Communication board for molecular pump and molecular pump

Abstract

The utility model discloses a communication board for a molecular pump and the molecular pump. The communication board comprises a PCB body, a conversion circuit arranged on the PCB body and a power supply circuit arranged on the PCB body. The conversion circuit comprises an input end connecting piece for acquiring data from a main control board of the molecular pump, a micro-control unit connected with the input end connecting piece, a protocol conversion unit which is connected with the micro-control unit and realizes protocol conversion under the control of the micro-control unit, and an output end connecting piece connected with the protocol conversion unit. The power supply circuit comprises a power supply input interface used for obtaining electric energy from a main control board of the molecular pump, and a power supply adaptation unit connected with the power supply input interface and used for supplying power to the micro-control unit and the protocol conversion unit. The communication board enables the molecular pump to communicate and cooperate with other devices in the same production line.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of this utility model relate to the field of molecular pump communication technology, and more specifically, this utility model relates to a communication board for a molecular pump, and a molecular pump including the communication board. Background Technology

[0002] In the cutting-edge fields of semiconductor manufacturing, molecular pumps, as the cornerstone of creating high-vacuum environments, are undeniably crucial. These devices play an irreplaceable role in core process steps such as photolithography, thin-film deposition, etching, and ion implantation, ensuring that semiconductor production can be carried out under strictly controlled vacuum conditions, thereby guaranteeing the high precision and superior performance of the products. As semiconductor technology continues to evolve, the requirements for vacuum levels in production processes are becoming increasingly stringent. Simultaneously, the overall automation and intelligence level of the production line has become a key factor in improving production efficiency and product quality.

[0003] However, in achieving this goal, the diversity of communication protocols between molecular pumps and other equipment on the same production line often creates communication barriers. Production lines integrate various devices from different manufacturers, each often employing its own unique communication protocols. This protocol diversity not only increases the complexity of system integration but also severely limits collaboration between devices. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address one or more of the technical problems mentioned above, this invention provides a communication board for a molecular pump and the molecular pump itself. The communication board enables the molecular pump to communicate and collaborate with other equipment in the same production line, which is beneficial for improving the automation and intelligence of the production line.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a communication board for a molecular pump is provided, comprising: a PCB board body; a conversion circuit disposed on the PCB board body, the conversion circuit including an input terminal connector for acquiring data from the main control board of the molecular pump, a microcontroller unit connected to the input terminal connector, a protocol conversion unit connected to the microcontroller unit and performing protocol conversion under the control of the microcontroller unit, and an output terminal connector connected to the protocol conversion unit; and a power supply circuit disposed on the PCB board body, the power supply circuit including a power input interface for acquiring electrical energy from the main control board of the molecular pump, and a power adapter unit connected to the power input interface and supplying power to the microcontroller unit and the protocol conversion unit.

[0006] Furthermore, the power adapter unit includes a step-down circuit connected to the power input interface, and a voltage regulator that supplies power to the microcontroller and the protocol conversion unit simultaneously in connection with the step-down circuit and in connection with the microcontroller and the protocol conversion unit.

[0007] Furthermore, the PCB board includes a conversion area and a power supply area connected to the conversion area, wherein the input connector, the microcontroller unit, the protocol conversion unit and the output connector are all located in the conversion area, and the power input interface and the power adapter unit are all located in the power supply area.

[0008] Furthermore, the PCB board includes a substrate and a conductive trace layer embedded in the substrate. The conductive trace layer includes a power supply area trace assembly located in the power supply area and a conversion area trace assembly located in the conversion area. The power supply area trace assembly is used to connect the input connector, microcontroller unit, protocol conversion unit and output connector to form the conversion circuit. The conversion area trace assembly is used to connect the power input interface and power adapter unit to form the power supply circuit.

[0009] Furthermore, the PCB board also includes a reference ground layer embedded in the substrate and parallel to the conductive trace layer, wherein the reference ground layer is a metal plate.

[0010] Furthermore, the reference ground layer includes a power supply region metal located in the power supply region and a conversion region metal located in the conversion region, as well as a gap formed between the power supply region metal and the conversion region metal.

[0011] Furthermore, the protocol conversion unit includes a PROFIBUS slave control chip and / or an EtherCAT slave control chip.

[0012] Furthermore, the output connector includes an RJ-45 interface, an RS-485 interface, or a flat cable connector socket.

[0013] Furthermore, the input connector includes a pin assembly or a socket assembly of a pluggable connector.

[0014] This embodiment provides a communication board for a molecular pump, cleverly integrated into the pump itself. This communication board uses a dedicated input connector to acquire private data (i.e., data conforming to a proprietary communication protocol) from the molecular pump's main control board. The data is then smoothly transmitted to the microcontroller unit and protocol conversion unit, allowing the protocol conversion unit to convert the private data into public data under the control of the microcontroller unit. After conversion, the data is seamlessly connected to the bus on the same production line via an output connector. This innovative design enables the molecular pump to easily establish communication with the production line bus, ensuring smooth communication with other production line equipment and enabling collaboration in broader system integration, significantly improving production efficiency and flexibility.

[0015] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a molecular pump is provided, comprising a molecular pump body, a main control board connected to the molecular pump body, and a communication board connected to the main control board.

[0016] The communication board mentioned above, and the molecular pumps that include it, enable the molecular pumps to easily establish communication with the bus on the production line, successfully bridging the gap between proprietary and public protocols. In this way, the molecular pumps can not only communicate smoothly with other production line equipment, but also collaborate in broader system integration, greatly improving production efficiency and flexibility. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become readily understood by reading the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, several embodiments of the present invention are shown by way of example and not limitation, and like or corresponding reference numerals denote like or corresponding parts, wherein:

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication board for a molecular pump provided by an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0019] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the layout of a communication board using the EtherCAT protocol provided in an embodiment of this utility model is shown.

[0020] Figure 3 A layout diagram of a communication board using the PROFIBUS protocol provided in an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0021] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the layout of the reference strata provided in an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0022] In the picture:

[0023] 1. PCB board body; 11. Reference ground layer; 111. Power supply area metal; 112. Transition area metal; 113. Spacing

[0024] 2. Conversion circuit; 21. Input connector; 22. Microcontroller unit; 23. Protocol conversion unit; 24. Output connector; 25. Conversion area; 26. Power supply area;

[0025] 3. Power supply circuit; 31. Power adapter unit; 311. Step-down circuit; 312. Voltage regulator. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this disclosure without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0027] Figure 1 This embodiment shows a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication board for a molecular pump. Figure 2 This embodiment shows a layout diagram of a communication board using the EtherCAT protocol. Figure 3 A layout diagram of the communication board using the PROFIBUS protocol provided in this embodiment is shown. Figures 1-3 As shown, this embodiment provides a communication board for a molecular pump, including a PCB board 1, a conversion circuit 2 disposed on the PCB board 1, and a power supply circuit 3 disposed on the PCB board 1. The conversion circuit 2 includes an input terminal connector 21 for obtaining private data from the main control board of the molecular pump, a microcontroller unit 22 connected to the input terminal connector 21, a protocol conversion unit 23 connected to the microcontroller unit 22 and converting private data into public data under the control of the microcontroller unit 22, and an output terminal connector 24 connected to the protocol conversion unit 23 for outputting public data. The power supply circuit 3 includes a power input interface for obtaining electrical energy from the main control board of the molecular pump, and a power adapter unit 31 connected to the power input interface and supplying power to the microcontroller unit 22 and the protocol conversion unit 23.

[0028] This embodiment provides a communication board for a molecular pump, cleverly integrated into the pump itself. This communication board uses a dedicated input connector 21 to acquire private data (i.e., data conforming to a proprietary communication protocol) from the molecular pump's main control board. The data is then smoothly transmitted to the microcontroller unit 22 and the protocol conversion unit 23, allowing the protocol conversion unit 23 to convert the private data into public data under the control of the microcontroller unit 22. After conversion, the data is seamlessly connected to the bus on the same production line via the output connector 24. This innovative design enables the molecular pump to easily establish communication with the production line bus, ensuring smooth communication with other production line equipment and enabling collaboration in broader system integration, significantly improving production efficiency and flexibility.

[0029] Furthermore, the power adapter unit 31 includes a step-down circuit 311 connected to the power input interface, and a voltage regulator 312 that supplies power to both the microcontroller 22 and the protocol conversion unit 23 in conjunction with the step-down circuit 311. The step-down circuit 311 reduces the voltage to ensure that the microcontroller 22 and the protocol conversion unit 23 in the communication board can operate within a safe voltage range, thereby protecting the microcontroller 22 and the protocol conversion unit 23. The voltage regulator 312 provides a stable output power supply to the microcontroller 22 and the protocol conversion unit 23, ensuring that they operate under a stable voltage, which helps prevent malfunctions or system instability caused by voltage fluctuations.

[0030] In this embodiment, the buck circuit 311 is a BUCK circuit, and the voltage regulator 312 is an LDO circuit. This embodiment does not impose specific limitations on this; the buck circuit 311 can also be any other circuit that can ensure that the microcontroller unit 22 and the protocol conversion unit 23 in the communication board can operate within a safe voltage range, and the voltage regulator 312 can also be any other component that can ensure that the microcontroller unit 22 and the protocol conversion unit 23 operate under a stable voltage.

[0031] Furthermore, the PCB board 1 includes a conversion area 25 and a power supply area 26 connected to the conversion area 25. The input connector 21, microcontroller unit 22, protocol conversion unit 23, and output connector 24 are all located within the conversion area 25, while the power input interface and power adapter unit 31 are all located within the power supply area 26. By using the conversion area 25 and the power supply area 26 to separate the conversion circuit 2 and the power supply circuit 3, the conversion circuit 2 and the power supply circuit 3 are prevented from being mixed together, which could lead to mutual interference and signal distortion or delay. This reduces signal interference to the microcontroller unit 22 and the protocol conversion unit 23, improving communication quality. It also prevents the conversion circuit 2 and the power supply circuit 3 from being mixed together, which could cause mutual interference and short circuits, leading to communication board failure or even fire hazards, thus improving the safety and reliability of the communication board.

[0032] Furthermore, the PCB board 1 includes a substrate and a conductive trace layer embedded in the substrate. The conductive trace layer includes a power supply area trace assembly located in the power supply area 26 and a conversion area trace assembly located in the conversion area 25. The power supply area trace assembly is used to connect the input connector 21, the microcontroller unit 22, the protocol conversion unit 23, and the output connector 24 to form a conversion circuit 2. The conversion area trace assembly 132 is used to connect the power input interface and the power adapter unit 31 to form a power supply circuit 3.

[0033] Figure 4A schematic diagram of the layout of the reference stratum 11 provided in this embodiment is shown. For example... Figure 4 and combined Figure 1 As shown, the PCB board 1 also includes a reference ground layer 11 embedded in the substrate and parallel to the conductive trace layer, providing a potential reference point for the signal circuits on the communication board, thereby ensuring signal accuracy and stability. Exemplarily, the reference ground layer 11 is a metal plate, and the ground pins of the buck circuit 311 and the voltage regulator 312 are led to the reference ground layer 11 on the communication board through vias. The buck circuit 311 and the voltage regulator 312 generate a large amount of heat during operation, causing their temperatures to rise and potentially leading to malfunctions. Utilizing the metal plate reference ground layer 11 allows the buck circuit 311 and the voltage regulator 312 to have a larger heat dissipation area, increasing heat dissipation efficiency and reducing the possibility of failure.

[0034] Furthermore, the reference layer 11 includes a power supply region metal 111 located in the power supply region 26 and a conversion region metal 112 located in the conversion region 25, as well as a gap 113 formed between the power supply region metal 111 and the conversion region metal 112, to enhance the anti-interference capability of the communication signal in the conversion region 25, so that the communication signal is not affected by the current fluctuation in the power supply circuit 3.

[0035] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 and combined Figure 1 As shown, the protocol conversion unit 23 includes a PROFIBUS slave control chip and / or an EtherCAT slave control chip. Leveraging the widespread use of the PROFIBUS and EtherCAT protocols, it converts the private data acquired by the molecular pump's main control board into common data widely used in industrial automation (compliant with either the PROFIBUS or EtherCAT protocol). This facilitates communication and collaboration between the molecular pump and other equipment on the same production line. In actual use, operators can consider factors such as system requirements, equipment compatibility, and cost, and replace the communication board with one equipped with a PROFIBUS slave control chip or an EtherCAT slave control chip to enable the molecular pump to quickly communicate and collaborate with other equipment on the same production line.

[0036] As a preferred example, the microcontroller unit 22 is an MCU chip.

[0037] As a preferred example, the output connector 24 includes an RJ-45 interface, an RS-485 interface, or a flat cable connector socket. RJ-45 interfaces, RS-485 interfaces, or flat cable connectors are simple, reliable electrical connections that help the communication board establish a communication connection with the main line and are used to transmit public data to other equipment on the same production line.

[0038] As a preferred example, the input connector 21 includes a pin assembly or socket assembly of a pluggable connector. The pin assembly or socket assembly is a simple, safe, and reliable electrical connection that facilitates the connection between the communication board and the main control board of the molecular pump, and enables the acquisition of private data from the main control board of the molecular pump.

[0039] As a preferred example, the power input interface includes a pin header or slot header. Pin headers or slot headers are simple, safe, and reliable electrical connectors that allow the communication board to connect to the main control board of the molecular pump and ensure that the communication board can obtain the required power from the main control board.

[0040] In one embodiment not shown, the embodiment also provides a molecular pump, including a molecular pump body, a main control board connected to the molecular pump body, and a communication board connected to the main control board. By utilizing the communication board in the foregoing embodiment, the molecular pump can communicate and cooperate with other equipment in the same production line.

[0041] In summary, in the aforementioned communication board or molecular pump, the communication board converts the private data on the molecular pump's main control board into common data shared with the bus system on the same production line. This enables the molecular pump to not only communicate smoothly with other production line equipment but also collaborate in broader system integration, greatly improving production efficiency and flexibility.

[0042] In the foregoing description of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "fixed," "installed," "connected," or "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, the term "linked" can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; or it can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Therefore, unless otherwise expressly limited in this application, those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0043] Based on the above description of this application, those skilled in the art will also understand that the following terms, such as "above" and other terms indicating orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings of this application. They are only for the purpose of facilitating the explanation of the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not explicitly or implicitly suggest that the device or element involved must have the specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the above-mentioned orientation or positional relationship terms cannot be understood or interpreted as a limitation on the present invention.

[0044] Furthermore, the terms "first" or "second," etc., used in this application to refer to numbers or ordinal numbers are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as explicitly or implicitly indicating relative importance or specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0045] While various embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Many modifications, alterations, and alternatives will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and intent of the present invention. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the present invention described herein may be employed in the practice of the present invention. The appended claims are intended to define the scope of protection of the present invention and therefore cover equivalents or alternatives within the scope of these claims.

Claims

1. A communication board for a molecular pump, characterized in that, include: PCB board; A conversion circuit is provided on the PCB board. The conversion circuit includes an input terminal connector for obtaining private data from the main control board of the molecular pump, a microcontroller unit connected to the input terminal connector, a protocol conversion unit connected to the microcontroller unit and converting the private data into public data under the control of the microcontroller unit, and an output terminal connector connected to the protocol conversion unit for outputting the public data. as well as A power supply circuit is provided on the PCB board, the power supply circuit including a power input interface for obtaining power from the main control board of the molecular pump, and a power adapter unit connected to the power input interface and supplying power to the microcontroller unit and the protocol conversion unit.

2. The communication board according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power adapter unit includes a step-down circuit connected to the power input interface, and a voltage regulator connected to the step-down circuit and supplying power to the microcontroller and the protocol conversion unit simultaneously.

3. The communication board according to claim 1, characterized in that, The PCB board includes a conversion area and a power supply area connected to the conversion area. The input connector, the microcontroller unit, the protocol conversion unit, and the output connector are all located in the conversion area, and the power input interface and the power adapter unit are all located in the power supply area.

4. The communication board according to claim 3, characterized in that, The PCB board includes a substrate and a conductive trace layer embedded in the substrate. The conductive trace layer includes a power supply area trace assembly located in the power supply area and a conversion area trace assembly located in the conversion area. The power supply area trace assembly is used to connect the input connector, the microcontroller unit, the protocol conversion unit, and the output connector to form the conversion circuit. The conversion area trace assembly is used to connect the power input interface and the power adapter unit to form the power supply circuit.

5. The communication board according to claim 4, characterized in that, The PCB board also includes a reference ground layer embedded in the substrate and parallel to the conductive trace layer, wherein the reference ground layer is a metal plate.

6. The communication board according to claim 5, characterized in that, The reference layer includes a power supply region metal located in the power supply region and a conversion region metal located in the conversion region, as well as a gap formed between the power supply region metal and the conversion region metal.

7. The communication board according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protocol conversion unit includes a PROFIBUS slave control chip and / or an EtherCAT slave control chip.

8. The communication board according to claim 1, characterized in that, The output connector includes an RJ-45 interface, an RS-485 interface, or a flat cable connector socket.

9. The communication board according to claim 1, characterized in that, The input connector includes a pin assembly or a socket assembly of a pluggable connector.

10. A molecular pump, characterized in that, It includes a molecular pump body, a main control board connected to the molecular pump body, and a communication board connected to the main control board, wherein the communication board is the communication board as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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