Data acquisition device

Abstract

To provide a data acquisition device that can perform operational verification. [Solution] The data acquisition device 5 includes a receiving unit 50 that receives first data output from the production device 3, a generating unit 54 that generates second data by aggregating the first data received by the receiving unit 50 into data for transmission, a storage unit 52 that stores the first data received by the receiving unit 50 and the second data generated by the generating unit 54, a transmitting unit 56 that transmits the second data to the management device 7, and an output unit 58 that outputs the second data.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a data collection device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a management system that includes a molding machine management system provided with a plurality of molding machines, a management personal computer responsible for management and scheduling of the molding machines, an operation terminal installed mainly at a molding site, a master unit of one PLC responsible for controlling the molding machines, and a slave unit that operates under the management of the master unit.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The management system as described above is provided with a data collection device (slave unit) that collects data of production apparatuses. The data collection device receives data (signals) output from the production apparatuses, and transmits the data to a management device (master unit). When the management system is installed in a factory or the like, it is not realistic to set all the apparatuses at once and connect the apparatuses to each other in a communicable manner. Therefore, for example, even when the production apparatus and the data collection device are set up and connected to each other in a communicable manner, the data collection device and the management device may not be connected in a communicable manner. In such a case, there may be a desire to confirm whether the already set data collection device is operating normally. However, whether the data collection device is operating such that data is generated and the generated data is transmitted to the management device could only be confirmed after the data collection device and the management device are connected in a communicable manner.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention aims to provide a data acquisition device that can perform operational verification. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) A data acquisition device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a receiving unit that receives first data output from a production device, a generating unit that generates second data by aggregating the first data received by the receiving unit into data for transmission, a storage unit that stores the first data received by the receiving unit and the second data generated by the generating unit, a transmitting unit that transmits the second data to an external device, and an output unit that outputs the second data.

[0007] A data acquisition device according to one aspect of the present invention includes an output unit that outputs a second data set. This allows the user to check the second data set output from the data acquisition device on a screen, thereby confirming whether the data acquisition device is ready to generate and transmit the second data set for transmission to an external device. In other words, the user can confirm whether the data acquisition device is functioning correctly. Therefore, the operation of the data acquisition device can be verified.

[0008] (2) In the data acquisition device described in (1) above, the second data output by the output unit may include data transmitted to the external device by the transmission unit and data not transmitted to the external device by the transmission unit. In this configuration, by checking this data, the data acquisition device can confirm that the second data has been generated and that the second data was about to be transmitted to the external device (that it was ready to transmit the second data to the external device). Therefore, the operation of the data acquisition device can be checked.

[0009] (3) In the data acquisition device described in (1) or (2) above, the generation unit may generate the second data from the first data at a predetermined timing.

[0010] (4) In any one of the data acquisition devices described in (1) to (3) above, the first data may be a signal indicating the number of times the production device has been operated. In this configuration, the operation of the production device can be confirmed based on this signal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to verify the operation. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows the configuration of the management system. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows the configuration of the data acquisition device. [Figure 3] Figure 3 illustrates the generation of the second data by the generation unit. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows a data acquisition device and a terminal device. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of the screen displaying the second data on the terminal device's display unit. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows the configuration of the control device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same or equivalent elements will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0014] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the management system. As shown in Figure 1, the management system 1 comprises a production device 3, a data acquisition device 5, a management device (external device) 7, and a cloud server 9. The management system 1 is a system that collects and manages data from the production device 3 to be managed, and comprehensively displays the operating status, operational status, operating environment, etc., of the production device 3. In this embodiment, the management system 1 manages multiple production devices 3.

[0015] Each of the multiple production devices 3 may be, for example, a machine tool, a processing machine (molding machine), etc. The production devices 3 can communicate with the data acquisition device 5. The production devices 3 communicate with the data acquisition device 5 using, for example, a communication interface (serial communication line, connector) such as RS232 or RS485.

[0016] Production device 3 outputs signals. These signals may include shot signals, high-speed shot signals, status signals, etc. A shot signal or high-speed shot signal may, for example, be a signal relating to the number of operations of a molding machine, which is a processing machine. A status signal may indicate the status (operating, stopped, error occurring) of an indicator light (e.g., Patlite®) of production device 3. A status signal may also be a signal relating to the operation of a component (such as a drive component) of production device 3. Production device 3 outputs one or more types (channels) of data (signals) to the data acquisition device 5. Production device 3 stores a log of the signals (signal log) in a memory area.

[0017] The data acquisition device 5 collects data output from the production device 3. In this embodiment, one data acquisition device 5 is provided for each production device 3. That is, in this embodiment, the management system 1 is equipped with as many data acquisition devices 5 as there are production devices 3. The data acquisition device 5 consists of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. Each of the multiple data acquisition devices 5 has the same configuration. Below, the configuration of one data acquisition device 5 will be described as an example.

[0018] The data acquisition device 5 can communicate with both the production device 3 and the management device 7. The data acquisition device 5 communicates with the production device 3 and the management device 7, for example, via a LAN. The data acquisition device 5 and the management device 7 communicate, for example, using the MQTT (Message Queue Telemetry Transport) protocol.

[0019] Figure 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the data collection device 5. As shown in Figure 2, the data collection device 5 includes a receiving unit 50, a storage unit 52, a generation unit 54, a transmission unit 56, and an output unit 58.

[0020] The receiving unit 50 receives first data transmitted from the production device 3. The receiving unit 50 outputs the received first data to the storage unit 52 and the generation unit 54. The receiving unit 50 receives request information (signal) transmitted from the management device 7. The receiving unit 50 outputs the received request information to the transmission unit 56. The receiving unit 50 receives response information transmitted from the management device 7 in response to the transmission of data to the management device 7 by the transmission unit 56. The receiving unit 50 outputs the received response information to the generation unit 54.

[0021] The storage unit 52 stores various types of data. The storage unit 52 stores (saves) the first data signal output from the receiving unit 50. The storage unit 52 stores the first data for each production device 3. The first data may include information capable of identifying the production device 3, and information indicating the date and time when a signal is output from the production device 3. The storage unit 52 stores the second data generated by the generation unit 54. The storage unit 52 stores the second data for each production device 3.

[0022] The generation unit 54 generates second data obtained by aggregating the first data received by the receiving unit 50 into data for transmission. The second data is data obtained by aggregating the first data for transmission. The generation unit 54 generates the second data based on a plurality of pieces of first data stored in the storage unit 52. The generation unit 54 generates the second data from the first data at a predetermined timing. The predetermined timing may be the timing at which the first data is stored in the storage unit 52, the timing at which the transmission unit 56 transmits the second data (the timing at which the request information is received), or the like. The generation unit 54 outputs the generated second data to the storage unit 52 and the transmission unit 56.

[0023] Figure 3 illustrates the generation of second data by the generation unit 54. In Figure 3, the production device 3 is a molding machine, and the first data is a shot signal output from the molding machine, as an example. As shown in Figure 3, the first data stored in the storage unit 52 includes the "time" when the production device 3 transmitted the first data, "ch" indicating the type of first data output from the production device 3, and the "cumulative count" of the shot signal from the production device 3. In the example shown in Figure 3, the type (channel) of the first data output from the production device 3 is "1ch". The second data generated by the generation unit 54 is aggregated data of this first data, and includes the "cumulative count (1ch)" and the "time (1ch)" when the cumulative count was counted. For example, the second data includes "14", which is the count number of the "cumulative count (1ch)", and "2025-1-25 12:38:46", which is the "time (1ch)" when that count was counted.

[0024] The transmitting unit 56 transmits the second data to the management device 7. When the transmitting unit 56 receives the request information output from the receiving unit 50, it transmits the second data generated by the generation unit 54 to the management device 7.

[0025] The output unit 58 outputs data. In this embodiment, the output unit 58 outputs the first data and the second data to the terminal device 11 in response to a request from the terminal device 11. Specifically, the output unit 58 displays the first data and the second data on the screen of the display unit 11A of the terminal device 11. As shown in Figure 4, the data acquisition device 5 and the terminal device 11 are connected in a communicative manner. The data acquisition device 5 is configured with an IP address. The terminal device 11 can access the data acquisition device 5 by entering the IP address configured on the data acquisition device 5 into a browser and view the first data and the second data output from the output unit 58.

[0026] The terminal device 11 accesses the data acquisition device 5, for example, when the data acquisition device 5 and the management device 7 are not connected in a communicative manner. When the data acquisition device 5 and the management device 7 are not connected in a communicative manner, this could be because the data acquisition device 5 and the management device 7 are not physically connected in a communicative manner, there is a problem with communication between the data acquisition device 5 and the management device 7, or the management device 7 is not operating in the management system 1 (not in an operational state, not yet installed), etc. In this case, the terminal device 11 may be directly connected to the data acquisition device 5. The terminal device 11 can also access the data acquisition device 5 even when the data acquisition device 5 and the management device 7 are able to communicate.

[0027] Figure 5 shows an example of the screen displaying the second data on the display unit 11A of the terminal device 11. As shown in Figure 5, the screen displays the "input signal log," the "communication log," and the "retransmission waiting input signal log."

[0028] The input signal log corresponds to the first data. The input signal log shows "time, transmission status (channel, signal type, cumulative count, status)". For example, the input signal log shows "2025-01-25 12:34:56 (time), Sent1 (transmission status), Ch1 (channel), Shot (signal type), 10 (cumulative count), Continue (status)".

[0029] The communication log corresponds to the second data. The communication log records when communication between the data acquisition device 5 and the management device 7 is established or terminated. The communication log shows the time and communication status (channel, signal type, cumulative count / status, reset). In the communication log, "Connected" is shown when the communication status is "connected," and "Disconnected" is shown when the communication status is "disconnected." In the example shown in Figure 5, the communication status is "Disconnected" because the data acquisition device 5 and the management device 7 are not connected. The communication log shows, for example, "2025-01-25 12:34:56 (time), Disconnected (communication status)."

[0030] The retransmission-awaited input signal log corresponds to the second data. The retransmission-awaited input signal log is the second data that was not transmitted from the transmitter 56 (transmission failed). The retransmission-awaited input signal log shows the "time, transmission status (channel, signal type, cumulative count)". For example, the retransmission-awaited input signal log shows "2025-01-25 12:34:56 (time), Unsent10 (transmission status), Ch1 (channel), Shot (signal type), 200 (cumulative count)".

[0031] The "Input Signal Log," "Communication Log," and "Input Signal Log Waiting for Retransmission" can each be updated by pressing the "Update" button. The "Input Signal Log" allows you to confirm that the data acquisition device 5 is receiving the first data output from the production device 3. The "Communication Log" allows you to confirm that the data acquisition device 5 is generating the second data and attempting to send it to the management device 7. The "Input Signal Log Waiting for Retransmission" allows you to confirm that the second data has been generated in the data acquisition device 5.

[0032] The control device 7 consists of a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. As shown in Figure 1, the control device 7 can communicate with each of the multiple data acquisition devices 5. The control device 7 communicates with each of the multiple data acquisition devices 5, for example, via a LAN. The control device 7 manages the information transmitted from each of the multiple data acquisition devices 5. The control device 7 monitors the operating status (operating condition) of each of the multiple production devices 3.

[0033] Figure 6 shows the configuration of the management device 7. As shown in Figure 6, the management device 7 comprises a receiving unit 70, a storage unit 72, a control unit 74, and a transmitting unit 76.

[0034] The receiving unit 70 receives the second data (signal information, processing information) transmitted from each of the multiple data acquisition devices 5. The receiving unit 70 outputs the received information to the storage unit 72.

[0035] The memory unit 72 stores various types of information. The memory unit 72 stores (saves) the information output from the receiving unit 70. Information is stored in the memory unit 72 for each production device 3.

[0036] The control unit 74 controls the operation of the management device 7. The control unit 74 causes the transmission unit 76 to send request information. The control unit 74 causes the data acquisition device 5 to send request information at predetermined intervals. The predetermined interval may be, for example, 1 second. In response to the receiving unit 70 receiving data from the data acquisition device 5, the control unit 74 causes the transmission unit 76 to send response information.

[0037] The transmitting unit 76 sends request information to each of the multiple data acquisition devices 5. The transmitting unit 76 also sends response information to the data acquisition devices 5.

[0038] The cloud server 9 provides applications that users access via terminal devices 11. Data is stored synchronously between the management device 7 and the cloud server 9.

[0039] The terminal device 11 may be a desktop computer, laptop computer, smartphone, tablet terminal, etc. The terminal device 11 is equipped with a display unit 11A. The display unit 11A displays information related to the operating status of the production equipment 3. The display unit 11A is, for example, a display. When the terminal device 11 receives a command from the user to display the operating status of the production equipment 3, the display unit 11A displays a screen showing the operating status, etc.

[0040] As described above, the data acquisition device 5 of the management system 1 according to this embodiment includes an output unit 58 that outputs second data. This allows the user to confirm whether the data acquisition device 5 is ready to generate and transmit second data to the management device 7 by checking the second data output from the data acquisition device 5 on the display unit 11A of the terminal device 11. In other words, it is possible to confirm whether the functions of the data acquisition device 5 are working correctly. Therefore, the operation of the data acquisition device 5 can be verified.

[0041] In the data acquisition device 5 according to this embodiment, the second data output by the output unit 58 includes data transmitted to the management device 7 by the transmission unit 56 and data that was not transmitted to the management device 7 by the transmission unit 56. With this configuration, by checking this data, the data acquisition device 5 can confirm that the second data has been generated and that the second data was about to be transmitted to the management device 7 (that it was ready to transmit the second data to the management device 7). Therefore, the operation of the data acquisition device 5 can be verified.

[0042] While embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0043] In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the production device 3 and the data acquisition device 5 are connected in a one-to-one correspondence was described as an example. However, multiple production devices 3 may be connected to the data acquisition device 5.

[0044] In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the data acquisition device 5 stores first data and second data in the storage unit 52 was described as one example. However, the data acquisition device 5 may also include a storage unit for storing first data and a storage unit for storing second data. In other words, the data acquisition device 5 may store first data and second data in different storage units.

[0045] In the above embodiment, a data acquisition device 5 comprising a receiving unit 50, a generating unit 54, a transmitting unit 56, and an output unit 58 was described as an example. In the data acquisition device 5, the receiving unit 50, the generating unit 54, the transmitting unit 56, and the output unit 58 may be a single element.

[0046] In the above embodiment, the second data is described as an example of data that aggregates the first data and includes "cumulative count (1ch)" and "time (1ch)" during which the cumulative count was recorded. However, the content of the second data is not limited to this.

[0047] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the output unit 58 outputs the first data and the second data to the terminal device 11. However, the output unit 58 only needs to output at least the second data to the terminal device 11.

[0048] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the "input signal log," "communication log," and "retransmission waiting input signal log" are displayed on the screen of the display unit 11A of the terminal device 11. However, the "communication log" does not necessarily have to be displayed on the screen of the display unit 11A of the terminal device 11. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0049] 3...Production equipment, 5...Data acquisition equipment, 7...Management equipment (external device), 50...Receiver, 52...Storage unit, 54...Generator, 56...Transmitter, 58...Output unit.

Claims

1. A receiving unit that receives the first data output from the production equipment, A generation unit generates second data by aggregating the first data received by the receiving unit into data for transmission, A storage unit that stores the first data received by the receiving unit and the second data generated by the generating unit, A transmitting unit that transmits the second data to an external device, A data acquisition device comprising an output unit that outputs the aforementioned second data.

2. The data acquisition device according to claim 1, wherein the second data output by the output unit includes data transmitted to the external device by the transmission unit and data not transmitted to the external device by the transmission unit.

3. The data acquisition device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the generation unit generates the second data from the first data at a predetermined timing.

4. The data acquisition device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first data is a signal indicating the number of operations of the production device.

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