Communication Control System for Multi-Device Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication control systems for industrial robots and welding power supplies face challenges in synchronizing multiple devices due to data transmission limitations, leading to unsuccessful synchronization when the amount of data exceeds the capacity of a single communication operation.
Innovation Solution
A communication control system that divides control instructions across multiple communication intervals within synchronization intervals, using a branch device to sequentially transmit data and employing a network with EtherCAT or similar methods, ensuring each device receives data within the maximum frame capacity, allowing for reliable synchronization even with large data volumes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the amount of data transmitted and received for synchronization is increased to support more devices or joints, then the synchronization capability is improved, but the data exceeds the transmission capacity of a single communication operation, resulting in unsuccessful synchronization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the synchronization communication into multiple communication operations, each handling a portion of the total data. The control device transmits different data items (e.g., robot control data, welding power supply data, positioner data) in separate communication operations rather than attempting to transmit all data in a single operation, thereby resolving the contradiction between needing to synchronize multiple devices and the limited data transmission capacity of a single communication operation.
2Quantity of substance
If multiple communication operations are used to transmit large amounts of data, then the data transmission capacity is improved, but the synchronization timing becomes more complex and difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic communication operations at predetermined intervals to transmit different data items. Each communication operation occurs at regular time intervals, with the control device systematically cycling through different data transmission tasks. This periodic approach simplifies the control logic compared to complex adaptive scheduling, while still achieving the necessary data transmission capacity for synchronizing multiple devices.
3Measurement precision
If the communication interval is shortened to improve synchronization precision, then the synchronization precision is improved, but the amount of communication operations increases, leading to higher communication overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication tasks so that different data items are transmitted in different communication operations rather than increasing the frequency of a single comprehensive communication. This allows the system to maintain shorter effective communication intervals for critical data while avoiding the overhead of increasing all communication operations proportionally, thus achieving high synchronization precision with controlled communication overhead.
Data Source
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AI summary
A control device 10 connected to one or more to-be-controlled devices via a network comprises: a storage means that stores information about a synchronization period which is a time interval for synchronization with the to-be-controlled devices, and about communication periods which are a plurality of time intervals established in the synchronization period; a calculation means that calculates, for each of the to-be-controlled devices, a control instruction for instructing the to-be-controlled device to operate in synchronization; and a communication control means that performs, on the basis of the information stored in the storage means, a control such that the control instruction is transmitted and received between the control device and each of the to-be-controlled devices during the synchronization period, the communication control means allocating a respective control instruction corresponding to each of the to-be-controlled devices to at least one of the communication periods established in the synchronization period, thereby transmitting/receiving data including the allocated control instruction for each communication period. Thus, even if data transmitted/received so as to cause a plurality of devices to operate in synchronization exceed a capacity that can be transmitted/received by a single communication, the devices can be caused to operate in synchronization.