Conveyor Control Units via Master-Slave Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conveyor devices face challenges in ensuring all units can be reached effectively via wireless transmission technology during operation, particularly in scenarios where wireless communication interfaces are not available for slave communication interfaces.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where master communication interfaces forward control information to slave communication interfaces via a wired data bus or star configuration, allowing wireless communication to reach all interfaces without requiring wireless communication interfaces on slaves, and dynamically reassigning communication paths as needed to maintain information flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wireless communication interfaces are installed on all conveyor units, then communication coverage is improved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The communication system is segmented into master conveyor units (equipped with wireless interfaces) and slave conveyor units (without wireless interfaces). This segmentation allows wireless communication coverage to be provided by only some units, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining communication reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
Master conveyor units act as intermediaries that receive control information wirelessly and forward it to slave conveyor units via wired connections. This intermediary role enables indirect communication coverage for slave units without requiring them to have their own wireless interfaces.
2Ease of operation
If wireless communication is used for all conveyor units, then ease of operation is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments communication functions between master and slave units, allowing only master units to maintain active wireless communication interfaces. Slave units can use lower-power wired connections, reducing total energy consumption while maintaining ease of control information transmission.
Data Source
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AI summary
A conveying device is provided with a series of conveying units that can be driven to move along a conveying path, each conveying unit comprising a carriage, a selectively controllable load handling device held on the carriage for picking up and selectively delivering a conveyed item, a control unit for controlling the load handling device, and a communication interface for receiving control information, wherein the communication interfaces are divided into master communication interfaces and slave communication interfaces, and each master communication interface includes a wireless communication interface, and wherein each master communication interface and each slave communication interface include a wired communication interface, and each slave communication interface is configured toTo receive control information from an assigned master communication interface via corresponding wired communication interfaces.