Controller

Abstract

To provide a controller which is compact, has high operability, suppresses noise, and is excellent in electrical characteristics.SOLUTION: The controller includes a power supply circuit board to which a first voltage is input, and a control circuit board and a system circuit board to which a second voltage smaller than the first voltage is input, the power supply circuit board and the system circuit board are disposed along the bottom surface panel and are disposed side by side in a first direction such that the power supply circuit board is located on the back surface panel side and the system circuit board is located on the front surface panel side, in the plan view of the bottom panel, the control circuit board is disposed to overlap the system circuit board, the system circuit board has a first connector coupled to the robot, and the control circuit board has a second connector coupled to an external device that generates a drive command program of the robot.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a controller. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a robot controller that controls the operation of a robot. The robot controller has a drive voltage generation board and a control board that is placed on top of the drive voltage generation board. The control board also has a number of ports for expanding functionality that are arranged horizontally in a row and are connected to the robot, peripheral devices, etc., and each of these ports is exposed to the outside from the front panel of the robot controller. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-13967 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, robot controllers have been required to be smaller and have improved functionality expandability.

[0005] However, in the robot controller of Patent Document 1, multiple ports for functional expansion are arranged horizontally in a row. Therefore, increasing the number of ports to further improve functional expandability would increase the width of the robot controller and its installation area. In contrast, arranging multiple ports at a narrow pitch to prevent the robot controller's installation area from increasing would make it difficult to insert and remove cables from each port, reducing operability. Furthermore, in the robot controller of Patent Document 1, the drive voltage generation board, which receives a 200V AC voltage from an external power source, and the control board, which receives a 24V DC voltage generated by the drive voltage generation board, are overlapped, creating the problem of crosstalk occurring easily between them. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The controller of the present invention is a controller that controls the driving of a robot equipped with a motor, a housing including a bottom panel, a front panel located on one side in a first direction along the bottom panel and standing upright relative to the bottom panel, and a back panel located on the other side in the first direction and standing upright relative to the bottom panel; a power supply circuit board disposed within the housing and receiving a first voltage; a control circuit board and a system circuit board that are disposed within the housing and to which a second voltage smaller than the first voltage is input; the power supply circuit board and the system circuit board are arranged along the bottom panel and are arranged side by side in the first direction such that the power supply circuit board is located on the other side in the first direction and the system circuit board is located on the other side in the first direction; In a plan view of the bottom panel, the control circuit board is disposed so as to overlap the system circuit board; the system circuit board has a first connector connected to the robot; The control circuit board has a second connector that is exposed to the outside of the housing from the front panel and that is connected to an external device that generates a drive command program for the robot. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall view showing a robot system according to a preferred embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of the controller. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the inside of the controller, omitting illustration of the control circuit board, IF board, and safety board. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the inside of the controller, with the safety board not shown. [Figure 5] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a floating connector that electrically connects a system circuit board and a control circuit board. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the inside of the controller. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the front panel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A controller according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0009] FIG. 1 is an overall view showing a robot system according to a preferred embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of a controller 3. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the inside of the controller, omitting the illustration of the control circuit board, IF board, and safety board. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the inside of the controller, omitting the illustration of the safety board. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a floating connector that electrically connects the system circuit board and the control circuit board. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the inside of the controller. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the front panel.

[0010] The robot system 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a robot 2, a conveyor 8 and a camera 9 that are peripheral devices that cooperate with the robot 2, a controller 3 that controls the operation of the robot 2, and a host computer 7 that is an external device that generates a motion command program for the robot 2 and inputs the program to the controller 3. In this robot system 1, the conveyor 8 transports a workpiece W in a predetermined direction at a predetermined speed, the camera 5 captures images of the workpiece W on the conveyor 8, and the robot 2 performs a predetermined task on the workpiece W on the conveyor 8 downstream of the camera 5 in accordance with the motion command program. However, the configuration of the robot system 1 is not particularly limited. For example, the peripheral devices such as the conveyor 8 and the camera 9 may be omitted, or peripheral devices other than the conveyor 8 and the camera 9 may be included. Furthermore, the host computer 7 may be detached from the controller 3 after the motion command program has been input into the controller 3.

[0011] The conveyor 8 is a belt conveyor that transports the workpiece W in the direction of the arrow at a predetermined speed. The camera 9 is located upstream of the robot 2 and captures an image of the workpiece W on the conveyor 8 from above the conveyor 8. The position in the image captured by the camera 9 is known, and the position of the workpiece W at the time of image capture can be determined from the position of the workpiece W in the image. By combining this with the direction and speed of transport of the workpiece W by the conveyor 8, the movement trajectory of the workpiece W from the time of image capture can be predicted.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the robot 2 is a SCARA robot (horizontal articulated robot) and has a base 20 fixed to the floor, a first arm 21 connected to the base 20 and rotating around a first rotation axis J1 that is vertical to the base 20, a second arm 22 connected to the first arm 21 and rotating around a second rotation axis J2 that is vertical to the first arm 21, and a work head 23 located at the tip of the second arm 22.

[0013] Furthermore, the work head 23 has a spline nut 231 and a ball screw nut 232 that are coaxially arranged at the tip of the second arm 22, and a spline shaft 233 that is inserted through the spline nut 231 and the ball screw nut 232. Although not shown, an end effector appropriate for the purpose of the work is attached to the lower end of the spline shaft 233.

[0014] In such a work head 23, rotation of the spline nut 231 causes the spline shaft 233 to rotate around a third rotation axis J3 along the vertical direction and also move linearly (up and down) along the third rotation axis J3, rotation of the ball screw nut 232 causes the spline shaft 233 to move linearly along the third rotation axis J3, and rotation of both the spline nut 231 and the ball screw nut 232 causes the spline shaft 233 to rotate around the third rotation axis J3.

[0015] The robot 2 also has a motor M1 that rotates the first arm 21 about a first rotation axis J1 relative to the base 20, a motor M2 that rotates the second arm 22 about a second rotation axis J2 relative to the first arm 21, a motor M3 that rotates the spline nut 231, and a motor M4 that rotates the ball screw nut 232. Each of these motors M1, M2, M3, and M4 is an AC motor, particularly a three-phase AC motor. Each of the motors M1, M2, M3, and M4 also has a built-in encoder E that detects the amount of rotation of the rotation axis.

[0016] Although the robot 2 has been described above, there are no particular limitations on the configuration of the robot 2. For example, the robot 2 may be a six-axis articulated robot.

[0017] The controller 3 controls the driving of the robot 2 by independently driving each of the motors M1, M2, M3, and M4 based on a drive command program input from the host computer 7, for example, and causes the robot 2 to perform a predetermined task.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the controller 3 includes a housing 4. The housing 4 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and includes rectangular frame-shaped sidewall panels having a front panel 41, a rear panel 42, a first side panel 43, and a second side panel 44; a bottom panel 45 that closes the bottom openings of the sidewall panels; and a top panel 46 that closes the top openings of the sidewall panels. Therefore, each of the sidewall panels 41 to 44 is disposed upright relative to the bottom panel 45. Of these six panels 41 to 46, at least the top panel 46 is detachably fixed to the other panels with screws or the like. Therefore, removing the top panel 46 facilitates access to the interior of the housing 4, facilitating assembly and maintenance of the controller 3. However, the configuration of the housing 4 is not particularly limited. The front panel 41, the rear panel 42, the sidewall panels, the bottom panel 45, and the top panel 46 are not limited to being fixed with screws, and multiple panels may be integrally formed.

[0019] In the following, for ease of explanation, the direction in which the bottom panel 45 and the top panel 46 are aligned will also be referred to as the "height direction," the direction in which the front panel 41 and the back panel 42 are aligned will also be referred to as the "depth direction," which is the first direction, and the direction in which the first and second side panels 43, 44 are aligned will also be referred to as the "width direction," which is the second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the controller 3 also has a power supply circuit board 51, a sub-power supply circuit board 52, a system circuit board 53, a control circuit board 54, a motor drive board 55, an IF board 56, a safety board 57, and a fan 58 housed within the housing 4.

[0021] For example, the power supply circuit board 51 is connected to an external power source and converts 200V AC voltage supplied from the external power source into DC voltage for use within the controller 3. The control circuit board 54 executes a motion command program for the robot 2 input from a host computer 7, such as a teaching pendant, and generates a position command indicating the destination of the robot 2 according to the target position of the robot 2 set in the motion command program. The system circuit board 53 calculates the amount of rotation of each motor M1-M4 required to move the robot 2 to the position indicated by the position command generated by the control circuit board 54 and generates a voltage command corresponding to the calculated amount of rotation. The motor drive board 55 converts the DC voltage input from the power supply circuit board 51 into a multi-phase AC voltage for each motor M1-M4 based on a control signal corresponding to the voltage command input from the system circuit board 53, and inputs it to each motor M1-M4. The interface board 56 acquires the driving status of the conveyor 8. The safety board 57 monitors the output signals of each encoder E equipped on the robot 2 to detect abnormalities in the robot 2. Above, we have briefly explained the functions of each of the substrates 51 to 57. Below, we will explain each of the substrates 51 to 57 in detail.

[0022] <Power supply circuit board 51> As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the power supply circuit board 51 is fixed to the bottom panel 45. Specifically, the power supply circuit board 51 is placed on columnar legs 40 erected upward from the inner surface of the bottom panel 45 and fixed to each leg 40 with screws N. The power supply circuit board 51 is substantially rectangular in plan view. The power supply circuit board 51 is disposed along the bottom panel 45. In particular, in this embodiment, the power supply circuit board 51 is oriented parallel to the bottom panel 45. The power supply circuit board 51 is disposed closer to the rear panel 42. Note that the term “parallel” includes not only cases where the power supply circuit board 51 is parallel to the bottom panel 45, but also cases where the power supply circuit board 51 is tilted relative to the bottom panel 45 to an extent that can be considered equivalent to parallel from a technical common sense perspective, taking into account the forming accuracy of components, assembly accuracy, etc., for example, within a range of approximately ±5° or less. The meaning of “parallel” is the same hereinafter.

[0023] Such a power supply circuit board 51 uses a noise filter (not shown) to remove noise from the 200V AC voltage supplied from an external power supply. Furthermore, the power supply circuit board 51 converts the noise-removed 200V AC voltage into a first voltage V1, which is a 280V DC voltage, using a rectifier circuit such as a diode bridge, and inputs the first voltage V1 to each motor drive board 55. Furthermore, the power supply circuit board 51 inputs the first voltage V1 to the sub-power supply circuit board 52.

[0024] Although the power supply circuit board 51 has been described above, the configuration of the power supply circuit board 51 is not particularly limited.

[0025] <<Sub-power supply circuit board 52>> As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the sub-power supply circuit board 52 is fixed to the first side panel 43. The sub-power supply circuit board 52 is arranged along the first side panel 43. In particular, in this embodiment, the sub-power supply circuit board 52 is oriented parallel to the first side panel 43. By arranging the sub-power supply circuit board 52 upright relative to the power supply circuit board 51 in this way, the planar expansion of the controller 3 can be reduced, and the installation area for the controller 3 can be kept small. This makes it easier to install the controller 3.

[0026] Sub-power supply circuit board 52 is electrically connected to power supply circuit board 51 via a cable. The noise filter converts the noise-removed 200V AC voltage input from power supply circuit board 51 via the cable into a 24V DC voltage, and inputs the DC voltage to power supply circuit board 51 via the cable. Power supply circuit board 51 inputs the 24V DC voltage input from sub-power supply circuit board 52 to system circuit board 53.

[0027] Although the sub-power supply circuit board 52 has been described above, there are no particular limitations on the configuration of the sub-power supply circuit board 52. Also, the sub-power supply circuit board 52 may be omitted, and its function may be given to the power supply circuit board 51.

[0028] <System circuit board 53> The system circuit board 53 is electrically connected to the power supply circuit board 51 via a cable. A DC voltage of 24 V is input to the system circuit board 53 from the power supply circuit board 51. By configuring the power supply circuit board 51, which handles a DC voltage of 280 V, and the system circuit board 53, which handles a DC voltage of 24 V, which is lower than 200 V, as separate boards in this way, crosstalk between them can be effectively suppressed. This results in a controller 3 that is less susceptible to noise and can control the robot 2 with greater precision.

[0029] 2 and 3, the system circuit board 53 is fixed to the bottom panel 45. Specifically, the system circuit board 53 is placed on columnar legs 40 erected on the bottom panel 45 and fixed to each leg 40 with screws N, which are fixing members. The system circuit board 53 is substantially rectangular in plan view and is approximately the same size as the power supply circuit board 51. The system circuit board 53 is arranged along the bottom panel 45. In particular, in this embodiment, the system circuit board 53 is oriented parallel to the bottom panel 45. The system circuit board 53 is arranged closer to the front panel 41. The system circuit board 53 is arranged at substantially the same height as the power supply circuit board 51 and is located in front of the power supply circuit board 51 (on the front panel 41 side). In other words, the system circuit board 53 and the power supply circuit board 51 are arranged side by side in the depth direction and do not overlap each other in a plan view from the height direction. By arranging them in this manner, the system circuit board 53 and the power supply circuit board 51 can be arranged as far apart as possible within the housing 4, and crosstalk between them can be more effectively suppressed.

[0030] 2, the thickness T1 of the system circuit board 53 is greater than the thickness T2 of the control circuit board 54. In other words, T1>T2. As will be described later, the system circuit board 53 is larger than the control circuit board 54 and has a greater number of connectors for connecting cables. Therefore, by making the system circuit board 53 thicker than the control circuit board 54, the strength of the system circuit board 53 can be increased, and damage to the system circuit board 53 due to stress applied when connecting connectors can be effectively suppressed. Note that, although not particularly limited, in this embodiment, T1=1.6 mm and T2=1.2 mm.

[0031] 2 and 3, the system circuit board 53 has a plurality of first connectors C1. The plurality of first connectors C1 are arranged in a row in the width direction along the edge of the upper surface of the system circuit board 53 on the front panel 41 side, and are exposed to the outside of the controller 3 through holes formed in the front panel 41. That is, the first connectors C1 are fixed to the system circuit board 53, and portions of the first connectors C1 are inserted through holes formed in the front panel 41, and are exposed to the outside of the housing from the front panel. "Exposed" here means that the first connectors C1 are visible when viewed from the front panel 41 direction, and the first connectors C1 do not have to protrude from the front panel 41. The plurality of first connectors C1 include, for example, connectors connected to the encoders E to acquire output signals from the encoders E, connectors connected to end effectors attached to the robot 2 to acquire signals from the end effectors, and connectors connected to the cameras 9 to acquire image data captured by the cameras 9. However, the number, arrangement, function, specifications, etc. of the first connectors C1 are not particularly limited.

[0032] Such a system circuit board 53 converts the 24V DC voltage input from the power supply circuit board 51 into DC voltages such as 17V, 16V, 5V, and 3.3V, and inputs each of the 24V, 17V, 16V, 5V, and 3.3V DC voltages (hereinafter referred to as second voltages V2) to required locations such as the system circuit board 53, control circuit board 54, motor drive board 55, IF board 56, and safety board 57. Also, as described above, the system circuit board 53 calculates the amount of rotation of each of the motors M1 to M4 required to move the robot 2 to the position indicated by the position command generated by the control circuit board 54, and generates voltage commands for the U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase for each of the motors M1 to M4 according to the calculated amount of rotation.

[0033] Although the system circuit board 53 has been described above, there are no particular limitations on the configuration of the system circuit board 53. For example, the thickness of the system circuit board 53 may be equal to or less than the thickness of the control circuit board 54.

[0034] <IF board 56> 2 and 4, the IF board 56 is located above the system circuit board 53 and is fixed to the system circuit board 53 via support posts 96. The IF board 56 is also arranged along the bottom panel 45. In particular, in this embodiment, the IF board 56 is oriented parallel to the bottom panel 45. The IF board 56 is electrically connected to the system circuit board 53 via a cable (not shown).

[0035] 4, IF board 56 overlaps with system circuit board 53 in a plan view from the height direction. This configuration can reduce the planar extent of controller 3 (extension in the width and depth directions), thereby reducing the installation area for controller 3. This makes it easier to install controller 3.

[0036] 4, the IF board 56 does not overlap the power supply circuit board 51 in a plan view from the height direction. This allows the IF board 56 and the power supply circuit board 51 to be positioned as far apart as possible within the housing 4, effectively suppressing crosstalk between them. As a result, the controller 3 is less susceptible to noise and can control the robot 2 with greater precision.

[0037] 2 and 4, the IF board 56 has one third connector C3. The third connector C3 is arranged along the edge of the upper surface of the IF board 56 on the front panel 41 side, and faces the outside of the controller 3 through a hole formed in the front panel 41. The third connector C3 is connected to the conveyor 8, and acquires operation information of the conveyor 8, in particular information regarding the transport speed of the workpiece W. However, the number, arrangement, function, specifications, etc. of the third connectors C3 are not particularly limited.

[0038] Although the IF board 56 has been described above, there are no particular limitations on the configuration of the IF board 56. Furthermore, the IF board 56 may be omitted.

[0039] <<Control circuit board 54>> As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 , the control circuit board 54 is located above the system circuit board 53 and is fixed to the system circuit board 53 via support posts 94. The control circuit board 54 has a generally rectangular shape in a plan view and is smaller in area than the system circuit board 53. The control circuit board 54 is disposed along the bottom panel 45. In particular, in this embodiment, the control circuit board 54 is parallel to the bottom panel 45. By disposing the control circuit board 54, which has a relatively small area, above the system circuit board 53, which has a larger area—that is, by disposing the system circuit board 53 between the bottom panel 45 and the control circuit board 54—the control circuit board 54 is not hidden below the system circuit board 53 and is easily visible. Note that the first connector C1 overlaps with the control circuit board 54 in a plan view from the height direction. Therefore, the control circuit board 54 is positioned at a height that does not contact the first connector C1.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 5 , the control circuit board 54 is electrically connected to the system circuit board 53 via a floating connector 59. The floating connector 59 is positioned so as to overlap the control circuit board 54 in a plan view from the height direction. The floating connector 59 includes a movable connector 591 located on the upper surface of the system circuit board 53 and a fixed connector 592 located on the lower surface of the control circuit board 54 and fitted into the floating portion of the movable connector 591. This configuration can accommodate installation errors between the system circuit board 53 and the control circuit board 54 that may occur during assembly, reducing the burden on the system circuit board 53 and the control circuit board 54. Furthermore, this configuration simplifies the connection process compared to connecting the system circuit board 53 and the control circuit board 54 via a cable. Furthermore, it effectively prevents deterioration of electrical characteristics due to contact or vibration of the cable with other components. Furthermore, the absence of a cable allows for a more compact controller 3.

[0041] However, there is no particular limitation on the method for electrically connecting system circuit board 53 and control circuit board 54. For example, movable side connector 591 may be arranged on control circuit board 54, and fixed side connector 592 may be arranged on system circuit board 53. Also, a connector other than floating connector 59 may be used, or the connection may be made via a cable.

[0042] 4, control circuit board 54 overlaps system circuit board 53 in a plan view from the height direction. This configuration can reduce the planar extent of controller 3 and reduce the installation area for controller 3. This makes it easier to install controller 3.

[0043] 4, the control circuit board 54 does not overlap the power supply circuit board 51 in a plan view from the height direction. This allows the control circuit board 54 and the power supply circuit board 51 to be positioned as far apart as possible within the housing 4, effectively suppressing crosstalk between them. As a result, the controller 3 is less susceptible to noise and can control the robot 2 with greater precision.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 4 , the control circuit board 54 does not overlap the IF board 56 in a planar view from the height direction. Furthermore, the control circuit board 54 does not overlap the motor drive board 55 in a planar view from the height direction. This configuration reduces the height of the housing 4, allowing for a more compact controller 3. The control circuit board 54 is disposed closer to the first side panel 43 and closer to the front panel 41 in a planar view from the height direction. The motor drive board 55 is disposed closer to the second side panel 44 than the control circuit board 54, and the power supply circuit board 51 is disposed closer to the rear panel 42 than the control circuit board 54. This configuration allows for the control circuit board 54, the power supply circuit board 51, and the motor drive board 55 to be arranged compactly without overlapping, saving space. This allows for a more compact controller 3.

[0045] 2 and 4, the control circuit board 54 is a system on a chip (SOC) equipped with a CPU 541 and electronic components such as memory (not shown). The memory stores various programs and data, such as an operation command program, required for the controller 3 to control the operation of the robot 2. The processor then reads and executes the data, operation command program, and other programs stored in the memory, causing the control circuit board 54 to operate. Specifically, the control circuit board 54 generates a position command indicating the destination of the robot 2 based on the target position of the robot 2 set in the operation command program and the actual position of the robot 2 determined from the output signals of each encoder E. In particular, when a conveyor 8 and a camera 9 are connected in addition to the robot 2, as in this embodiment, the control circuit board 54 generates a position command indicating the destination of the robot 2 based on the target position of the robot 2 set in the operation command program, the actual position of the robot 2 determined from the output signals of each encoder E, and the predicted movement trajectory of the workpiece W determined based on the position of the workpiece W at a given time determined from the image data captured by the camera 9 and the transport speed of the workpiece W by the conveyor 8.

[0046] 2 and 4, the control circuit board 54 has a plurality of second connectors C2. The plurality of second connectors C2 are arranged in a row in the width direction along the edge of the upper surface of the control circuit board 54 on the front panel 41 side, and face the outside of the controller 3 through holes formed in the front panel 41. These plurality of second connectors C2 include, for example, a connector to which the host computer 7 is connected and through which an operation command program is input. Note that the number, arrangement, function, specifications, etc. of the second connectors C2 are not particularly limited.

[0047] 4, the control circuit board 54 has an opening 543 formed at a position overlapping with a screw N for fixing the system circuit board 53 to the leg 40 in a plan view from the height direction. In this embodiment, the opening 543 is configured as a notch that opens at the edge of the control circuit board 54. With this configuration, for example, by inserting a tool such as a screwdriver into the opening 543, the screw N can be easily attached and detached even while the control circuit board 54 remains fixed to the system circuit board 53. This improves the ease of assembly and maintenance of the controller 3.

[0048] Here, it is preferable that the number of connectors for connecting cables arranged on control circuit board 54 is smaller than the number of connectors for connecting cables arranged on system circuit board 53. It is more preferable that the number of connectors for connecting cables arranged on control circuit board 54 is zero. With this configuration, bending deformation of control circuit board 54 due to insertion and removal of cables is suppressed, and board failures such as poor contact can be effectively suppressed.

[0049] Although the control circuit board 54 has been described above, the configuration of the control circuit board 54 is not particularly limited. For example, the control circuit board 54 may be disposed below the system circuit board 53, that is, between the bottom panel 45 and the system circuit board 53. Furthermore, like the motor drive board 55, the control circuit board 54 may be installed in an upright position relative to the system circuit board 53.

[0050] <Motor drive board 55> As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , two motor drive boards 55 are provided. Each motor drive board 55 is located above the power supply circuit board 51 and the system circuit board 53 and overlaps the power supply circuit board 51 and the system circuit board 53 in a plan view from the height direction. Each motor drive board 55 is also arranged along the second side panel 44. In particular, in this embodiment, each motor drive board 55 is parallel to the second side panel 44 (perpendicular to the power supply circuit board 51 and the system circuit board 53). That is, each motor drive board 55 is installed upright relative to the power supply circuit board 51 and the system circuit board 53. Each motor drive board 55 is also positioned closer to the second side panel 44 and aligned in the width direction. Arranging the motor drive boards 55 upright in this manner reduces the planar size of the controller 3 and reduces the installation area for the controller 3. This facilitates installation of the controller 3.

[0051] Each motor drive board 55 is fitted into a connector arranged on the upper surface of power supply circuit board 51 and a connector arranged on the upper surface of system circuit board 53, and is electrically connected to power supply circuit board 51 and system circuit board 53. Although not shown, each motor drive board 55 is fixed near its upper end to housing 4 via a support beam.

[0052] One of these two motor drive boards 55 generates a polyphase AC voltage for motors M1 and M2, and the other generates a polyphase AC voltage for motors M3 and M4. These two motor drive boards 55 have the same configuration, so the following description will representatively focus on the motor drive board 55 that generates the polyphase AC voltage for motors M1 and M2.

[0053] Although not shown, the motor drive board 55 is provided with a power module for generating a polyphase AC voltage for the motor M1 and a second power module for generating a polyphase AC voltage for the motor M2.

[0054] The first power module receives a first voltage V1 from the power supply circuit board 51 and receives a second voltage V2 and a control signal for the motor M1 from the system circuit board 53. The first power module is driven by the second voltage V2 (a DC voltage of 17 V), and uses a built-in converter to boost the first voltage V1 (a DC voltage of 280 V) to a voltage suitable for driving the motor M1. The first power module also includes a built-in inverter circuit made up of multiple switching elements, and the inverter circuit is turned on and off by a control signal for the motor M1 input from the system circuit board 53, thereby converting the voltage boosted by the converter into a polyphase AC voltage (three-phase AC voltage) for the motor M1. The polyphase AC voltage generated by the first power module in this way is input to the motor M1.

[0055] Like the first power module, the second power module receives a first voltage V1 from the power supply circuit board 51 and a second voltage V2 and a control signal for the motor M2 from the system circuit board 53. The second power module is driven by the second voltage V2, and uses a built-in converter to boost the first voltage V1 to a voltage suitable for driving the motor M2. The second power module also includes a built-in inverter circuit made up of multiple switching elements, and the inverter circuit is turned on and off by a control signal for the motor M2 input from the system circuit board 53, thereby converting the voltage boosted by the converter into a polyphase AC voltage (three-phase AC voltage) for the motor M2. The polyphase AC voltage generated by the second power module in this way is input to the motor M2.

[0056] Although the motor drive board 55 has been described above, the configuration of the motor drive board 55 is not particularly limited. For example, one motor drive board 55 may be configured to generate a polyphase AC voltage for one motor. Furthermore, each motor drive board 55 may be disposed in a position parallel to the bottom panel 45.

[0057] <Safety Board 57> 2 and 6, the safety board 57 is located above the control circuit board 54 and is fixed to the housing 4 via the support member 49. In other words, the safety board 57 is not supported by the control circuit board 54 and is disposed in a floating state above the control circuit board 54. The safety board 57 is also substantially rectangular in plan view and is approximately the same size as the control circuit board 54. In other words, the safety board 57 has a smaller area than the system circuit board 53. By disposing the safety board 57 above the system circuit board 53 and the control circuit board 54 in this way, that is, by disposing the system circuit board 53 and the control circuit board 54 between the bottom panel 45 and the safety board 57, the safety board 57 is not hidden below the system circuit board 53 and is easily visible.

[0058] 6, safety board 57 overlaps with system circuit board 53 and control circuit board 54 in a plan view from the height direction. This configuration can reduce the size of controller 3 in plan view, thereby minimizing the installation area of ​​controller 3. This makes it easier to install controller 3.

[0059] 6, the safety board 57 does not overlap the power supply circuit board 51 in a plan view from the height direction. This allows the safety board 57 and the power supply circuit board 51 to be positioned as far apart as possible within the housing 4, effectively suppressing crosstalk between them. As a result, the controller 3 is less susceptible to noise and can control the robot 2 with greater precision.

[0060] 6, safety board 57 does not overlap motor drive board 55 in a plan view from the height direction. With this configuration, the height of housing 4 can be reduced, and controller 3 can be made more compact.

[0061] 2 and 6, the safety board 57 has a plurality of fourth connectors C4. The plurality of fourth connectors C4 are arranged in a row in the width direction along the edge of the upper surface of the safety board 57 on the front panel 41 side, and face the outside of the controller 3 through holes formed in the front panel 41. The plurality of fourth connectors C4 include, for example, connectors for acquiring an emergency stop input signal and a safety input / output signal. However, the number, arrangement, function, specifications, etc. of the fourth connectors C4 are not particularly limited.

[0062] The safety board 57 monitors the output signals of each encoder E and detects abnormalities in the robot 2. The method for detecting abnormalities is not particularly limited, but for example, the robot 2 may be determined to be abnormal if the output signal of at least one encoder E exhibits an abnormal value. Alternatively, the robot 2 may be determined to be abnormal if the error between the position command generated by the control circuit board 54 and the actual position of the robot 2 obtained from the output signals of each encoder E exceeds an allowable range. When the safety board 57 detects an abnormality in the robot 2, it inputs an abnormality signal to the system circuit board 53 informing the system circuit board 53 of this. Upon receiving the abnormality signal, the system circuit board 53 immediately stops the driving of each motor M1 to M4 and brings the robot 2 to an emergency stop.

[0063] Although the safety board 57 has been described above, there are no particular limitations on the configuration of the safety board 57. Furthermore, the safety board 57 may be omitted.

[0064] <Fan 58> 2 and 3, fan 58 is disposed in an upright position between power supply circuit board 51 and sub-power supply circuit board 52 in a plan view from the height direction, and blows air toward second side panel 44 (power supply circuit board 51 side). This makes it possible to effectively cool a regenerative resistor (not shown) and power supply circuit board 51. Fan 58 is also electrically connected to system circuit board 53 via a cable, and its drive is controlled based on the power supply from system circuit board 53.

[0065] The controller 3 has been described above. In this controller 3, as shown in FIG. 7 , the first connector C1 disposed on the system circuit board 53, the second connector C2 disposed on the control circuit board 54, the third connector C3 disposed on the IF board 56, and the fourth connector C4 disposed on the safety board 57 are arranged with a vertical offset. Specifically, multiple first connectors C1 are arranged in the lower row R1, multiple second connectors C2 and one third connector C3 are arranged in the middle row R2 located above the lower row R1, and multiple fourth connectors C4 are arranged in the upper row R3 located above the middle row R2. By arranging the first, second, third, and fourth connectors C1, C2, C3, and C4 vertically, a wide pitch between adjacent connectors can be ensured without increasing the width of the controller 3. This allows the controller 3 to be made smaller while preventing deterioration in operability.

[0066] In this embodiment, the control circuit board 54 and the IF board 56 are arranged at approximately the same height, and the second connector C2 and the third connector C3 are arranged side by side in the middle row R2, but this is not limited to this, and the second connector C2 and the third connector C3 may be arranged offset in the vertical direction.

[0067] The above has described the robot system 1. As described above, the controller 3 included in such robot system 1 is the controller 3 that controls the driving of the robot 2 equipped with motors M1 to M4, and includes a housing 4 that includes a bottom panel 45, a front panel 41 located on one side in a depth direction, which is a first direction along the bottom panel 45, and standing upright relative to the bottom panel 45, and a back panel 42 located on the other side in the depth direction and standing upright relative to the bottom panel 45, a power supply circuit board 51 that is located within the housing 4 and handles a first voltage V1, and a control circuit board 54 and a system circuit board 53 that are also located within the housing 4 and handle a second voltage V2 that is smaller than the first voltage V1. The power supply circuit board 51 and the system circuit board 53 are arranged along the bottom panel 45, and are aligned in the depth direction, with the power supply circuit board 51 positioned on the other side of the depth direction and the system circuit board 53 positioned on one side of the depth direction. In a plan view of the bottom panel 45, i.e., in a plan view from the height direction, the control circuit board 54 is arranged overlapping the system circuit board 53. The system circuit board 53 has a first connector C1 connected to the robot 2, and the control circuit board 54 has a second connector C2 exposed to the outside of the housing 4 through the front panel 41 and connected to a host computer 7, an external device that generates drive command programs for the robot 2. With this configuration, the second connector C2 is arranged above the first connector C1. By arranging the first and second connectors C1 and C2 in two rows, one above the other, a wide pitch can be secured between the first and second connectors C1 and C2 without increasing the width of the controller 3. This allows the controller 3 to be miniaturized while preventing deterioration in operability of the controller 3. Furthermore, by arranging the power supply circuit board 51 and the system circuit board 53 side by side in the depth direction, crosstalk is less likely to occur between them, resulting in a controller 3 that can control the robot 2 with high precision.

[0068] As described above, the control circuit board 54 has a smaller area than the system circuit board 53, and the system circuit board 53 is disposed between the bottom panel 45 and the control circuit board 54. With this configuration, the control circuit board 54 is not hidden below the system circuit board 53 and is therefore easily visible.

[0069] As described above, the power supply circuit board 51 converts the first voltage V1 into the second voltage V2 and outputs it to the control circuit board 54, the control circuit board 54 is driven by the second voltage V2, has a CPU 541, and generates a position command indicating the movement destination of the robot 2 based on an operation command program, and the system circuit board 53 generates voltage commands for the motors M1 to M4 required to move the robot 2 to the position indicated by the position command. With this configuration, the robot 2 can be controlled with high precision.

[0070] As described above, the controller 3 is disposed within the housing 4 and has a motor drive board 55 that converts the first voltage V1 input from the power supply circuit board 51 into a voltage for the motors M1 to M4 based on a voltage command input from the system circuit board 53, and the control circuit board 54 does not overlap the motor drive board 55 in a plan view from the height direction. With this configuration, the height of the housing 4 can be reduced, and the controller 3 can be made smaller.

[0071] As described above, motor drive board 55 is mounted in an upright position relative to control circuit board 54 and system circuit board 53. This configuration can reduce the planar size of controller 3 and reduce the installation area for controller 3. This makes it easier to install controller 3.

[0072] As described above, the housing 4 connects the front panel 41 and the rear panel 42 and includes the first side panel 43 and the second side panel 44, which are arranged side by side in the width direction, which is a second direction perpendicular to the depth direction, in a plan view from the height direction. The control circuit board 54 is arranged closer to the first side panel 43 and the front panel 41, the motor drive board 55 is arranged on the second side panel 44 side of the control circuit board 54, and the power supply circuit board 51 is arranged on the rear panel 42 side of the control circuit board 54. This configuration allows the control circuit board 54, the power supply circuit board 51, and the motor drive board 55 to be arranged without overlapping, and to be compactly arranged in a space-saving manner. This allows the controller 3 to be made smaller.

[0073] As described above, the controller 3 is disposed within the housing 4 and includes a safety board 57 that detects abnormalities in the robot 2. In a plan view from the height direction, the safety board 57 overlaps the control circuit board 54 but does not overlap the power supply circuit board 51. By arranging the safety board 57 so that it overlaps the control circuit board 54, the planar size of the controller 3 can be reduced, and the installation area of ​​the controller 3 can be kept small. This makes it easier to install the controller 3. Furthermore, by arranging the safety board 57 so that it does not overlap the power supply circuit board 51, the safety board 57 and the power supply circuit board 51 can be positioned as far apart as possible within the housing 4, effectively suppressing crosstalk between them. As a result, the controller 3 is less susceptible to noise and can control the robot 2 with greater precision.

[0074] As described above, the safety board 57 has a smaller area than the system circuit board 53 in a plan view from the height direction, and the system circuit board 53 and the control circuit board 54 are disposed between the bottom panel 45 and the safety board 57. With this configuration, the safety board 57 is not hidden below the system circuit board 53 and is easily visible.

[0075] As described above, the IF board 56 is disposed within the housing 4 and overlaps with the system circuit board 53 but does not overlap with the power supply circuit board 51 in a plan view from the height direction. The IF board 56 is exposed to the outside of the housing 4 from the front panel 41 and has a third connector C3 to which drive information for the conveyor 8, which is a peripheral device that cooperates with the robot 2, is input. This configuration results in a controller 3 with high expandability in functionality.

[0076] Furthermore, as described above, the controller 3 has a floating connector 59 that electrically connects the system circuit board 53 and the control circuit board 54. With this configuration, any misalignment between the system circuit board 53 and the control circuit board 54 that occurs during mounting can be absorbed, and loads on the system circuit board 53 and the control circuit board 54 are less likely to be applied.

[0077] Furthermore, as described above, thickness T1 of system circuit board 53 is greater than thickness T2 of control circuit board 54. This configuration increases the strength of system circuit board 53, effectively preventing damage to system circuit board 53 due to stress applied when connecting connectors.

[0078] As described above, the controller 3 has screws N as fixing members that fix the system circuit board 53 to the bottom panel 45. In addition, the control circuit board 54 has openings 543 formed in positions that overlap the screws N when viewed from above in the height direction. With this configuration, for example, by inserting a tool such as a screwdriver into the openings 543, the screws N can be easily attached and detached even while the control circuit board 54 remains fixed to the system circuit board 53. This improves the ease of assembly and maintenance of the controller 3.

[0079] As mentioned above, the controller 3 has an IF board 56 that is arranged within the housing 4 and overlaps the system circuit board 53 in a plan view of the bottom panel 45 but does not overlap the power supply circuit board 51, and acquires drive information for the conveyor 8, which is a peripheral device that cooperates with the robot 2, and a safety board 57 that is arranged within the housing 4 and overlaps the system circuit board 53 and the control circuit board 54 in a plan view of the bottom panel 45 but does not overlap the power supply circuit board 51, and acquires drive information for the robot 2 and detects abnormalities in the robot 2. Additionally, the system circuit board 53 and the control circuit board 54 are disposed between the bottom panel 45 and the safety board 57. The IF board 56 is exposed to the outside of the housing 4 through the front panel 41 and has a third connector C3 to which drive information for the conveyor 8 is input. The safety board 57 is exposed to the outside of the housing 4 through the front panel 41 and has a fourth connector C4 to which output signals from each encoder E, which provide drive information for the robot 2, are input. The first connector C1, the second connector C2, the third connector C3, and the fourth connector C4 are offset in the normal direction, i.e., the height direction, of the bottom panel 45. By offsetting the first, second, third, and fourth connectors C1, C2, C3, and C4 vertically, a wide pitch can be secured between the first, second, third, and fourth connectors C1, C2, C3, and C4 without increasing the width of the controller 3. This allows the controller 3 to be miniaturized while preventing deterioration in operability of the controller 3.

[0080] While the controller of the present invention has been described above based on the illustrated embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the configuration of each part can be replaced with any configuration having a similar function. Furthermore, any other configuration may be added to the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1...Robot system, 2...Robot, 20...Base, 21...First arm, 22...Second arm, 23...Work head, 231...Spline nut, 232...Ball screw nut, 233...Spline shaft, 3...Controller, 4...Housing, 40...Leg, 41...Front panel, 42...Rear panel, 43...First side panel, 44...Second side panel, 45...Bottom panel, 46...Top panel, 49...Support member, 5...Camera, 51...Power supply circuit board, 52...Sub-power supply circuit board, 53...System circuit board, 54...Control circuit board, 541...CPU, 543...Opening, 55...Motor drive board, 5 6...IF board, 57...Safety board, 58...Fan, 59...Floating connector, 591...Movable side connector, 592...Fixed side connector, 7...Host computer, 8...Conveyor, 9...Camera, 94...Support column, 96...Support column, C1...1st connector, C2...2nd connector, C3...3rd connector, C4...4th connector, E...Encoder, J1...1st rotating axis, J2...2nd rotating axis, J3...3rd rotating axis, M1...Motor, M2...Motor, M3...Motor, M4...Motor, N...Screw, R1...Lower row, R2...Middle row, R3...Upper row, T1...Thickness, T2...Thickness, W...Work

Claims

1. A controller that controls the driving of a robot equipped with a motor, a housing including a bottom panel, a front panel located on one side in a first direction along the bottom panel and standing upright relative to the bottom panel, and a back panel located on the other side in the first direction and standing upright relative to the bottom panel; a power supply circuit board disposed within the housing and receiving a first voltage; a control circuit board and a system circuit board that are disposed within the housing and to which a second voltage smaller than the first voltage is input; the power supply circuit board and the system circuit board are arranged along the bottom panel and are arranged side by side in the first direction such that the power supply circuit board is located on the other side in the first direction and the system circuit board is located on the other side in the first direction; In a plan view of the bottom panel, the control circuit board is disposed so as to overlap the system circuit board; the system circuit board has a first connector connected to the robot; The control circuit board is exposed to the outside of the housing from the front panel and has a second connector for connection to an external device that generates a drive command program for the robot.

2. the control circuit board has an area smaller than that of the system circuit board; The controller of claim 1 , wherein the system circuit board is disposed between the bottom panel and the control circuit board.

3. the power supply circuit board converts the first voltage into the second voltage and outputs the second voltage to the control circuit board; The control circuit board driven by the second voltage; A CPU is provided, generating a position command indicating a destination of the robot based on an operation command program; The controller of claim 1 , wherein the system circuit board generates a voltage command for the motor required to move the robot to a position indicated by the position command.

4. a motor drive board disposed within the housing and configured to convert the first voltage input from the power supply circuit board into a voltage for the motor based on the voltage command input from the system circuit board; The controller according to claim 3 , wherein the control circuit board does not overlap the motor drive board in a plan view of the bottom panel.

5. The controller according to claim 4 , wherein the motor drive board is mounted in an upright position relative to the control circuit board and the system circuit board.

6. the housing includes a first side panel and a second side panel that connect the front panel and the rear panel and are arranged side by side in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in a plan view of the bottom panel; the control circuit board is disposed closer to the first side panel and closer to the front panel, the motor drive board is disposed on the second side panel side of the control circuit board, The controller according to claim 5 , wherein the power supply circuit board is disposed on the rear panel side of the control circuit board.

7. a safety board disposed within the housing for detecting an abnormality in the robot; The controller according to claim 1 , wherein, in a plan view of the bottom panel, the safety board overlaps with the control circuit board but does not overlap with the power supply circuit board.

8. In a plan view of the bottom panel, the safety board has an area smaller than that of the system circuit board, The controller according to claim 7 , wherein the system circuit board and the control circuit board are disposed between the bottom panel and the safety board.

9. an IF board that is disposed within the housing and overlaps with the system circuit board but does not overlap with the power supply circuit board in a plan view of the bottom panel; The controller according to claim 1 , wherein the IF board has a third connector exposed from the front panel to the outside of the housing and into which drive information for a peripheral device that cooperates with the robot is input.

10. 10. The controller of claim 1, further comprising a floating connector electrically connecting the system circuit board and the control circuit board.

11. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the system circuit board is greater than the thickness of the control circuit board.

12. a fixing member that fixes the system circuit board to the bottom panel; The controller according to claim 1 , wherein the control circuit board has an opening formed at a position overlapping the fixing member in a plan view of the bottom panel.

13. an IF board that is disposed within the housing and that is disposed so as to overlap the system circuit board but not the power supply circuit board in a plan view of the bottom panel, and that acquires drive information for peripheral devices that cooperate with the robot; a safety board that is disposed within the housing and overlaps with the system circuit board and the control circuit board in a plan view of the bottom panel but does not overlap with the power supply circuit board, and that acquires driving information of the robot and detects abnormalities in the robot; the system circuit board and the control circuit board are disposed between the bottom panel and the safety board; the IF board has a third connector exposed from the front panel to the outside of the housing and into which drive information for the peripheral device is input; the safety board includes a fourth connector that is exposed from the front panel to the outside of the housing and that receives drive information for the robot; The controller according to claim 1 , wherein the first connector, the second connector, the third connector, and the fourth connector are arranged offset in a normal direction of the bottom panel.

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