Control device and control system

Abstract

To provide a control device and a control system for suppressing voltage drop when current supply starts.SOLUTION: A control device of the present disclosure includes at least one processor configured to control a plurality of actuators operated by connecting to a single drive power supply, in which the processor generates a pseudorandom number and determines the timing of outputting a control signal to start charging a capacitor connected to a drive power supply line of the actuator based on the pseudorandom number.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device and a control system.

Background Art

[0002] In controlling a robot, control is performed over current supply to a motor mounted on the robot. For example, current is supplied to a plurality of motors simultaneously (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the conventional method of controlling current supply described above, an inrush current may increase and a voltage drop may occur due to reasons such as charging an internal capacitor at the start of current supply.

[0005] In view of the above problems, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a control device and a control system that suppress a voltage drop at the start of current supply.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above object, a control device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a control device including at least one processor that controls one actuator that operates with a plurality of them connected to a single drive power source, wherein the processor generates a pseudo-random number and determines a timing for outputting a control signal for starting charging a capacitor connected to a drive power supply line of the actuator according to the pseudo-random number.

[0007] In such a control device, by determining the output timing of the control signal using a pseudo-random number, the charging timing of the capacitor connected to the drive power supply line of the actuator can be randomly changed. As a result, the generation timing of the inrush current during capacitor charging can be made different from the similar timing in other actuators, and the voltage drop due to a large inrush current can be suppressed.

[0008] The control device according to the second aspect of the present disclosure is the control device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the timing is determined so that the charging of the capacitor is completed within a predetermined time.

[0009] In such a control device, the charging of the capacitor can be completed within a predetermined time, and the timing of starting the operation of the actuator is not delayed.

[0010] The control device according to the third aspect of the present disclosure is the control device according to the second aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the processor sets the predetermined time longer as the number of actuators connected to the single drive power supply is larger.

[0011] In such a control device, even when the number of actuators connected to the same drive power supply is large, the current supply timings to the respective actuators are less likely to overlap.

[0012] The control device according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure is the control device according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present disclosure, wherein the processor generates the pseudo-random number using an analog value that can be acquired by the control device or the actuator as an input.

[0013] In such a control device, by using an analog value composed of random numerical values for generating the pseudo-random number, even when, for example, a plurality of actuators having the same structure are connected to a single drive power supply and used, different pseudo-random numbers can be generated by each control device.

[0014] The control device according to the fifth aspect of the present disclosure is the control device according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the analog value is constituted by any one of a first signal corresponding to the temperature of the capacitor, a second signal corresponding to the voltage of the drive power supply line, or a signal combining the first signal and the second signal.

[0015] In such a control device, a desired analog value can be obtained relatively easily.

[0016] The control system according to the sixth aspect of the present disclosure includes a control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 connected to a single drive power supply, and a plurality of actuators respectively controlled by the plurality of control devices.

[0017] In such a control system, by determining the output timing of the control signal using pseudo-random numbers, the charging timing of the capacitor of the actuator can be randomly changed. Thereby, the generation timing of the inrush current at the time of capacitor charging in each control device in the control system can be made different from the same timing in other actuators, and the voltage drop due to the generation of a large inrush current can be suppressed.

Advantages of the Invention

[0018] According to the control device and the control system of the present disclosure, the voltage drop at the start of current supply can be suppressed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, each embodiment for carrying out the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, the range necessary for the description for achieving the object of the present disclosure is schematically shown, and mainly the range necessary for the description of the corresponding part of the present disclosure will be described, and the parts omitted from the description are assumed to be based on known techniques. In addition, the same or corresponding members in the drawings are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted. Further, when a plurality of the same or corresponding members in the drawings are included, some of them may be denoted by reference numerals for ease of viewing the drawings.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the control system 1 according to the present embodiment may include, for example, a plurality of electric actuators 10 used in a factory. Further, it is assumed that these plurality of electric actuators 10 are connected to a single drive power source 2.

[0022] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing an enlarged main part of FIG. 1. As the plurality of electric actuators 10 included in the control system 1 according to the present embodiment, electric actuators integrated with a control device are adopted, each of which includes a microcomputer 20 (see FIG. 2) as an example of a control device inside. Further, these plurality of electric actuators 10 may be electrically connected to the drive power source 2 via a connector 34.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2, the electric actuator 10 may include an actuator body 11 and a motor cover 31 that houses a motor (not shown), a microcomputer 20, etc.

[0024] The actuator body 11 may include a housing 12, a rod 13 as a movable part, a ball screw nut 14 attached to an end of the rod 13, and a rotatable ball screw shaft 15 with which the ball screw nut 14 is screwed. The ball screw shaft 15 may be connected to the rotation shaft of the motor. When the ball screw shaft 15 rotates with the rotation of the motor, the ball screw nut 14 and the rod 13 move in the forward and backward directions. In the present embodiment, a rod type using a ball screw is adopted as the actuator body 11, but the specific structure of the actuator body 11 is not limited to this.

[0025] The motor cover 31 may house at least a controller unit 32 for operating the electric actuator 10 and a motor encoder unit 33 for controlling the rotation of the motor. Further, a connector 34 for connecting to the drive power source 2 may be installed in a part of the motor cover 31.

[0026] The controller unit 32 may mainly include a microcomputer 20, a capacitor 41, a current limiting circuit 42, and a motor drive circuit 43. Hereinafter, an example of the detailed circuit configuration of the controller unit 32 will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the circuit structure of the controller unit shown in FIG. 2. The controller unit 32 of the present embodiment may adopt a circuit configuration as shown in FIG. 3. A DC power supply voltage V1 may be supplied to this controller unit 32 via the connector 34. The voltage level of the power supply voltage V1 may be, for example, 24V. A current limiting circuit 42 is connected to a drive power supply line 44 to which the power supply voltage V1 is supplied. One end of the capacitor 41 may be connected to the drive power supply line 44 on the downstream side of the current limiting circuit 42, and the other end may be connected to the ground.

[0028] The capacitor 41 has a function as an electrolytic capacitor for the motor power line. That is, by connecting the capacitor 41 between the drive power supply line 44 and the ground, it is possible to remove noise mixed in the drive power supply line 44, suppress voltage fluctuations in the drive power supply line 44, and replenish power to the load (motor). The capacitor 41 can typically be an electrolytic capacitor such as an aluminum electrolytic capacitor. Also, the capacitor 41 can include all capacitors whose lifespan depends on temperature, such as an electric double layer capacitor. The capacitance of the capacitor 41 is not particularly limited, but may be on the order of several tens of μF to several thousand μF. When current flows through the drive power supply line 44 by the current limiting circuit 42, the capacitor 41 is charged.

[0029] The current limiting circuit 42 may mainly include a current limiting resistor 51, a transistor 52, and a control circuit 53. Among these, the current limiting resistor 51 is installed in the drive power supply line 44 and can detect and limit the charge current flowing through the drive power supply line 44.

[0030] The transistor 52 can be composed of a field-effect transistor (FET). More specifically, for example, it may be an n-channel type MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor). The transistor 52 may have its drain connected to one end of the current limiting resistor 51, its source connected to one end of the capacitor 41 and the motor drive circuit 43, and its gate connected to the control circuit 53.

[0031] The control circuit 53 can control the on / off of the transistor 52 and the current flowing through the transistor 52 by controlling the gate voltage of the transistor 52. Specifically, based on the control signal S1 transmitted from the microcomputer 20, the gate voltage of the transistor 52 is controlled. Also, the control circuit 53 may be able to control the gate voltage of the transistor 52 so that the magnitude of the current detected by the current limiting resistor 51 (i.e., the current flowing through the drive power supply line 44) becomes a predetermined value.

[0032] The motor drive circuit 43 drives a motor (not shown) with the power supplied through the drive power supply line 44 in response to a command from the microcomputer 20.

[0033] Also, the power supply voltage V1 supplied via the connector 34 may be supplied to the DC / DC converter 45 separately from the drive power supply line 44. The power supply voltage V1 supplied via the connector 34 is stepped down by the DC / DC converter 45 and can be used as the control system voltage V2 for driving the microcomputer 20 and the motor encoder unit 33. Note that the voltage level of the control system voltage V2 supplied to the microcomputer 20 may be, for example, 3.3V, and the voltage level of the control system voltage V2 supplied to the motor encoder unit 33 may be, for example, 5V.

[0034] The microcomputer 20 can be composed of a computer that transmits various control signals to the motor drive circuit 43, the control circuit 53, etc. to control the electric actuator 10. This microcomputer 20 may at least include at least one processor 21 and at least one memory 22. In addition to the above-described components, the microcomputer 20 may include various components such as a communication interface and an input / output interface, but the description thereof is omitted here.

[0035] The processor 21 can be constituted by, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). By executing a program stored in the memory 22 or provided via a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium (not shown), the processor 21 can execute various controls of the electric actuator 10 including the controller unit 32.

[0036] The memory 22 can be constituted by volatile and non-volatile memories or storage devices such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a flash memory. The memory 22 can function as a storage for storing various programs and data executed by the microcomputer 20 or as a work area when executing programs and the like.

[0037] In the control system 1 including the above-described series of configurations, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of electric actuators 10 are connected to a single drive power source 2 and operated. In such a usage form, for example, when the power supply voltage V1 is applied to the plurality of electric actuators 10 at the same timing and the supply of the charging current to the capacitor 41 in each electric actuator 10 is started, the occurrence timings of the inrush currents generated in each electric actuator 10 may overlap. When the occurrence timings of the inrush currents overlap, a large current is temporarily generated and a voltage drop occurs.

[0038] Here, for example, by collecting the control data of all the electric actuators 10 connected to the drive power source 2 using a gateway board or the like (not shown) and actively shifting the charging start timing of each capacitor 41 by collectively managing it with the above-described gateway board or the like, the above-described voltage drop can be avoided. However, in order to vary the charging timing of the capacitor 41 after grasping all the electric actuators 10 connected to the drive power source 2, it is necessary to prepare components therefor, such as the above-described gateway board or the like. In addition, there is a risk that a series of controls including the determination of the charging timing of each capacitor 41 will become complicated.

[0039] In the control system 1 and the control device of the present embodiment, in view of the above points, even without considering the timing of starting charging the capacitor 41 in another electric actuator 10 connected to the drive power source 2, a configuration using a pseudo-random number described below is adopted so that the timing of starting the charging can be substantially varied.

[0040] FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing an example of functions realized by a microcomputer as an example of the control device shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 4, the microcomputer 20 may include at least an analog signal acquisition unit 25, a seed value generation unit 26, a pseudo-random number generation unit 27, an on-timing setting unit 28, and a command signal transmission unit 29. The functions of these units can be mainly realized by the processor 21.

[0041] The analog signal acquisition unit 25 acquires an analog value that can be acquired at an arbitrary position of the controller unit 32. The analog value collected here is used for generating a pseudo-random number described later. The analog values that can be acquired by the analog signal acquisition unit 25 can assume various signals that can be acquired within the electric actuator 10. For example, the output value Tc of a temperature sensor 65 installed at a position adjacent to the capacitor 41 to detect the temperature of the capacitor 41, and the voltage V obtained by dividing the voltage generated at the node n1 set upstream of the current limiting resistor 51 by the resistor elements 61 and 62 10 and the voltage V obtained by dividing the voltage generated at the node n2 to which the capacitor 41 of the drive power supply line 44 is connected by the resistor elements 63 and 64 20 can be acquired. The output value Tc mentioned here is an example of a first signal corresponding to the temperature of the capacitor 41, and the voltages V 10 , V 20 are examples of a second signal corresponding to the voltage of the drive power supply line 44.

[0042] The seed value generation unit 26 generates a seed value X0 used for generating a pseudo-random number in the pseudo-random number generation unit 27 from the analog value acquired by the analog signal acquisition unit 25. The seed value X0 may be any one of the output value Tc and the voltages V 10 , V 20 as the seed value X0 as it is. Also, for example, any one of the output value Tc and the voltages V 10 , V 20 (more specifically, the A / D value acquired by the processor 21 (for example, a value represented by 12 bits)) may be used as the seed value X0, either the value of the first digit or a value obtained by combining the value of the first digit and the value of the third digit. Further, the seed value X0 may be generated by combining the output value Tc, the voltages V 10 , and the voltage V 20 . Here, it is preferable that the seed value X0 generated by the seed value generation unit 26 is a different value each time it is generated in order to vary the charging start timing of the capacitor 41 in the other electric actuator 10. As described above, the output value Tc and the voltages V 10 , V 20 are often strictly different values by the electric actuator 10. In other words, it can be said that they are values with variations that are likely to reflect the individual differences of the electric actuator 10 (more specifically, the capacitor 41 and the resistance elements 61, 62, 63, 64). Therefore, if the seed value X0 is generated from the above-described analog values, different seed values X0 are generated each time, so that, for example, a seed value X0 unique to the electric actuator 10, which is different from the other electric actuators 10 connected to the drive power source 2, can be easily generated. Note that in the present embodiment, the case of using the output value Tc and the voltages V 10 , V 20 to generate the seed value X0 is illustrated, but if it is possible to specify a value unique to the electric actuator 10 as the seed value X0, the seed value X0 may be generated from values other than the above-described analog values.

[0043] The pseudo-random number generation unit 27 generates pseudo-random numbers from the seed value X0 generated by the seed value generation unit 26. The method for generating pseudo-random numbers is not particularly limited, and for example, the Linear Congruential Generator (LCG), the Linear Feedback Shift Register (LFSR), etc. can be adopted. Since the seed value X0 used in the pseudo-random number generation unit 27 is a value unique to the electric actuator 10, different numerical values can be generated for the generated pseudo-random numbers from other electric actuators 10, for example, other electric actuators 10 connected to the same drive power source 2.

[0044] Hereinafter, as an example of the method for generating pseudo-random numbers by the pseudo-random number generation unit 27, a method using the linear congruential method will be briefly described. For generating pseudo-random numbers using the linear congruential method, the following recurrence formula (1) can be used. By inputting the seed value X0 generated by the seed value generation unit 26 into the following formula (1), a pseudo-random number sequence can be generated.

Equation

[0045] The on-timing setting unit 28 sets the transmission timing of the control signal S1 for turning on the transistor 52, which is transmitted to the control circuit 53, according to the pseudo-random numbers generated by the pseudo-random number generation unit 27. It is preferable that the transmission timing of the control signal S1 is adjusted so that the charging of the capacitor 41 started based on the control signal S1 is completed within a predetermined time. Here, the predetermined time may be a time longer than the charging completion time of the capacitor 41, and for example, it may be the period from when the control system voltage V2 is supplied to the microcomputer 20 until the operation of the electric actuator 10 starts.

[0046] Furthermore, the above-mentioned predetermined time may be adjusted in consideration of the number of electric actuators 10 connected to the single drive power source 2. Specifically, the predetermined time may be adjusted so as to be longer in proportion to the number of electric actuators 10 connected to the single drive power source 2. In this way, when the predetermined time is set longer in proportion to the number of electric actuators 10 connected to the single drive power source 2, the current supply timings of the respective electric actuators 10 are less likely to overlap, so that it is possible to make it difficult to generate a voltage drop caused by an increase in the inrush current. Note that the microcomputer 20 can grasp the number of electric actuators 10 connected to the single drive power source 2, for example, by the user inputting through an input means (not shown).

[0047] In this on-timing setting unit 28, for example, among the pseudo-random number sequences generated by the pseudo-random number generation unit 27, the time obtained by multiplying the m-th (1 ≦ m < n) pseudo-random number by the previously set unit time t (ms) can be used as the control signal transmission timing. Here, the unit time t can be appropriately adjusted in consideration of factors such as the size of the motor and the magnitude of the power supply voltage V1, and can be adjusted, for example, between 2 and 20 ms.

[0048] The command signal transmission unit 29 transmits the control signal S1 to the control circuit 53 at the timing specified by the on-timing setting unit 28. By receiving the control signal S1, the control circuit 53 turns on the transistor 52 at an arbitrary timing to start charging the capacitor 41.

[0049] FIG. 5 is a time chart showing an example of the operation timing of the charging current by a plurality of control devices. An example of the operation control when the electric actuator 10 including the microcomputer 20 having the above-mentioned functions is connected to a single drive power source 2 and operated will be briefly described below with reference to FIG. 5. In the following description, for the sake of explanation, the two electric actuators connected to the single drive power source 2 are referred to as the first electric actuator 10-1 and the second electric actuator 10-2 (see FIG. 2), and their drive states will be exemplarily described.

[0050] When the power supply from the drive power source 2 to the first and second electric actuators 10-1 and 10-2 connected to the drive power source 2 is started (power-on ON), the power supply voltage V1 is supplied to each of the electric actuators 10-1 and 10-2 via the connector 34. At this time, the transistors (also referred to as the first transistor and the second transistor, respectively) 52 of each of the electric actuators 10-1 and 10-2 are in the OFF state, so the charging of the capacitor 41 is not started.

[0051] Immediately after the supply of the current from the drive power source 2, the voltage value of the power supply voltage V1 may not be stable. Therefore, it is advisable to set the reset signal to a high level (reset release) to the microcomputer 20 after a predetermined time from the start of the current supply, and adjust the current supply timing to the microcomputer 20. The timing for releasing the reset may be set to the timing when the voltage value of the drive power supply line 44 becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value. Note that the voltage value of the drive power supply line 44 can be substantially specified by monitoring the voltage V 10 described above.

[0052] After a predetermined time has elapsed since the microcomputer 20 receives the reset signal, the operation control of the electric actuator 10 becomes possible. In this regard, the charging of the capacitor 41 of each of the electric actuators 10-1 and 10-2 in the present embodiment is preferably controlled to be completed within a predetermined time T0 from when the reset signal becomes high level (reset release) (more specifically, after the initialization of the processor 21 is completed and it becomes operable) until the timing when the operation control of the electric actuator 10 is started. Note that the predetermined time T0 can be appropriately changed in relation to the functions of the motor and the like, but can be adjusted, for example, between 100 and 600 ms.

[0053] In the microcomputer 20 of each electric actuator 10 to which the current is supplied from the drive power source 2, the acquisition of the analog value is executed by each analog signal acquisition unit 25. Here, the analog value to be acquired is the voltage V 10 divided at the node n1. The voltage V 10is a value including variations due to the capacitance etc. of the resistance elements 61 and 62 of each of the electric actuators 10-1 and 10-2. The voltage V acquired by the analog signal acquisition unit 25 10 is sent to the seed value generation unit 26 and used for generating the seed value X0. The generated seed value X0 is used for generating pseudo-random numbers by the pseudo-random number generation unit 27. Then, the pseudo-random numbers generated by the pseudo-random number generation unit 27 are used for determining the transmission timing of the control signal S1 by the on-timing setting unit 28. The specific determination methods of the aforementioned seed value X0, pseudo-random numbers, and transmission timing are as already described.

[0054] Based on the control signal S1 transmitted to the control circuit 53 at the timing determined by each microcomputer 20, when the transistor 52 of the first electric actuator 10-1 and the transistor 52 of the second electric actuator 10-2 are turned on, a charging current flows through each drive power supply line 44, and charging of each capacitor 41 is started. For example, when the on-timing of the transistor 52 in the first electric actuator 10-1 is earlier than the on-timing of the transistor 52 in the second electric actuator 10-2, as shown in FIG. 5, the generation timing of the inrush current generated by the first electric actuator 10-1 also occurs earlier than the generation timing of the inrush current generated by the second electric actuator 10-2. Also, since the period T1 during which the inrush current occurs is relatively short, on the order of several ms, the inrush current generated by the first electric actuator 10-1 and the inrush current generated by the second electric actuator 10-2 hardly overlap. Incidentally, if the length of the unit time t used by the on-timing setting unit 28 is adjusted to be longer than the above-described period T1, the overlapping of the inrush current timings can be further reduced.

[0055] For example, assuming that a predetermined time T0 is 100 ms and a period T1 is 2 ms, when the constant M in the above formula (1) is set to 98 and the unit time t is set to 2 ms, the number of timings at which the transistor 52 turns on after the reset signal is sent to the microcomputer 20 is 98. Thus, when two electric actuators 10 that can take 98 charging start timings are connected to the drive power source 2, the probability that the charging start timings are the same timing is 1 / 9604. Therefore, it can be said that there is almost no possibility that the inrush currents generated in the two electric actuators 10 occur at the same timing.

[0056] As described above, when pseudo-random numbers are used to determine the charging timings of the capacitors 41 of the respective electric actuators 10-1 and 10-2, since the charging timings change randomly, as a result, the occurrence timings of the inrush currents in the respective electric actuators 10-1 and 10-2 connected to the drive power source 2 can be shifted. That is, even without grasping the operation timings of other electric actuators 10 by the microcomputer 20 or the like, it is possible to significantly suppress the occurrence of voltage drops due to the overlapping of the occurrence timings of the inrush currents. In addition, in the microcomputer 20 of each of the electric actuators 10-1 and 10-2, an analog value (voltage V in the above example) acquired within each of the electric actuators 10-1 and 10-2 is used as the seed value X0 used for generating the pseudo-random numbers. 10 ) is used. If a value with variation for each electric actuator is used for generating pseudo-random numbers like the above-described analog value, the occurrence timings of the inrush currents in each electric actuator 10 can be made different without monitoring the timing at which the transistor 52 is turned on in other electric actuators 10 connected to the drive power source 2.

[0057] As described above, according to the control system 1 and the control device according to the present embodiment, even in a usage form in which a plurality of electric actuators 10 are connected to a single drive power source 2 and operate, the charging timings of the capacitors 41 in each electric actuator 10 can be shifted, avoiding the occurrence of inrush currents at the same timing and suppressing voltage drops.

[0058] In addition, in the present embodiment, the analog values used in the seed value generation unit may be the output value Tc of the temperature sensor 65 or the voltages V at various locations 10 , V 20 are exemplified as being used alone or in combination. However, which of these three analog values is used to generate the seed value X0 may be determined using the pseudo-random numbers described above. By generating the seed value X0 in this way, it becomes possible to generate more random numerical values as the transmission timing of the control signal S1. Also, as examples of the values used as analog values, the output value of the temperature sensor 65 and the voltages V at various locations 10 , V 20 are given, but the analog values are not limited to these. For example, when the controller unit 32 includes a real-time clock (RTC), the time of the RTC may be used as an analog value. Since the time of the RTC has relatively large variations between individuals, it is useful for generating different seed values X0.

[0059] In the control system 1 according to the above-described embodiment, an integrated control device type is exemplified as the electric actuator 10, but the present disclosure is not limited to such a structure. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 6, a modification example of the control system of the above-described embodiment will be exemplarily described.

[0060] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a control system according to a modification example of an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 6, the control system 1A according to this modification example may be composed of a plurality of electric actuators 10A connected to a single drive power source 2 and a plurality of controllers 32A that control each electric actuator 10A. Among the above-described configurations, the controller 32A may include various components described as the controller unit 32 in the above-described embodiment. And the electric actuator 10A can be composed of the components excluding the controller unit 32 among the electric actuators 10 of the embodiment.

[0061] Also in this modified example, the charging timing of the capacitor 41 can be randomly changed by the microcomputer 20 as an example of the control device included in the controller 32A. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the occurrence timings of the inrush currents when charging a plurality of capacitors 41 from being the same, and it is possible to suppress the voltage drop.

[0062] In the above-described embodiments and modified examples, as an example of the control device, the controller unit 32 built in the electric actuator 10 or the controller 32A connected to the electric actuator 10A has been illustrated. However, the control device of the present disclosure is not limited to this. Specifically, the control device of the present disclosure can also be used as a control device that controls an electrical device including a capacitor other than the above-described electric actuator. Even in that case, the above-described effect, that is, the charging timings to the capacitors in a plurality of electrical devices connected to the same drive power source can be shifted, and the voltage drop associated with the increase in the inrush current can be suppressed.

[0063] Note that in each of the above embodiments, the processor refers to a processor in a broad sense and includes a general-purpose processor (for example, a CPU) and a dedicated processor (for example, a GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, an ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, an FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, a programmable logic device, etc.).

[0064] Also, the operation of the processor in each of the above embodiments may be achieved not only by one processor but also by a plurality of processors physically separated from each other cooperating with each other. Also, the order of each operation of the processor is not limited to the order described in each of the above embodiments and may be changed as appropriate.

[0065] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made and implemented without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. And all of them are included in the technical idea of the present disclosure.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0066] 1, 1A Control system 2 Drive power source 10, 10A Electric actuator 20 Microcomputer 21 Processor 32 Controller section 32A Controller 33 Motor encoder unit 41 Capacitor 42 Current limiting circuit 43 Motor drive circuit 44 Drive power supply line 45 DC / DC converter 52 Transistor 53 Control circuit 65 Temperature sensor

Claims

1. A control device including at least one processor for controlling one actuator that operates with a plurality of them connected to a single drive power source, wherein the processor, generates a pseudo-random number and determines the timing for outputting a control signal for starting charging a capacitor connected to the drive power supply line of the actuator according to the pseudo-random number. Control device.

2. The timing is determined such that charging of the capacitor is completed within a predetermined time. The control device according to Claim 1.

3. The processor sets the predetermined time longer as the number of actuators connected to the single drive power source is larger. The control device according to Claim 2.

4. The processor generates the pseudo-random number using an analog value acquirable by the control device or the actuator as an input. The control device according to Claim 1.

5. The analog value is constituted by any one of a first signal corresponding to the temperature of the capacitor, a second signal corresponding to the voltage of the drive power supply line, or a signal combining the first signal and the second signal. The control device according to Claim 4.

6. A control system comprising a plurality of control devices according to any one of Claims 1 to 5 connected to a single drive power source, and a plurality of actuators respectively controlled by the plurality of control devices. Control system.

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