Robot arm shutdown system

Abstract

A robot arm shutdown system is provided. [Solution] A robot arm shutdown system includes an uninterruptible power supply, a robot arm, and a system operating device. The uninterruptible power supply receives power and generates system power. The system operating device is connected to the uninterruptible power supply and the robot arm and has a designated shutdown time. The system operating device detects the power supply status and controls the operation of the robot arm to generate basic operating process data. When a sudden voltage drop occurs in the power supply, the abnormal state persists and a shutdown procedure is initiated when the designated shutdown time is reached. In the shutdown procedure, when there is no time series change in the watchdog signal of the system operating device, the system operating device saves the basic operating process data, calculates a shutdown delay time, and shuts down the uninterruptible power supply when the shutdown delay time countdown is complete.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a robot arm system, and more particularly to a shutdown system for a robot arm. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently, in order to improve the efficiency of manufacturing, transport and transportation operations and alleviate the problem of labor shortages, it is common to introduce a large number of robot arms into production, transport and transportation operations. When operating the robot arm, a system operating device generates operating procedures and instructions for the robot arm according to the situation and needs of the working environment.

[0003] When system maintenance is required, the robot arm and system operating device must be shut down. However, if the system is shut down without completing the data writing or recording of operational data, when the system operating device is restarted, it will not be able to accurately determine the position of the robot arm before the shutdown, which can lead to operational errors during subsequent work and, in serious cases, pose a danger.

[0004] If a malfunction occurs during the normal shutdown process, or if a forced shutdown occurs due to a switch misoperation or an abnormal power outage, not only will the system not be able to reliably write data or record operational data, but it may also damage the robot arm and shorten the service life of the system's operating equipment. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the main object of the present invention is to provide a robot arm shutdown system that, when performing a shutdown under normal or abnormal conditions, can determine the power supply and delay the time to ensure that data writing or operational data recording is completed before performing a shutdown, while at the same time improving the stability and reliability of system operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems, a robot arm shutdown system includes an uninterruptible power supply, a robot arm, and a system operating device. The uninterruptible power supply receives a power source and generates system power. The system operating device is connected to the uninterruptible power supply and the robot arm and has a designated shutdown time. The system operating device detects the power supply status and controls the operation of the robot arm to generate basic operating process data. When a sudden voltage drop occurs in the power supply, the system operating device initiates a shutdown process if the abnormal state persists and the designated shutdown time is reached. In the shutdown process, when no time-series transition occurs in the watchdog signal of the system operating device, the system operating device saves the basic operating process data, calculates a shutdown delay time, and shuts down the uninterruptible power supply when the shutdown delay time countdown is complete.

[0007] To summarize, in the robot arm shutdown system of the present invention, the system operating device determines whether to shut down or not depending on the power supply status, and at the same time, proceeds with the shutdown procedure depending on the status of the watchdog signal to ensure that basic operating process data is saved. After the data has been saved, the uninterruptible power supply is shut down to ensure system stability. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a robot arm shutdown system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the system operation device in FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a schematic diagram showing a time sequence of a watchdog signal from start-up to shutdown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is an electronic circuit diagram combining hardware of the system operation device in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] 3 is another electronic circuit diagram in which the hardware of the system operation device in FIG. 2 is combined. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] (One embodiment) As shown in FIG. 1, the robot arm shutdown system 100 includes an uninterruptible power supply 10, a robot arm 30, and a system operation device 50.

[0010] The uninterruptible power supply 10 receives a power source 70 to generate system power. The power source 70, i.e., city power, provides AC current. The uninterruptible power supply 10 stabilizes the AC current of the power source 70 to provide regulated system power.

[0011] The robot arm 30 performs operations according to the work environment, such as production control, manufacturing, or transportation, by performing multi-axis motion. The robot arm 30 can respond to various work needs by performing multi-axis motion.

[0012] The system operation device 50 is connected to the uninterruptible power supply 10 and the robot arm 30 and has a designated shutdown time. The system operation device 50 detects the status of the power supply 70 and generates basic operating process data by controlling the operation of the robot arm 30. The system operation device 50 detects the status of the power supply at the point where the uninterruptible power supply 10 and the power source are connected, and grasps the supply status of the power supply 70. The basic operating process data not only records information, instructions and signals related to the operation of the system operating device 50, but also information, instructions, motor operation and signals related to the operation of the robot arm 30, so that the system operating device 50 can operate normally after being restarted and start from the stopped position of the robot arm 30.

[0013] When the voltage of the power supply 70 suddenly drops, i.e., a power outage occurs, due to normal shutdown, tripping, power outage, power contamination, or system malfunction, in order to stabilize the operating state of the shutdown system 100 of the robot arm 30, if the data of the basic operating process before the shutdown is backed up, the restarted robot arm 30 and system operating device 50 can operate normally. The shutdown system includes a relay (not shown in the figure) that is connected to the power supply 70. When the voltage suddenly drops due to a normal shutdown or a tripped switch, the relay switches the supply mode to a power cut-off mode and cuts off the power supply path of the power supply 70.

[0014] When a sudden voltage drop occurs in the power supply, if the abnormal condition persists and the designated shutdown time is reached, a shutdown operation is initiated. The shutdown operation is initiated when the watchdog signal 511 of the system operating device 50 does not change over time, by the system operating device 50 saving the basic operating process data, calculating the shutdown delay time, and triggering the uninterruptible power supply 10 when the shutdown delay time countdown is complete. In other words, when the power supply is unstable or an abnormal condition occurs, the robot arm shutdown system of the present invention reliably saves the basic operating process data before shutdown and then performs a normal shutdown thanks to the above-mentioned technical features.

[0015] The system operation device 50 adjusts the shutdown operation based on the time series transition changes of the watchdog signal 511. If the time series transition changes of the watchdog signal 511 continue, permission for the shutdown operation of the system operation device 50 is delayed. If there is no time series transition change of the watchdog signal 511, the system operation device 50 shuts down the uninterruptible power supply 10 by counting down the shutdown delay time.

[0016] 2, the system operating device 50 includes a control core 51, a clock judgment module 53, a latch module 55, a count module 57, and a trip module 59. The control core 51 detects the power status, transmits a watchdog signal 511, and performs shutdown operations based on the power status. The control core 51 can flexibly set and adjust the designated shutdown time according to various needs.

[0017] The shutdown process continues the time series transition changes of the watchdog signal 511 within the delay time by delaying the cut-off of the watchdog signal 511 of the control core 51, and when the delay time is reached, the control core 51 stops the watchdog signal 511 and simultaneously determines whether the time series transition changes of the watchdog signal 511 have stopped, and then shuts down the uninterruptible power supply 10 by counting down the delay time.

[0018] The shutdown process also includes shutting down the watchdog signal 511 of the control core 51, eliminating any time-series transition changes in the watchdog signal 511, and then shutting down the uninterruptible power supply 10 by counting down the delay time. The difference between the direct shutdown method and the delayed shutdown method is the shutdown time of the watchdog signal 511. In the case of a delayed shutdown, the time is determined by the firmware of the control core 51, for example, the system operation device 50.

[0019] The watchdog signal 511 is a continuous clock signal, for example, a square-wave clock signal. The shutdown operation also includes not generating a time series transition in the watchdog signal 511, i.e., outputting a continuous low level (e.g., 0) signal or a continuous high level (e.g., 1) signal. The clock determination module 53 is connected to the control core 51 and monitors the watchdog signal 511. During the shutdown process, if the time series transition of the watchdog signal 511 does not occur within one monitoring cycle, the clock judgment module 53 outputs a trigger signal. The latch module 55 connected to the clock judgment module 53 generates a status signal in response to the trigger signal. The count module 57 connected to the latch module 55 and the uninterruptible power supply 10 calculates the shutdown delay time based on the status signal. When the countdown of the shutdown delay time is completed, the uninterruptible power supply 10 is shut down, completing the shutdown process of the robot arm 30 and the system operating device 50.

[0020] The trip module 59 is connected to the uninterruptible power supply 10 and the latch module 55 and has a startup delay time. When the system operating device 50 starts up, the trip module 59 controls the reset of the latch module 55 and ignores the watchdog signal 511. When the startup delay time countdown is complete, the latch module monitors the trigger signal, preventing the system operating device 50 from failing to start up due to the latch module 55 incorrectly interpreting the watchdog signal 511. In other words, the system operating device 50 and the robot arm 30 can be started up by the trip module 59. The startup delay time of the trip module 59 is related to the charging time of the energy storage unit 593. That is, the startup delay time can be adjusted by the energy storage unit 593.

[0021] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the time series of watchdog signals from startup to shutdown. The startup time series is indicated by symbol T1. At this time, the control core 51 has not yet output a watchdog signal 511 corresponding to a clock change, so the trip module 59 performs startup operations. The time series under normal operation is indicated by symbol T2. At this time, the control core 51 outputs a watchdog signal 511 corresponding to a clock change, so the system operation device 50 and robot arm 30 can operate normally. The shutdown timeline is indicated by the symbol T3. At this time, the control core 51 proceeds with the shutdown process and outputs a watchdog signal 511 that does not change over time. That is, as shown in the figure, the signal remains low and does not change over time. If a surge occurs during the shutdown process, the latch module 55 locks the status signal, so the control core 51 does not mistake the surge for a start signal and restarts, completing the current shutdown.

[0022] 4, the clock determination module 53 includes a clock comparator 531, two voltage-dividing resistors 533 and 535, and a monitoring integrated circuit (e.g., MAX6369KA+T) 537. The positive input terminal of the clock comparator 531 is connected to the control core 51 to receive the watchdog signal 511. The negative input terminal of the clock comparator is connected to the series-connected voltage-dividing resistors 533 and 535 to detect the reference voltage. The output terminal of the clock comparator 531 is connected to the monitoring integrated circuit 537 to monitor the watchdog signal 511.

[0023] The latch module 55 includes a latch integrated circuit 551, a first transistor 553, and a second transistor 555. The latch integrated circuit 551 (e.g., 74HC107PW) is connected to the monitoring integrated circuit 537 and the gate of the first transistor 553. The first transistor 553 has a source connected to a ground terminal and a drain connected to the gate of the second transistor 555. The drain of the second transistor 555 is connected to a ground terminal. The first transistor 553 is an NMOS. The second transistor 555 is a PMOS.

[0024] The counting module 57 includes an input switch 571, a count comparator 573, a count transistor 575, and a count capacitor 577. The input switch 571 has a common terminal 5711, a ground terminal 5713, and a floating terminal 5715. The input switch 571 is connected to a power supply 70 (e.g., a relay) and is in a power supply state V 70 The count comparator 573 has a positive-phase input terminal, a negative-phase input terminal, and an output terminal. The positive-phase input terminal and the negative-phase input terminal are connected to a reference power supply. The negative-phase input terminal is connected to the common terminal 5711. In this embodiment, the count transistor 575 is a PMOS. The train of the count transistor 575 is connected to the source of the first transistor 553 of the latch module 55 to catch the status signal. The source of the count transistor 575 is connected to the uninterruptible power supply 10 and to the output terminal of the count comparator 573 via a resistor. The gate of the count transistor 575 is connected to the output terminal of the count comparator 573. A count capacitor 577 connects the negative input terminal and the ground terminal in series.

[0025] The trip module 59 includes a trip comparator 591, an energy storage unit 593, a diode 595, and a trip transistor 597. The trip comparator 591 detects a reference voltage through its positive input terminal. The parameters of the reference voltage are adjusted by two resistors at the positive input terminal of the trip comparator 591. The energy storage unit 593 (e.g., a capacitor) has one end connected to the ground terminal and the other end connected to the negative input terminal of the energy storage unit 593. The diode 595 has a positive terminal connected to the energy storage unit 593 and the input voltage source, and a negative terminal connected to the uninterruptible power supply 10. The trip comparator 591 has an output terminal connected to the gate of a trip transistor 597 and a source connected to the ground terminal. The source of the trip transistor 597 is connected to the latch module 55. The trip transistor 597 is an NMOS.

[0026] When it rises, the negative pole of diode 595 senses the power supply and goes high, allowing the input voltage source to charge energy storage unit 593. Trip comparator 591 compares the charging voltage of energy storage unit 593 with the reference voltage at the positive input terminal of trip comparator 591. If the charging voltage is lower than the reference voltage, trip comparator 591 resets latch module 55 by turning on trip transistor 597 and ignores watchdog signal 511. Meanwhile, first transistor 553 and second transistor 555 of latch module 55 are in the off state.

[0027] When the charging voltage is equal to the reference voltage, the trip comparator 591 turns off the trip transistor 597, releasing the latch module 55 from the reset state, so that the state of the watchdog signal 511 can be monitored normally. The startup delay time can also be adjusted effectively based on the charging time of the energy storage unit 593. In other words, the present invention can adapt to different system startup conditions.

[0028] When the count module 57 is powered up, the input switch 571 of the count module 57 is switched to the ground terminal, and the count comparator 573 goes low. However, the positive input terminal of the count comparator 573 goes high, so the output terminal of the count comparator 573 does not trigger the count transistor 575, which remains off, preventing the count module 57 and the latch module 55 from operating when the count module 57 is powered up. The count capacitor 577 is not charged and is connected to the trip transistor 597 to discharge electricity.

[0029] After booting up, the control core 51 goes to the software system of the system operating device 50. The clock comparator 531 of the clock determination module 53 detects the time series transition changes of the watchdog signal 511 through the positive phase input terminal, for example, the period of the transition of the watchdog signal 511 to a high level (for example, 0.5 seconds) and a low level (for example, 0.5 seconds), and transmits a corresponding signal to the monitoring integrated circuit 537.

[0030] When a sudden voltage drop occurs in the power supply 70 while the robot arm 30 and the system operating device 50 are operating normally, i.e., when the power supply 70 is cut off, tripped, or experiences a power outage, and the abnormal period during which the sudden voltage drop occurred continues until the designated shutdown time is reached, the control core 51 proceeds with the shutdown process and monitors the watchdog signal 511 via the clock determination module 53. If no time-series transition changes occur in the watchdog signal 511 within a monitoring period (e.g., 1 second), the clock determination module 53 outputs a trigger signal. The monitoring integrated circuit 537 generates a status signal in response to the trigger signal. In this embodiment, the trigger signal refers to a signal transition. If the time series transition change of the watchdog signal 511 continues, the trigger signal is maintained at a normal level. If the time series transition change of the watchdog signal 511 does not occur within a monitoring period (e.g., 1 second) of the monitoring integrated circuit 537, the trigger signal transitions from the normal level to another level. The latch integrated circuit 551 generates a stake signal, which turns on the first transistor 553 and the second transistor 555, preventing the system operating device 50 from restoring the current state.

[0031] If a voltage drop suddenly occurs in the power supply 70, and at the same time the input switch 571 of the counting module 57 is switched from the ground terminal 5713 to the floating terminal and the counting capacitor 577 is charged to the target voltage value, the counting comparator 573 will turn on the counting transistor 575, thereby shutting down the uninterruptible power supply 10. The time it takes for the counting capacitor 577 to charge to the target voltage value, i.e., the shutdown delay time, allows the robot arm 30 and the system operating device 50 to save basic operating process data and perform shutdown procedures.

[0032] When the power is turned off or a voltage drop occurs suddenly, the robot arm shutdown system 100 according to the present invention activates a shutdown program by the control core 51 and continuously outputs a time-series watchdog signal 511 to maintain the operation of the system operating device 50. When the control core 51 stops continuously outputting the time-series watchdog signal 511, the shutdown process is carried out by the counting module 57 of the system operating device 50, thereby preventing the system operating device 50 from momentarily losing power due to the power being turned off or a voltage drop occurring suddenly.

[0033] In another embodiment, the clock determination module 53 is not limited to the above, and the monitoring integrated circuit 537 may be replaced by a hardware circuit composed of a combination of logic gates or other active units. 5, the clock determination module 53 includes an OPA1 (first operational amplifier), an OPA2 (second operational amplifier), a NOT1 (first inverter), and an OR gate. The output terminal of the clock comparator 531 is connected to the positive-phase input terminal of the OPA1 (first operational amplifier) ​​and the input terminal of the NOT1 (first inverter). The output terminal of the NOT1 (first inverter) is connected to the positive-phase input terminal of the OPA2 (second operational amplifier). The output terminal of the OPA1 (first operational amplifier) ​​and the output terminal of the OPA2 (second operational amplifier) ​​are connected to the input terminals of the OR gate. The output terminal of the OR gate is connected to the latch module 55.

[0034] In another embodiment, the latch module 55 is not limited to the above, and may employ a hardware circuit composed of a combination of logic gates or other active units instead of the latch integrated circuit 551. For example, the latch module 55 includes NAND1 (first NAND gate), NAND2 (second NAND gate), AND1 (first AND gate), AND2 (first AND gate), NOR1 (first NOR gate), NOR2 (second NOR gate), and NOT2 (second inverter). As shown in FIG. 5, the input terminals of NAND1 (first NAND gate) and NAND2 (second NAND gate) are connected to the output terminal of an OR gate. Another input terminal of NAND2 (second NAND gate) is connected in series to NOT2 (second inverter). An input terminal of NOT2 (second inverter) is connected to a voltage. An input terminal of AND1 (first AND gate) is connected to a ground terminal, and another input terminal is connected to the output terminal of NAND1 (first NAND gate). An input terminal of NOR1 (first NOR gate) is connected to the output terminal of AND1 (first AND gate), and another input terminal is connected to the output terminal of NOR2 (second NOR gate). An input terminal of AND2 (first AND gate) is connected to the trip module 59, and another input terminal is connected to the output terminal of NAND2 (second NAND gate). An input terminal of NOR2 (second NOR gate) is connected to the output terminal of AND2 (first AND gate), and another input terminal is connected to the output terminal of NOR1 (first NOR gate). An output terminal of NOR2 (second NOR gate) is connected to the gate of the first transistor 553.

[0035] When the time series watchdog signal 511 is low, NOT1 (first inverter) is set to high, causing the OR gate to continuously output a high signal, so that the latch module 55 does not generate a status signal. When the watchdog signal 511 does not change, for example, transitioning from low (0.5 seconds) to low (0.5 seconds) or from high (0.5 seconds) to high (0.5 seconds), the output of the OR gate transitions to low, causing the latch module 55 to generate a status signal, thereby triggering the first transistor 553.

[0036] In another embodiment, the clock determining module 53 and the latch module 55 are not limited to the above, and the same functions may be performed by other active or passive electronic units.

[0037] In summary, the robot arm shutdown system 100 according to the present invention determines whether to proceed with system shutdown based on the power supply status. When shutdown is initiated, the watchdog signal 511 determines whether to shut down the hardware. When shutting down the hardware, the shutdown delay time ensures time for writing or saving basic operational process data. When the shutdown delay time countdown is completed, the uninterruptible power supply is shut down, thereby improving the reliability and stability of the system during operation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 100 Shutdown System 10 Uninterruptible power supply 30 Robot Arm 50 System Operation Device 51 Control Core 511 Watchdog Signal 53 Clock Judgment Module 531 Clock Comparator 533, 535 Voltage divider resistor 537 Monitoring Integrated Circuit 55 Latch Module 551 Latch Integrated Circuit 553 First Transistor 555 Second Transistor 57 Counting Module 571 Input Switch 5711 Common terminal 5713 Ground terminal 5715 Floating Terminal 573 Count Comparator 575 count transistor 577 count capacitor 59 Trip Module 591 Trip Comparator 593 Energy Storage Unit 595 Diode 597 Trip Transistor 70 Power supply OPA1 First operational amplifier OPA2 Second operational amplifier NOT1 First inverter OR OR gate NAND1 First NAND gate NAND2 Second NAND gate AND1 First AND gate AND2 First AND gate NOR1 First NOR gate NOR2 Second NOR gate NOT2 Second inverter

Claims

1. Equipped with an uninterruptible power supply, a robot arm and a system operating device, the uninterruptible power supply receives a power source and produces system power; the system operating device is connected to the uninterruptible power supply and the robot arm, and has a designated shutdown time; The system operation device detects the state of the power supply and generates basic operation process data by controlling the operation of the robot arm, and when a voltage drop suddenly occurs in the power supply, the abnormal state continues and the designated shutdown time is reached, and initiates a shutdown operation; The shutdown operation is characterized in that, when no time series transition change occurs in the watchdog signal of the system operating device, the system operating device stores the basic data of the operation process, calculates a shutdown delay time, and shuts down the uninterruptible power supply when the countdown of the shutdown delay time is completed. Robot arm shutdown system.

2. 2. The robot arm shutdown system of claim 1, wherein the shutdown operation includes delaying the shutdown of the watchdog signal, maintaining the time series transition of the watchdog signal during a delay time, and stopping the time series transition of the watchdog signal when the countdown of the delay time is completed.

3. the system operating device has a control core, a clock determining module, a latch module, and a counting module; The control core detects the power supply status, transmits the watchdog signal, and initiates the shutdown process; the clock determination module is connected to the control core and monitors the watchdog signal, and has a monitoring period; In the shutdown operation, if the time series transition of the watchdog signal does not occur within the monitoring period, the clock determination module outputs a trigger signal; the latch module is coupled to the clock determination module and generates a status signal in response to the trigger signal; the counting module is connected to the latch module and the uninterruptible power supply, and has the shutdown delay time; 3. The robot arm shutdown system of claim 2, wherein the counting module calculates the shutdown delay time based on the status signal, and shuts down the uninterruptible power supply when the countdown of the shutdown delay time is completed.

4. the counting module includes a counting capacitor, an input switch, a counting comparator, and a counting transistor, and the shutdown delay time is defined by a charging time of the counting capacitor; The input switch has a common terminal, a ground terminal, and a floating terminal; the input switch is connected to the power supply and switches to the ground terminal or the floating terminal based on the power supply state; The count comparator has a positive-phase input terminal, a negative-phase input terminal and an output terminal, the positive-phase input terminal and the negative-phase input terminal are connected to a reference power source, and the negative-phase input terminal is connected to the common terminal; the count capacitor is connected to the negative phase input terminal and the ground terminal; 4. The robot arm shutdown system of claim 3, wherein the count transistor has a train connected to the latch module to catch the status signal, a source connected to the uninterruptible power supply, and a gate connected to the output terminal of the count comparator.

5. the system operating device further includes a trip module, the trip module being connected to the uninterruptible power supply and the latch module, and having a start-up delay time; When the system operating device boots up, the trip module controls the reset of the latch module and ignores the watchdog signal; 4. The robot arm shutdown system according to claim 3, wherein the latch module monitors the trigger signal when the start-up delay time countdown is completed.

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