ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD FOR HANDLING ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS

• US 20100280647A1
• Filed: 07/12/2010
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ismeca Semiconductor Holdings
• Original Assignee: Ismeca Semiconductor Holdings
• Inventors: Eigeldinger, Raphaël, Grau, Gérard
• Granted Patent: US 8,280,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/112
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/04 Mounting of components , e.g. of leadless components

Abstract

Arrangement (1) for processing electronic components, comprising:

• • a plurality of processing stations (3) for processing electronic components, at least some processing stations comprising an electrical actuator (8);
  • a conveyor (2), such as a turret, for transporting components from one processing station to the next;
  • a central processing unit (5) for commanding said processing stations;
  • wherein
  • at least some processing stations (3) comprise a local processing unit (7) for generating command signals (74) for said electric actuators (8),
  • in that said central processing unit (5) is connected to said local processing units (7) over an electronic bus (6),
  • and in that digital command instructions (75) are transferred on said electronic bus (6) between said central processing unit (5) and said local processing units (7).

Claims

1. An arrangement (1) for processing electronic components, comprising:

a plurality of processing stations (3) for processing electronic components, at least some processing stations comprising an electrical actuator (8);

a conveyor (2), such as a turret, for transporting components from one processing station to the next;

a central processing unit (5) for commanding said processing stations;

wherein,

at least some processing stations (3) comprise a local processing unit (7) for generating command signals (74) for said electric actuators (8),

said central processing unit (5) is connected to said local processing units (7) over an electronic bus (6),

said central processing unit being arranged for transferring to said local processing units and on said electronic bus (6) high level digital command instructions (75),

said high level digital command instructions indicating;

a start time;

an end position;

a value of displacement along one or several axis;

a speed;

an acceleration;

an indexation;

or a trajectory,

said local processor unit being arranged for interpreting said high level digital command instructions in order to determine said command signals (74).

2. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein:

said command signals (74) generated by said local processing stations (3) comprise analog signals for driving motors.

3. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said electronic bus (6) is a packet-based bus, such as an Ethernet-based bus.

4. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein each said local processing units (7) comprises:

a bus controller (70) for receiving and sending data over said electronic command bus;

a processor (71) for interpreting said digital command instructions (75) received over said bus controller,

at least one actuator controller (73) commanded by said processor (71) and connected to said actuator, for generating said command signals.

5. The arrangement of claim 4, said actuator controller (73) being part of one or several closed regulation loops.

6. The arrangement of claim 1, each local processing unit (7) comprising an electronic identifier (720).

7. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said central processing units (5) is a personal computer that synchronizes operations performed by a plurality of processing stations (3).

8. The arrangement of claim 1, said central processing unit (5) comprising a central clock system that emits a clock signal sent to all the local processing stations for synchronising the steps performed at each station

9. A method for processing electronic components, comprising the steps of:

simultaneously processing electronic components at a plurality of processing stations (3);

transporting said electronic components from one processing station (3) to the next using a conveyor such as a turret (2);

commanding said processing stations from a central processing unit (5);

wherein the method further comprises the steps of;

generating high level digital command instructions (75) in said central processing unit (5), said high level digital command instructions indicating;

a start time;

an end position;

a value of displacement along one or several axis;

a speed;

an acceleration;

an indexation;

or a trajectory,

transferring said high level digital command instructions (75) on an electronic bus (6) between said central processing unit (5) and said processing stations (3),

interpreting said high level digital command instructions (75) in said local processing station in order to determine command signals (74) for actuators of said local processing station.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising a step of, interpreting said digital command instructions using local processing units in said processing units (3), and generating analog signals for driving said electric actuators based on the interpretation.