Control system for a machine or for an installation

• US 4,459,655 A
• Filed: 03/25/1981
• Issued: 07/10/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1980
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Willemin Machines SA
• Original Assignee: Willemin Machines SA
• Inventors: Willemin, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruggiero, Joseph F.
• Application Number:
  US06/247,367
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 364/131, 364/132, 364/133, 364/134, 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File
• US Class Current: 700/3
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4148 characterised by using several processors for different functions, distributed (real-time) systems G05B19/4141 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33125 System configuration, reconfiguration, customization, automatic
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33343 Each slave stores communication program to be used by master, exchangeability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/124 where hardware is a sequential transfer control unit, e.g. microprocessor, peripheral processor or state-machine
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A control system comprises several slave modules each operative to control a specific function and a master module operative to control all the slave modules. Each slave module comprises a processing circuit cooperating with an input/output interface permitting conversation with the operator and a memory circuit intended to specify the function which must be controlled by the slave module. The master module comprises a processing circuit cooperating with a memory for the conversation software and for processing the information received by the slave modules, and with an input/output interface permitting conversation with the operator. All the modules are interconnected on the one hand by a conversation bus between the modules and, on the other hand, by a master bus which enables the master module to read directly into a memory of each slave module the additional software necessary for conversation with the slave module.

Claims

1. A control system for a machine or installation, comprising:

a master module and several slave modules, said master module being operative for the control of said slave modules and providing information thereto and said slave modules being operative for the control of special functions, wherein each of said slave modules includes memory means for storing the portion of the software that the master module requires for conversing with the slave module and for processing said provided information;

each module including;

a processing circuit including a microprocessor;

at least one specific function circuit;

at least one logic interruption means;

at least one non-volatile memory means; and

at least one volatile memory means;

said microprocessor, said specific function circuit, said logic interruption means, said non-volatile memory means, and said volatile memory means being interconnected by an internal address bus, an internal data bus, an internal control bus and an internal interruption bus; and

each module further including an additional non-volatile memory, which in the master module only is connected by an additional bus to said internal bus, that is connected to an external master address bus and to an external master data bus to enable the master module to read said portion of software that is contained in said additional non-volatile memory.

2. A control system for a machine or installation, comprising:

(A) a master module and several slave modules, said master module being operative for the control of said slave modules and providing information thereto and said slave modules being operative for the control of special functions, wherein each of said slave modules includes memory means for storing the portion of the software that the master module requires for conversing with the slave module and for processing said provided information;

(B) a conversation bus that is bidirectional and that provides direct conversation between any two of said modules; and

(C) a master bus connected between the master module and the slave modules providing the master module to look directly in each slave module for said portion of the software contained in said memory means which it requires for conversing with that slave module;

(D) wherein each one of said slave modules comprises a processing circuit, which is identical for all the slave modules, a function memory specific to the slave module concerned and an input/output inteface which is also specific to the slave module concerned, and said master module comprises a master processing circuit, a memory for storing the conversation software common to all the slave modules, and an input/output interface; and

(E) wherein each said module is mounted separately in a drawer, the drawer including a board carrying the input/output interfaces for conversation with the operator, said board of the master module carrying a keyboard for inputting into said master module, during the introduction of a program, data relating to the sequences of said program, said keyboard including ten numeric keys for the introduction of the numerical values of all the operations effected by the slaves modules, an OPERATION display and a SEQUENCE display that respectively display, during running of the program, the master operation and the number of the sequence in operation, and wherein at least some of the slave module drawers include keys for introducing into the program the operations that must be executed by the slave module in the sequence in progress.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the system includes a unique keyboard for conversation with the slave module.