Robot operation monitoring method and system based on multi-station IO signals

Abstract

This invention discloses a robot operation monitoring method and system based on multi-station I / O signals, relating to the field of industrial robot technology. The method includes: collecting I / O signals such as arrival status, status, and feedback from loading, testing, and unloading stations; determining the waiting, running, completed, and abnormal states of each station; when all stations are in a waiting or completed state, sending a start signal to the robot to control it to perform material picking or unloading actions; and monitoring the I / O signals of each station in real time during robot operation, generating an alarm and stopping the robot if any station signal is abnormal. This invention solves the technical problem of the lack of an effective collaborative monitoring mechanism between multiple stations and the robot in loading and unloading equipment, which easily leads to misoperation and material damage due to unclear status or abnormal signals. It achieves precise triggering of robot actions and abnormal self-locking, thereby improving the safety and reliability of automated operations.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of industrial robots, and in particular to a robot operation monitoring method and system based on multi-station IO signals. Background Art

[0002] Multi-station robots are widely used in loading and unloading equipment for testing processes. The reliability of coordinated operation between stations and robots directly affects production safety and operation efficiency, and station IO signals are an important basis for equipment state perception. In the prior art, robot loading and unloading control mostly directly uses original IO levels to implement simple interlocks, and relies on robot body signals for safety protection. This method can basically meet the usage requirements in workstations with simple working conditions, but as the safety requirements of automated production for equipment continue to rise, traditional control methods show obvious defects when applied to the multi-station linkage scenario of loading-testing-unloading.

[0003] The prior art at least has the following problems: due to the complex interaction of multiple stations, traditional means cannot analyze the business state of each station based on IO signals, it is difficult to achieve effective constraint of station states on robot start and stop, the robot operation process lacks continuous monitoring of IO signals of each station, interference between station actions and robot actions is prone to occur, and it is difficult to ensure the operation safety of equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides a robot operation monitoring method and system based on multi-station IO signals, which solves the technical problem that there is a lack of an effective collaborative monitoring mechanism between multiple stations and the robot in loading and unloading equipment, and misoperation and material damage are easily caused by unknown states or abnormal signals.

[0005] In a first aspect of the present application, a robot operation monitoring method based on multi-station IO signals is provided, and the method includes: collecting respective IO signals of the loading station, the testing station and the unloading station, where the IO signals include in-place signals, state signals and feedback signals of each station; judging the current state of each station according to the IO signal of each station, where the current state includes a standby state, an operating state, a completed state and an abnormal state; when all the stations are in the standby state or the completed state, sending a start signal to the robot to control the robot to perform a material taking action or a material placing action; during the operation of the robot, monitoring the IO signal of each station in real time, and when the IO signal of any station is abnormal, generating an alarm signal and controlling the robot to stop operating.

[0006] In a second aspect of the present application, a robot operation monitoring system based on multi-station IO signals is provided, the system comprising: a multi-station IO signal acquisition module, configured to collect respective IO signals of the loading station, the testing station and the unloading station, where the IO signals include in-position signals, status signals and feedback signals of each station; a multi-station status determination module, configured to judge the current status of each station according to the IO signals of each station, where the current status includes a material waiting status, an operating status, a completed status and an abnormal status; a robot motion control module, configured to send a start signal to the robot when all stations are in the material waiting status or the completed status, so as to control the robot to perform a material picking motion or a material placing motion; and a robot operation monitoring module, configured to monitor the IO signals of each station in real time during the operation of the robot, and generate an alarm signal and control the robot to stop operating when the IO signal of any station is abnormal.

[0007] The one or more technical solutions provided in the present application at least have the following technical effects or advantages:

[0008] By collecting the sensing signals of the loading, testing and unloading stations, performing signal logic analysis to identify the actual working conditions of the stations, managing and controlling the material picking and placing motions of the robot according to the station working condition conditions, continuously monitoring abnormal station signals throughout the operation process, and executing shutdown alarm and reset verification, the present application realizes linkage protection between multiple stations and the robot, makes the robot operation control of the loading and unloading equipment in the testing process safer and more reliable, achieves precise triggering of robot motions and abnormal self-locking, thereby obtaining the technical effect of improving the safety and reliability of automated operations. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following will briefly introduce the drawings that need to be used in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention, and for those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings without any creative effort.

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic flow chart of the robot operation monitoring method based on multi-station IO signals provided by the embodiments of the present application.

[0011] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the robot operation monitoring system based on multi-station IO signals provided by the embodiments of the present application.

[0012] Description of reference numerals in the drawings: multi-station IO signal acquisition module 1, multi-station status determination module 2, robot motion control module 3, robot operation monitoring module 4. Detailed Description of the Embodiments

[0013] This application provides a robot operation monitoring method and system based on multi-station IO signals, which solves the technical problems of lack of effective collaborative monitoring mechanism between multi-station and robot in loading and unloading equipment, and easy misoperation and material damage due to unclear status or abnormal signals.

[0014] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application 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 this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0015] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or server that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or modules not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0016] Example 1, as Figure 1 As shown, a robot operation monitoring method based on multi-station I / O signals is described, wherein the method includes:

[0017] The I / O signals of the loading station, the testing station and the unloading station are collected. The I / O signals include the position signal, status signal and feedback signal of each station.

[0018] Specifically, this method is applied to the loading and unloading equipment in the testing process. This equipment includes a loading station, a testing station, an unloading station, and a robot. The loading station is equipped with a loading trolley and a servo-driven lifting and conveying mechanism to store the materials to be tested and to lift the material trays to a preset pick-up position. The testing station is equipped with a material positioning fixture and a testing execution mechanism to perform preset testing procedures on the materials. The unloading station is equipped with a servo-driven lifting mechanism for OK products, a servo-driven lifting mechanism for full-material transfer, and a NG material discharge tray to receive qualified and unqualified products respectively and to transfer and store the qualified product trays. The robot, a six-axis industrial arm, is deployed in the center of the work area enclosed by the loading, testing, and unloading stations to perform material picking, handling, and unloading operations between the stations. All kinds of detection elements and actuators at the loading, testing, and unloading stations, as well as the robot's control interface, are connected to the main control unit of the equipment. The main control unit uniformly realizes signal acquisition, logic judgment, and motion control, ensuring that each station and the robot operate collaboratively according to the process flow.

[0019] Before the loading and unloading equipment in the testing process is put into operation, corresponding detection and feedback elements are pre-deployed at the loading station, testing station, and unloading station. Position sensors are installed at the material stopping positions of each station. Specifically, the position sensor at the loading station is installed at the material-ready position of the loading servo lifting conveyor; the position sensor at the testing station is installed at the testing positioning position; and the position sensor at the unloading station is installed at the material-ready position of the unloading servo lifting mechanism. These sensors are used to detect whether the material or tray has reached the designated operating position.

[0020] The status signals are taken from the operating status output terminals of the execution mechanisms of each workstation. The status signals of the loading and unloading workstations correspond to the operating status outputs of the loading servo lifting mechanism and the unloading servo lifting mechanism, respectively. The status signal of the testing workstation corresponds to the operating status output of the execution mechanism of the testing process, and is used to output the execution progress signal of the current process.

[0021] Feedback signals are taken from the position feedback terminals of the actuators such as cylinders and servo mechanisms at each workstation. Specifically, this includes the motion position feedback of the feeding tray in / out cylinder, the unloading tray in / out cylinder, the barcode scanning lateral movement cylinder, and the limit feedback of the servo lifting mechanism. These signals are used to provide feedback on the actual position and completion status of the executed actions. The signal output terminals of all components are uniformly connected to the main control unit of the equipment to establish a stable signal transmission path.

[0022] Then, throughout the entire equipment operation cycle, the main control unit synchronously acquires I / O signals from the loading, testing, and unloading stations according to a preset fixed sampling period. Within each sampling period, the main control unit sequentially reads the arrival signal, status signal, and feedback signal from the three stations. The raw level signals are processed using conventional delay debouncing and level filtering techniques. A valid signal is determined by ensuring consistent levels across multiple sampling periods, thus filtering out transient signals caused by electromagnetic interference and obtaining stable and valid signal data. The main control unit categorizes and buffers the acquired signals according to station type and signal type to ensure accurate correspondence between signal timing and station.

[0023] By synchronously deploying, collecting, and preprocessing multiple types of I / O signals from the three workstations, complete and accurate input data is provided for subsequent workstation status determination, ensuring the reliable execution of subsequent robot linkage control logic.

[0024] The current status of each workstation is determined based on the IO signals of each workstation. The current status includes waiting for materials, running, completed and abnormal status.

[0025] Optionally, based on the high and low level combinations of the arrival signal and status signal of each workstation, the workstation is determined to be in the waiting state, running state, or completed state, respectively. If the signal combination does not conform to the preset rules, it is determined to be an abnormal state. The specific implementation process of this step will be described in detail later.

[0026] When each workstation is in the waiting-for-materials or completed state, a start signal is sent to the robot to control the robot to perform material picking or unloading actions.

[0027] In one embodiment of this application, after completing the status determination of all workstations, the main control unit performs a unified traversal verification of the current status of the three workstations. The main control unit sequentially reads the status enumeration values ​​of the loading workstation, testing workstation, and unloading workstation, and determines whether the status of each workstation is either in a waiting state or a completed state. A typical allowed start condition is that the loading workstation is in a completed state, the testing workstation is in a waiting state, and the unloading workstation is in a waiting state. When all workstations meet the status conditions and there are no running or abnormal states, the preconditions for robot start are determined to be met. When any workstation is in a running or abnormal state, the start condition is determined not to be met, the robot remains in standby state, and no start command is output.

[0028] After the preconditions for startup are met, the main control unit determines the type of action the robot is currently performing and the target station based on the state combination of each workstation and the process flow sequence. According to the flow logic of the testing process, when the loading station is in a completed state, a corresponding material retrieval action command is generated, controlling the robot to go to the loading station to retrieve the material to be tested and deliver it to the testing station in a waiting state. When the testing station is in a completed state, a corresponding material retrieval action command is generated, controlling the robot to go to the testing station to retrieve the material that has completed the test and deliver it to the unloading station in a waiting state. When the unloading station is in a waiting state, the robot's unloading action is initiated, completing the material unloading and placement.

[0029] The main control unit sends a start signal to the robot controller via a digital output channel. The start signal uses the same PNP digital output format as the input signal; a high level indicates a valid trigger signal, and the signal is continuously output until feedback from the robot indicating completion of its action is received. Upon receiving a continuously valid start signal, the robot controller invokes the corresponding preset motion program, controlling the robot's end effector to move to the target workstation and execute the corresponding material handling or unloading action. After the start signal is output, the main control unit latches the start command and will not resend the start command until it receives a feedback signal from the robot indicating completion of its action, thus avoiding repeated triggering and potential motion confusion.

[0030] After the robot completes the corresponding action, it returns an action completion signal to the main control unit. The main control unit releases the start latch and immediately triggers a new round of full-station IO signal acquisition and status determination, entering the next round of status verification cycle to maintain the continuous operation of the process flow.

[0031] By uniformly traversing and verifying the status of all workstations before outputting the robot start command, it is ensured that all workstations are in a safe and ready state when the robot moves, effectively avoiding interference between the workstations and the robot's movements, and ensuring the orderliness and operational safety of multi-workstation collaborative operations.

[0032] During the operation of the robot, the IO signals of each workstation are monitored in real time. When the IO signal of any workstation is abnormal, an alarm signal is generated and the robot is controlled to stop running.

[0033] Specifically, in existing technologies, safety monitoring during robot operation mainly focuses on the robot's own faults such as abnormal axis movement and excessive torque. There is a lack of a full-process linkage monitoring mechanism for abnormal states of I / O signals at the workstation. When I / O abnormalities such as sensor failure or material displacement occur at the workstation, the robot continues to operate according to the preset program, which can easily lead to production accidents such as material collisions and equipment interference, resulting in insufficient safety protection levels.

[0034] Firstly, throughout the entire process of the robot performing material picking or unloading actions, the main control unit maintains the original fixed sampling period of 10 milliseconds, continuously and cyclically collecting the arrival signals, status signals, and feedback signals from the loading station, testing station, and unloading station. The acquisition and verification logic remains consistent with the standby phase, ensuring that the signal monitoring link is not interrupted due to robot startup. The IO signal sampling period is much shorter than the robot's action response period, ensuring that abnormal states can be detected before the robot makes further displacement, thus solidifying the technical foundation for real-time monitoring and timely shutdown, and perceiving signal changes at each station throughout the entire process.

[0035] Next, after each IO signal acquisition, the main control unit immediately performs anomaly verification on the real-time acquired IO signal. The anomaly judgment rules include three scenarios. The first is signal logic combination anomaly, that is, the combination of the station's arrival signal and status signal does not conform to the preset normal state rules, corresponding to sensor failure or material displacement scenarios. The second is signal timing anomaly, that is, the signal state switching does not match the robot's movement progress. The main control unit pre-stores the expected signal switching time window for each stage of the robot's movement. If the signal switching time exceeds the preset time window, it is judged as a timing anomaly, such as the material unloading station's arrival signal being triggered prematurely or delayed during the robot's material unloading action. The third is status timeout anomaly, that is, the duration of the station's running state exceeds the preset maximum process duration, typically set to 30 seconds. This parameter can be adaptively adjusted according to the actual process cycle, corresponding to process jamming or actuator failure scenarios. If any of the three scenarios is met, the IO signal of that station is judged to be abnormal. After the judgment is completed, an alarm output and shutdown control logic are immediately triggered.

[0036] When an abnormality is detected in the I / O signal of any workstation, the main control unit immediately generates an alarm signal. The alarm signal adopts the same PNP type digital output format as described above, and a high level triggers the audible and visual alarm. One path of the alarm signal triggers the on-site audible and visual alarm through the digital output channel, while the other path uploads information about the abnormal workstation and abnormality type to the host computer system via the communication link. Simultaneously, the main control unit immediately sends a stop command to the robot controller. The robot adopts an instant posture hold-stop mode. Upon receiving the command, it immediately interrupts the motion command output and maintains the current mechanical posture, does not perform automatic return-to-zero action, and stops moving towards the target workstation to avoid equipment collisions and material damage caused by continued operation or return-to-zero action under abnormal conditions.

[0037] Finally, after the on-site personnel skilled in the art have eliminated the anomaly and manually reset the alarm, the main control unit re-verifies the I / O signals and status of all workstations. Only after confirming that everything is normal will the robot's operation control be restored.

[0038] By continuously monitoring the I / O signals of each station throughout the robot's entire operating cycle and executing abnormal linkage shutdown control, various abnormal working conditions at the station can be identified in a timely manner and subsequent robot actions can be blocked, effectively avoiding equipment interference and material damage, and improving the operational safety and fault protection capabilities of the multi-station loading and unloading system.

[0039] Furthermore, the method provided in this application embodiment includes:

[0040] The arrival signals include a loading arrival signal, which is collected by a loading arrival sensor installed at the loading station, to indicate that the material tray has reached the loading position; a test arrival signal, which is collected by a test arrival sensor installed at the test station, to indicate that the material has reached the test position; and a unloading arrival signal, which is collected by a unloading arrival sensor installed at the unloading station, to indicate that the material has reached the unloading position.

[0041] Specifically, independent arrival detection elements are configured for the loading, testing, and unloading stations. Diffuse reflection photoelectric sensors, commonly used in industrial environments, are employed as arrival sensors. Alternatively, depending on the material of the object being detected and the installation space, conventional arrival detection devices in the field, such as through-beam photoelectric sensors or inductive proximity switches, can be used as equivalent replacements. The loading arrival sensor is installed on the side of the material to be picked up on the loading servo lifting conveyor mechanism, with the detection surface facing the side positioning surface of the material tray. The sensor is triggered when the material tray is lifted to the preset picking height. The testing arrival sensor is installed next to the material positioning fixture at the testing station, with the detection surface facing the positioning end face of the material. The sensor is triggered when the material is placed in the testing positioning position. The unloading arrival sensor is installed on the side of the material to be unloaded on the unloading servo lifting mechanism, with the detection surface facing the receiving surface of the material tray. The sensor is triggered when the material tray descends to the preset unloading height.

[0042] All position sensors adopt a PNP type output format that matches the input channel of the main control unit. The power supply terminal of the sensor is connected to the unified DC 24V power supply circuit of the equipment, and the signal output terminals are connected to the corresponding digital input terminals of the main control unit. The common terminal is connected to the negative terminal of the power supply to form a complete signal transmission circuit. After the wiring is completed, a continuity test is performed on each sensor. Manually move the tray or material to the corresponding position to confirm that the main control unit can receive a high-level signal. After the material or tray is removed, the signal returns to a low level, ensuring the correctness and availability of the hardware connection.

[0043] The main control unit uses a fixed 10-millisecond scan cycle as a typical parameter to cyclically collect the output signals from the loading position sensor, the testing position sensor, and the unloading position sensor. This scan cycle parameter can be adaptively adjusted according to the intensity of electromagnetic interference and mechanical vibration at the site. Each acquired level signal is not directly used as a valid signal. Instead, it is verified using a conventional delay-based anti-jitter method. The typical judgment rule is that if the same level state is detected for three consecutive scan cycles, the level is determined to be the current valid signal. The number of anti-jitter judgment cycles can be adjusted according to the degree of interference at the site. If a momentary level jump occurs and its duration is less than the set number of judgment cycles, it is judged as an interference signal, filtered out, and the current position status is not updated.

[0044] Furthermore, the main control unit performs state mapping on the verified valid level signals, uniformly adopting the logic rule that high level corresponds to the in-position state and low level corresponds to the not-in-position state. When the sensor outputs a high level, a valid in-position indication is generated for that station; when the sensor outputs a low level, an invalid in-position indication is generated for that station. Finally, independent loading in-position signals, test in-position signals, and unloading in-position signals are output respectively. All three types of signals are stored in the status register of the main control unit in Boolean form, serving as one of the input parameters for subsequent station status determination and for subsequent logic calls.

[0045] By deploying dedicated position sensors at each of the three workstations and performing unified hardware wiring, periodic data acquisition, anti-shake verification, and status mapping processing, a stable and accurate detection basis is provided for material or tray position identification at each workstation, ensuring the reliable operation of subsequent workstation status determination logic.

[0046] Furthermore, the method provided in this application embodiment includes:

[0047] When the arrival signal of a workstation is low and the status signal is low, the workstation is determined to be in the waiting state; when the arrival signal of a workstation is high and the status signal is low, the workstation is determined to be in the running state; when the arrival signal of a workstation is high and the status signal is high, the workstation is determined to be in the completed state; when the logical combination of the arrival signal and the status signal of a workstation does not conform to the preset combination rule, the workstation is determined to be in the abnormal state.

[0048] Optionally, after the main control unit completes the acquisition and preprocessing of IO signals in each sampling cycle, it immediately executes the status determination of each station. The loading station, testing station, and unloading station execute their determination logic independently without affecting each other. The main control unit retrieves the corresponding arrival signal and status signal for each station. All signals adopt a unified level definition rule: a high level corresponds to a valid signal trigger, and a low level corresponds to a non-triggered signal. The status signal is taken from the running progress output terminal of the corresponding station's process execution mechanism. A low level corresponds to the process being executed, and a high level corresponds to the process being completed, ensuring that the determination criteria of each station are consistent with the physical meaning of the signals.

[0049] Next, a logical AND operation is used to determine the two signals at each workstation group by group. When the arrival signal is low and the status signal is low, it indicates that there is no material to be processed at the workstation and the process execution mechanism is in standby mode, and the workstation is determined to be in a waiting state. When the arrival signal is high and the status signal is low, it indicates that the material has arrived at the workstation and the process execution mechanism is running, and the workstation is determined to be in a running state. When the arrival signal is high and the status signal is high, it indicates that the material is still at the workstation and the corresponding process has been completed, and the workstation is determined to be in a completed state.

[0050] Finally, a comprehensive verification is performed on all combinations of the two signals. If the signal combination does not conform to the three preset rules mentioned above, the workstation is determined to be in an abnormal state. A typical abnormal combination is a low-level position signal and a high-level status signal, corresponding to scenarios such as sensor failure, signal disconnection, or logic conflict. After completing the status determination for all workstations, the status results of each workstation are stored in an enumerated form in the corresponding status storage unit as the input basis for subsequent robot control logic.

[0051] By logically combining and mapping two IO signals into four standardized workstation states, a unified abstraction and clear identification of workstation conditions is achieved, providing a reliable basis for subsequent robot linkage control and safety protection.

[0052] Furthermore, the method provided in this application embodiment includes:

[0053] Obtain the number of materials loaded at the loading station; determine whether the number of materials loaded is greater than zero. If so, send a start signal to the robot corresponding to the highest priority station in the waiting state according to the preset station priority order; if not, do not send a start signal and maintain the robot in standby state. The preset station priority order is that the loading station has a higher priority than the testing station, and the testing station has a higher priority than the unloading station.

[0054] Specifically, existing multi-station loading and unloading systems mostly use a fixed polling sequence or single-task sequential execution mode for robot task scheduling, without combining the quantity of materials to be loaded with the priority of the workstation for dynamic scheduling. This can easily lead to material accumulation at the loading station and waiting for materials at the testing station, resulting in low overall workflow efficiency.

[0055] First, after all workstations have passed the pre-verification of being in either the waiting-for-materials or completed state, and before officially sending a start signal to the robot, the main control unit executes this priority scheduling logic. This logic is only used to determine the target workstation in scenarios with multiple executable tasks, avoiding action conflicts caused by multiple tasks running concurrently. The main control unit has an independent material count register. When the equipment is powered on or restarted after a fault reset, the count register is automatically initialized to zero. After manual confirmation of material inventory at the material loading station, the count value can be manually calibrated to the actual material quantity through the operation interface. During normal operation, each time a new material tray is loaded at a material loading station and the material arrival signal is triggered at a high level, the main control unit increments the count register value by one. Each time the robot completes a material retrieval action from the material loading station and returns with action completion feedback, the main control unit decrements the count register value by one. When a workstation is determined to be in an abnormal state, the counting update operation for the corresponding workstation is paused. After the abnormal fault is resolved and the material quantity is manually confirmed, the count register value is reset to ensure the accuracy of the counting data.

[0056] Next, after each determination that the robot's pre-start conditions are met, the main control unit directly reads the current value of the loading count register to obtain the loading count information of the loading station. The main control unit checks whether the read loading count is greater than zero. If the loading count is not greater than zero, it means there are no materials to be processed, so no start command is generated, no start signal is sent to the robot controller, the current start process is terminated, the robot remains in standby state, and waits for the next round of status verification. If the loading count is greater than zero, the station status is traversed and queried according to the preset station priority order, where the preset station priority order is: loading station priority is higher than test station priority, and test station priority is higher than unloading station priority.

[0057] Next, the main control unit checks the current status of the loading station, testing station, and unloading station in descending order of priority, and finds the station in a waiting-for-materials state. In a typical application scenario, when both the loading station and the testing station are in a waiting-for-materials state, the material conveying request of the loading station is responded to first according to priority, and robot motion resources are allocated to the loading station first. After the main control unit finds the highest priority waiting-for-materials station, it determines that station as the target station for this robot action and generates the corresponding start signal and action command for the target station.

[0058] Finally, the main control unit sends a start signal to the corresponding robot controller via the digital output channel, controlling the robot to perform the material picking or unloading action at the corresponding target station. Each scheduling session assigns only one action task to the target station. Only after the action is completed and feedback is received does the next round of scheduling begin, avoiding action conflicts caused by multiple tasks running concurrently.

[0059] By combining the verification of the number of materials loaded with the priority order of the workstations for robot task scheduling, the material flow of high-priority workstations is prioritized, avoiding material accumulation and idle workstations, thereby improving the overall operating efficiency and smooth flow of the multi-workstation loading and unloading system.

[0060] Furthermore, the method provided in this application embodiment includes:

[0061] The abnormality of the IO signal includes at least one of the following situations: abnormal emergency stop button signal, abnormal safety door signal, cylinder extension signal timeout without feedback, cylinder retraction signal timeout without feedback, servo driver alarm signal trigger, servo positive limit signal or servo negative limit signal trigger, host computer communication timeout signal trigger.

[0062] Specifically, firstly, all signals—emergency stop button signal, safety door signal, cylinder action feedback signal, servo drive status signal, and host computer communication signal—are included in the real-time acquisition range of I / O signals. They share the same sampling period and signal verification link as the position and status signals. All signals are connected to the corresponding digital input channel or communication register of the main control unit, and a unified anomaly judgment logic is used for centralized verification. Anomalies in the emergency stop button signal, safety door signal, servo drive alarm signal triggering, and servo positive or negative limit signal triggering fall under the category of signal logic combination anomalies. Cylinder extension position signal timeout failure, cylinder retraction position signal timeout failure, and host computer communication timeout signal triggering fall under the category of status timeout anomalies, forming a hierarchical correspondence with the judgment system for the three general anomaly scenarios.

[0063] Then, both the emergency stop button and the safety door signal are connected to the safety input terminal of the main control unit using normally closed wiring. Under normal operating conditions, the signal remains high. When the emergency stop button is pressed or the safety door is opened, the signal jumps to low. The main control unit detects this level change and immediately determines it as an IO signal abnormality. Using normally closed wiring can simultaneously cover the detection of signal disconnection faults, complies with industrial safety design specifications, and prevents safety protection functions from failing when the line is disconnected.

[0064] For the cylinder extension and retraction signals, the main control unit activates the timing unit of the corresponding channel simultaneously with the output of the cylinder action command. A preset standard action duration is used as the timeout threshold, typically set to 2 seconds. This parameter can be adapted to the stroke and operating speed of the corresponding cylinder. If no corresponding extension feedback signal is received within the preset duration after the cylinder extension command is output, it is determined that the cylinder extension signal has timed out and failed to provide feedback. Similarly, if no corresponding retraction feedback signal is received within the preset duration after the cylinder retraction command is output, it is determined that the cylinder retraction signal has timed out and failed to provide feedback. The timeout threshold setting balances normal action margin and abnormal response speed, ensuring that normal actions are not misjudged and abnormal responses are not delayed.

[0065] Next, the servo drive alarm signal, servo positive limit signal, and servo negative limit signal are directly connected from the servo drive's status output port to the dedicated input terminal of the main control unit. When the servo drive experiences internal faults such as overcurrent, overload, or overheating, it automatically outputs an alarm trigger signal. Upon detecting this signal, the main control unit determines it as an I / O signal abnormality. When the servo mechanism reaches its mechanical positive or negative limit position, the corresponding limit switch is triggered and outputs a limit signal. Upon detecting the positive or negative limit signal, the main control unit determines it as an I / O signal abnormality, preventing the servo mechanism from exceeding its travel range and causing equipment damage.

[0066] The host computer communication timeout signal is detected through a periodic heartbeat mechanism between the main control unit and the host computer. The main control unit and the host computer exchange heartbeat messages according to a preset fixed communication cycle, typically set to 100 milliseconds. The main control unit resets the communication timer unit every time it receives a heartbeat message. If no heartbeat message is received from the host computer for three consecutive communication cycles, it is determined that the host computer communication timeout signal has been triggered, corresponding to a communication interruption or host computer failure scenario.

[0067] Any of the above-mentioned abnormal situations constitutes an I / O signal anomaly, triggering subsequent alarm outputs and robot shutdown control logic. Among them, the emergency stop button signal anomaly is the highest priority anomaly, triggering the fastest immediate shutdown logic. Other anomalies execute the regular shutdown logic, forming a tiered anomaly handling mechanism.

[0068] By unifying multi-dimensional signals such as safety, actuator, servo, and communication signals into the IO anomaly judgment system, clarifying the hierarchical correspondence between various anomalies and general judgment scenarios, and executing centralized verification logic for hierarchical responses, a unified response to all types of anomalies is achieved, filling the protection loopholes in existing technologies and improving the security level of equipment operation and the consistency of fault response.

[0069] Furthermore, the method provided in this application embodiment includes:

[0070] Record the time of the anomaly, the abnormal workstation information, and the type of abnormal I / O signal; send the alarm signal to the display module for display; and store the anomaly information in the alarm record.

[0071] Specifically, in existing technologies, equipment alarm functions mostly only provide on-site audible and visual warnings, lacking a standardized mechanism for recording and storing abnormal information. After an alarm is triggered, it can only indicate that an abnormality has occurred, but cannot retain key information such as the time of occurrence, location of occurrence, and signal type. This is not conducive to subsequent fault diagnosis, cause analysis, and operation and maintenance optimization. At the same time, it lacks intuitive visualization display methods, making it difficult for on-site personnel to quickly locate the abnormal point and the specific fault type.

[0072] First, within the same scan cycle when the main control unit determines an abnormal IO signal and generates an alarm signal, it simultaneously triggers the abnormal information acquisition and recording logic and the robot stop command output. The abnormal information recording, alarm signal generation, and robot stop command output are executed synchronously within the same scan cycle, ensuring strict consistency between the time data at the moment of the abnormality and the action trigger sequence, avoiding time deviations caused by multi-step execution. The main control unit calls its internally integrated real-time clock module to read the system time at the moment of the abnormality trigger, with a time accuracy down to the second, as the time of the abnormality occurrence. Simultaneously, it matches the workstation affiliation corresponding to the signal channel that triggered the abnormality, extracts the corresponding abnormal workstation information, and distinguishes between different categories such as loading workstation, testing workstation, unloading workstation, and common safety loop. Then, it retrieves the abnormal IO signal type code output by the abnormality determination logic, corresponding to specific types such as emergency stop button signal abnormality, safety door signal abnormality, cylinder extension / retraction signal timeout without feedback, servo driver alarm signal triggering, servo limit signal triggering, and host computer communication timeout signal triggering. The three types of information—time of occurrence of the anomaly, information about the workstation with the anomaly, and type of the anomaly I / O signal—are packaged into structured anomaly data to complete the instantaneous recording of anomaly information.

[0073] Next, the alarm signal and corresponding structured anomaly information are synchronously sent to the display module via the industrial fieldbus communication link. The display module uses a locally configured touch display terminal. Upon receiving the alarm information, the display module immediately pops up a persistent alarm prompt window at the top of the display interface. The window simultaneously displays the time of the anomaly, the name of the abnormal workstation, the type of abnormal IO signal, and the corresponding troubleshooting guidance. Simultaneously, a red flashing prompt effect is triggered on the display interface, creating a multi-dimensional warning linkage with the on-site audible and visual alarms. The alarm window is equipped with a manual confirmation button. After the operator confirms the anomaly information, clicking the confirmation button stops the red flashing on the interface, and the alarm window switches to a persistent background prompt state. At the same time, the main control unit disables the on-site audible and visual alarms, retaining only the interface prompt, conforming to the standard operating procedures in industrial settings. This allows on-site operators to intuitively and quickly obtain specific information about the anomaly and promptly locate the fault.

[0074] Finally, the main control unit uses Flash storage media as its non-volatile storage unit, with a typical capacity of 16MB, capable of storing no fewer than 10,000 structured alarm records. The main control unit writes the generated structured anomaly record data into this non-volatile storage unit, forming alarm records that can be retained long-term. Each alarm record contains five core fields: a unique serial record number, anomaly occurrence time, anomaly location, anomaly signal type, and anomaly handling status. The alarm records employ a cyclic overwrite storage management mechanism; when the storage capacity reaches the preset limit, the oldest historical record is automatically overwritten, ensuring the continuous storage of the latest anomaly data during long-term equipment operation. The stored alarm records support filtering and querying by time range, anomaly location, and anomaly signal type. Field personnel can retrieve and view these records through the historical query interface on the display module, or export them in batches via the host computer communication interface for subsequent equipment operation and maintenance analysis and fault pattern statistics.

[0075] By simultaneously recording, visualizing, and storing abnormal information in a structured manner, along with manual confirmation and multi-condition query management functions, alarm events can be traced and viewed intuitively, providing complete data support for rapid on-site fault handling and subsequent equipment operation and maintenance optimization.

[0076] Furthermore, the method provided in this application embodiment includes:

[0077] After the robot stops running, in response to the reset operation, the abnormal workstation is reset and detected. When the IO signals of all workstations return to normal, the alarm signal is cleared and the robot is allowed to restart.

[0078] In one embodiment, the reset command is only responded to when the system is in an abnormal shutdown state; the reset operation is invalid during normal operation to avoid operational interruptions caused by accidental triggering. After the robot stops running and on-site personnel have completed troubleshooting, the reset operation is triggered via the local reset button on the device or the reset touch button on the display module. Upon receiving the reset operation command, the main control unit first maintains the robot's start-locked state, keeping the robot stopped and preventing output, and then initiates the reset detection process. The reset detection adopts a priority verification mechanism, prioritizing signal verification of the workstation that caused the anomaly. Only after successful verification is a full-workstation, full-signal traversal detection performed, balancing detection reliability and reset response efficiency.

[0079] The main control unit continuously collects all I / O signals from all workstations according to a preset sampling period. The interval between three consecutive samples is 100 milliseconds. If all signals are stable and normal after three samples, recovery is determined. Multiple continuous verification methods are used to eliminate false judgments caused by transient signal interference. The collected I / O signals include position signals, status signals, safety signals, actuator feedback signals, servo status signals, and communication signals. The main control unit verifies the normality of each collected signal, checking whether the signal logic combination, signal timing, and timeout status have all returned to normal according to preset normal state rules. If any I / O signal at any workstation is still abnormal, the reset test is determined to have failed, the current alarm state is maintained, and the robot is stopped and locked. Simultaneously, the display module updates the prompt information, indicating the workstation that has not recovered and the corresponding abnormality type, guiding the operator to continue troubleshooting.

[0080] When all workstation I / O signals sampled three times consecutively return to normal and meet the preset normal state rules, the reset test is deemed successful. The main control unit sequentially performs the release operation: first, it shuts down the on-site audible and visual alarm signals, clears the alarm flashing prompts on the display module, and updates the processing status of the corresponding alarm record to "reset". Then, it releases the robot's start-up lock permission, and the system automatically enters the normal standby inspection state, restarts the periodic verification of the status of all workstations, restores the system's normal workstation status inspection and robot task scheduling logic, and waits for the start-up conditions to be met before triggering the robot's action, forming a complete closed loop with the normal operation process.

[0081] By setting up a priority-based full-station IO signal reset detection step after an abnormal shutdown, multiple rounds of continuous and stable verification confirm that the fault has been completely eliminated before the alarm is cleared and the robot operation is restored. This effectively avoids secondary abnormalities caused by failure to eliminate the fault, and improves the safety and operational reliability of the equipment reset process.

[0082] In summary, the robot operation monitoring method based on multi-station I / O signals provided in this application has the following technical effects:

[0083] This application collects IO signals from the loading, testing, and unloading stations to determine the waiting, running, completed, and abnormal states of each station. Once all stations are ready, the robot's actions are scheduled based on the loading quantity and station priority. During operation, abnormal signals are monitored in real time, and alarms are triggered to stop the machine. With the addition of abnormal recording and reset detection, this application achieves precise monitoring of multi-station robot operation, improves the operational safety and efficiency of testing and loading / unloading equipment, and achieves precise triggering of robot actions and abnormal self-locking, thereby improving the safety and reliability of automated operations.

[0084] Example 2, as Figure 2 As shown, based on the same inventive concept as Embodiment 1 above, this application provides a robot operation monitoring system based on multi-station I / O signals, the system comprising:

[0085] The IO signal acquisition module 1 for each station is used to collect the IO signals of the loading station, the testing station and the unloading station respectively. The IO signals include the position signal, status signal and feedback signal of each station.

[0086] The status determination module 2 for each workstation is used to determine the current status of each workstation based on the IO signal of each workstation. The current status includes waiting for materials, running, completed and abnormal status.

[0087] The robot motion control module 3 is used to send a start signal to the robot when each workstation is in the waiting state or the completed state, and control the robot to perform material picking or material releasing actions.

[0088] The robot operation monitoring module 4 is used to monitor the IO signals of each workstation in real time during the operation of the robot. When the IO signal of any workstation is abnormal, an alarm signal is generated and the robot is controlled to stop running.

[0089] Furthermore, the I / O signal acquisition module 1 for each workstation is used to perform the following steps:

[0090] The arrival signals include a loading arrival signal, which is collected by a loading arrival sensor installed at the loading station, to indicate that the material tray has reached the loading position; a test arrival signal, which is collected by a test arrival sensor installed at the test station, to indicate that the material has reached the test position; and a unloading arrival signal, which is collected by a unloading arrival sensor installed at the unloading station, to indicate that the material has reached the unloading position.

[0091] Furthermore, the status determination module 2 for each workstation is used to perform the following steps:

[0092] When the arrival signal of a workstation is low and the status signal is low, the workstation is determined to be in the waiting state; when the arrival signal of a workstation is high and the status signal is low, the workstation is determined to be in the running state; when the arrival signal of a workstation is high and the status signal is high, the workstation is determined to be in the completed state; when the logical combination of the arrival signal and the status signal of a workstation does not conform to the preset combination rule, the workstation is determined to be in the abnormal state.

[0093] Furthermore, the robot motion control module 3 is used to perform the following steps:

[0094] Obtain the number of materials loaded at the loading station; determine whether the number of materials loaded is greater than zero. If so, send a start signal to the robot corresponding to the highest priority station in the waiting state according to the preset station priority order; if not, do not send a start signal and maintain the robot in standby state. The preset station priority order is that the loading station has a higher priority than the testing station, and the testing station has a higher priority than the unloading station.

[0095] Furthermore, the robot operation monitoring module 4 is used to perform the following steps:

[0096] The abnormality of the IO signal includes at least one of the following situations: abnormal emergency stop button signal, abnormal safety door signal, cylinder extension signal timeout without feedback, cylinder retraction signal timeout without feedback, servo driver alarm signal trigger, servo positive limit signal or servo negative limit signal trigger, host computer communication timeout signal trigger.

[0097] Furthermore, the robot operation monitoring module 4 is used to perform the following steps:

[0098] Record the time of the anomaly, the abnormal workstation information, and the type of abnormal I / O signal; send the alarm signal to the display module for display; and store the anomaly information in the alarm record.

[0099] Furthermore, the robot operation monitoring module 4 is used to perform the following steps:

[0100] After the robot stops running, in response to the reset operation, the abnormal workstation is reset and detected. When the IO signals of all workstations return to normal, the alarm signal is cleared and the robot is allowed to restart.

[0101] The robot operation monitoring system based on multi-station I / O signals provided in the embodiments of the present invention can execute the robot operation monitoring method based on multi-station I / O signals provided in any embodiment of the present invention, and has the corresponding functional modules and beneficial effects of the execution method.

[0102] Although this application makes various references to certain modules in the system according to the embodiments of this application, any number of different modules can be used and run on user terminals and / or servers. The various units and modules included are only divided according to functional logic, but are not limited to the above division, as long as the corresponding functions can be achieved; in addition, the specific names of each functional unit are only for easy distinction between each other and are not used to limit the scope of protection of this invention.

[0103] The specific embodiments described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications, combinations, and substitutions can be made according to design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. In some cases, the actions or steps described in this application can be performed in a different order than that shown in the embodiments and still achieve the desired results. Furthermore, the processes depicted in the accompanying drawings do not necessarily require a specific or sequential order to achieve the desired results. In some embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are also possible or may be advantageous.

Claims

1. A robot operation monitoring method based on multi-station I / O signals, applied to a loading and unloading equipment in a testing process, the equipment including a loading station, a testing station, an unloading station, and a robot, characterized in that, The method includes: Collect the I / O signals of the loading station, the testing station and the unloading station respectively. The I / O signals include the position signal, status signal and feedback signal of each station. The current status of each station is determined based on the IO signals of each station. The current status includes waiting for materials, running, completed and abnormal status. When each workstation is in the waiting-for-materials or completed-materials state, a start signal is sent to the robot to control the robot to perform material picking or material unloading actions. During the operation of the robot, the IO signals of each workstation are monitored in real time. When the IO signal of any workstation is abnormal, an alarm signal is generated and the robot is controlled to stop running.

2. The robot operation monitoring method based on multi-station I / O signals as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The arrival signal includes a loading arrival signal, which is collected by a loading arrival sensor installed at the loading station, and is used to indicate that the material tray has reached the loading position; The test completion signal is collected by the test completion sensor installed at the test station and is used to indicate that the material has reached the test position; The material unloading signal is collected by the material unloading sensor installed at the unloading station, and is used to indicate that the material has reached the unloading position.

3. The robot operation monitoring method based on multi-station I / O signals as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The current status of each workstation is determined based on the I / O signals of each workstation, including: When the arrival signal of the workstation is low and the status signal is low, the workstation is determined to be in the waiting state. When the arrival signal of the workstation is high and the status signal is low, the workstation is determined to be in the running state. When the arrival signal of the workstation is high and the status signal is high, the workstation is determined to be in the completed state. When the logical combination of the workstation's arrival signal and status signal does not conform to the preset combination rule, the workstation is determined to be in the abnormal state.

4. The robot operation monitoring method based on multi-station I / O signals as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Before sending a start signal to the robot, the process also includes: Obtain the number of materials loaded at the loading station; Determine whether the number of materials being fed is greater than zero. If so, send a start signal to the robot corresponding to the highest priority workstation that is in the waiting state, according to the preset workstation priority order. If not, no start signal will be sent, and the robot will remain in standby mode. The preset priority order of the workstations is as follows: the loading workstation has a higher priority than the testing workstation, and the testing workstation has a higher priority than the unloading workstation.

5. The robot operation monitoring method based on multi-station I / O signals as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The abnormal IO signal includes at least one of the following: abnormal emergency stop button signal, abnormal safety door signal, cylinder extension signal timeout without feedback, cylinder retraction signal timeout without feedback, servo driver alarm signal triggering, servo positive limit signal or servo negative limit signal triggering, and host computer communication timeout signal triggering.

6. The robot operation monitoring method based on multi-station I / O signals as described in claim 1, characterized in that, After generating the alarm signal, it also includes: Record the time of the anomaly, the information of the abnormal workstation, and the type of the abnormal I / O signal; The alarm signal is sent to the display module for display. Storing abnormal information in the alarm log.

7. The robot operation monitoring method based on multi-station I / O signals as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: After the robot stops running, in response to the reset operation, the abnormal workstation is reset and detected. When the IO signals of all workstations return to normal, the alarm signal is cleared and the robot is allowed to restart.

8. A robot operation monitoring system based on multi-station I / O signals, characterized in that, The system is used to implement the robot operation monitoring method based on multi-station I / O signals according to any one of claims 1-7, the system comprising: The IO signal acquisition module for each station is used to collect the IO signals of the loading station, the testing station and the unloading station respectively. The IO signals include the position signal, status signal and feedback signal of each station. The status determination module for each workstation is used to determine the current status of each workstation based on the IO signals of each workstation. The current status includes waiting for materials, running, completed and abnormal status. The robot motion control module is used to send a start signal to the robot when each workstation is in the waiting state or the completed state, and control the robot to perform material picking or material unloading actions. The robot operation monitoring module is used to monitor the IO signals of each workstation in real time during the operation of the robot. When the IO signal of any workstation is abnormal, an alarm signal is generated and the robot is controlled to stop running.

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