circuit 5 through current limiting, voltage division, filtering, isolation, and shaping, and converted into a digital logic signal that can be recognized by the main control processing unit 1.

[0050] 5. Logic Control: The main control processing unit 1 scans the status of all input channel circuits 5 in real time. When a specific sensor (e.g., the starting end photoelectric switch) is detected to be triggered, the main control processing unit 1 controls the conveyor belt motor to start or stop according to preset logic through the expansion interface or its own output port.

[0051] 6. Status feedback: During signal transmission, the power LED of the status indicator array 10 remains constantly lit, and the signal LED flashes when triggered by the sensor, providing visual feedback to maintenance personnel.

[0052] 7. System Expansion: If more workstations need to be monitored, simply connect a new control board through the module expansion communication interface 6. The main control processing unit 1 will automatically identify the address of the new node and extend the control range to the new physical area.

[0053] It should be noted that the control method in the embodiments of this application can be automatically controlled by a controller. The control method of the controller can be implemented by simple programming by those skilled in the art, which is common knowledge in the field. Furthermore, this application is mainly used to protect mechanical structures, so the control method and circuit connection will not be explained in detail here.

[0054] The technical solutions described in the embodiments of this application solve the problems of messy wiring and dispersed power supply in traditional automated conveying devices by setting up a main control processing unit 1 and a standardized sensor interface terminal 4 distributed in an array, combined with the unified power supply design of the onboard power supply circuit 3. By utilizing the physical anti-reverse insertion structure 7 and the asymmetrical pin arrangement, blind insertion and foolproofing of sensors are achieved, significantly reducing the risk of wiring errors in the field. At the same time, through the multi-level signal processing of the current limiting network, voltage divider network, optocoupler isolation stage and Schmitt trigger shaping stage in the input channel circuit 5, the compatibility of the control board with different types of sensor signals and its resistance to industrial field interference are enhanced. In addition, the module expansion communication interface 6 supports multi-board cascading, the status indicator array 10 provides intuitive visual feedback, and the encapsulation protection of the insulating sealing layer 11, all of which improve the deployment efficiency, maintainability and operational stability of the automated conveying system in harsh environments.

[0055] Obviously, the above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present invention fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention and their equivalents, the present invention also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A modular control board for an automated conveying device, characterized in that, It includes a main control processing unit (1), a power input port (2), an onboard power circuit (3), standardized sensor interface terminals (4), and a physical anti-reverse insertion structure (7). The power input port (2) is used to connect to an external DC power supply; The input terminal of the onboard power circuit (3) is electrically connected to the power input port (2) to convert the external power supply voltage into at least one low-voltage DC power supply rail; A set of standardized sensor interface terminals (4) are arrayed in the edge area of ​​the control board body; The physical anti-reverse insertion structure (7) is integrated on the physical connector of the standardized sensor interface terminal (4); The low-voltage DC power supply rail of the onboard power supply circuit (3) is electrically connected to the power supply pin VCC and the ground pin GND of each of the standardized sensor interface terminals (4) to feed power to the inserted external sensor. The input channel ports of the main control processing unit (1) are electrically connected to the signal pins SIG of each of the standardized sensor interface terminals (4) via their respective signal conditioning paths; The physical anti-reverse insertion structure (7) is configured such that the connector can only be inserted in a single orientation to avoid the power pins and signal pins being reversed.

2. A modular control board for an automated conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The onboard power supply circuit (3) includes a DC-DC step-down regulator module (31), which is configured to convert the 24V DC voltage connected to the power input port (2) into low-voltage DC power rails of 5V and 3.3V, which are output to the power pin VCC of each of the standardized sensor interface terminals (4).

3. A modular control board for an automated conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The standardized sensor interface terminal (4) is a 3-Pin connector, and its pin arrangement is fixed as follows: the first pin is the power supply pin VCC, the second pin is the signal pin SIG, and the third pin is the ground pin GND; the physical anti-reverse insertion structure (7) is an asymmetrical guide key integrally formed with the housing of the 3-Pin connector, which cooperates with the fixed pin arrangement to ensure that the plug can only be inserted in the correct polarity.

4. A modular control board for an automated conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The signal conditioning path includes an input channel circuit (5), which is connected in series between the signal pin SIG and the input capture port of the main control processing unit (1). It includes one or more combinations of a current limiting network, a voltage divider network, an RC filter stage, a pull-up resistor, a pull-down resistor, an optocoupler isolation stage, and a Schmitt trigger shaping stage to adjust the switch signal or pulse signal of the external sensor to a logic level that the main control processing unit (1) can sample.

5. A modular control board for an automated conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a module expansion communication interface (6), which is a plug-in communication connector located on the edge of the control board. It is connected to the communication peripheral of the main control processing unit (1) via a bus transceiver and is used for multiple modular control boards to communicate end-to-end via a cascaded bus along the transmission direction.

6. A modular control board for an automated conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a status indicator array (10), which is configured one-to-one with each of the standardized sensor interface terminals (4). Each indicator unit includes at least a power status LED and a signal trigger LED to display the power supply status and signal validity status of the corresponding interface.

7. A modular control board for an automated conveying device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The control board body is encapsulated in an insulating sealing layer (11), and the insulating sealing layer (11) has corresponding openings at the positions of the standardized sensor interface terminal (4) and the status indicator array (10).

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