Electronic Component Supply Device Parallel Software Update

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electronic component supply devices face significant time losses during software updates for multiple feeders due to sequential communication, which is slow and inefficient, leading to interruptions in the operation of electronic component mounters.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of multiple independent information transmission sections between the host control section and individual control sections allows for parallel transmission of update software to different feeders, reducing the overall update time by overlapping transmission times.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If sequential communication is used to transmit update software to multiple feeders, then communication consistency and compatibility are maintained, but update time becomes excessively long and operation is interrupted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication consistencyVSAvoidupdate time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The communication system is segmented into multiple independent information transmission sections, each capable of transmitting update software to a specific feeder independently. This segmentation allows parallel transmission to multiple feeders simultaneously, reducing total update time while maintaining individual transmission reliability through dedicated communication channels for each feeder

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If conventional slow communication speed is used to ensure compatibility with conventional feeders, then consistency and compatibility are maintained, but processing speed becomes a bottleneck and operation is interrupted

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovecompatibilityVSAvoidcommunication speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The communication system is divided into multiple independent information transmission sections, each capable of operating at optimized speeds for specific feeder types. This allows fast communication with modern feeders while maintaining compatible communication protocols with conventional feeders, eliminating the speed bottleneck without sacrificing compatibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The communication speed is made dynamic and adaptable to different feeder types. The system can adjust communication parameters based on the specific feeder being updated, enabling high-speed transmission when compatible and fallback to conventional speeds when necessary, thus optimizing overall system performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3481168B1Electronic component supply device
Publication Date: 2023.05.24 FUJI CORP
  • EP3481168B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3481168B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3481168B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Electronic component supply device (3) of the present invention includes multiple feeders (601, 602, 603) each having an individual control section (65) configured to operate by use of operation software (655) to control a tape feeding mechanism, a host control section (51) capable of holding update software (SW1, SW2, SW3) configured to be replaced with at least part of the operation software, and multiple information transmission sections (521, 522, 523) connected between the host control section 51 and the individual control sections of the multiple feeders so as to transmit information and configured to transmit the update software from the host control section to the individual control sections independently of one another. According to this configuration, the multiple information transmission sections can transmit the update software to the different feeders in parallel in terms of time, whereby the updating time can be shortened significantly compared with a case where update software is transmitted sequentially to multiple feeders.