Multi-axis robot provided with a control system

• US 7,693,604 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2004
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Staubli Faverges (Stã¤Ubli Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Staubli Faverges (Stã¤Ubli Holding AG)
• Inventors: Perillat, Pierre, Bonnet Des Tuves, Jean-Michel, Gerat, Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Figueroa; Jaime
• Application Number:
  US10/542,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20060106492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,254 Days
• Field of Search: 318/625, 318/562, 318/567, 318/563, 318/34, 318/49, 318/113, 318/568.11, 318/568.12, 318/568.16, 318/568.2, 361/600, 361/728, 700/245, 700/254, 700/247, 901/23, 901/26, 901/27, 901/29, 744/900.1, 744/900.2, 744/900.3, 744/900.7
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1602 characterised by the control system, structure, architecture
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/414 Structure of the control system, e.g. common controller or multiprocessor systems, interface to servo, programmable interface controller
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33162 Two bus, high speed and low speed bus, linked or not
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33218 Motor encoders, resolvers on common bus with drives, servo controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40237 Bus for communication with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20305 Robotic arm
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20311 including power cable or connector
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20317 including electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20341 Power elements as controlling elements

Abstract

The robot comprises: —a controller (C), including power modules (22) for supplying the motors (10) of the arm (A) of the robot (R), a CPU unit (26), for calculation and processing and connection means (52, B), between the arm (A), the power modules (22) and the CPU unit (26). The connection means (52, B) comprise a single functional bus (B) which connects a control unit (30), associated with the CPU unit (26), firstly to the power modules (22) and, also, to the digital interfaces (14) with the sensors (12) of the arms (A). Said interfaces (14) are either integrated with the arm (A) or located in the immediate vicinity thereof.

Claims

1. A multi-axis robot comprising an arm for moving a tool in space and actuated by electric motors, and a control system including:

At least one digital interface card connected to at least one position sensor associated with the arm and being used for serializing an output signal therefrom, the interface card being integrated into the arm;

A controller controlling the arm and including at least one power module for supplying power to the motors and at least one calculation and processing unit used to compute a path of the arm and generate control signals for the at least one power module, and the at least one calculation and processing unit;

Link means between the arm, the at least one power module and the calculation and processing unit, the link means permitting at least the supply of electricity to the motors from the at least one power module; and

Wherein the link means includes a single functional bus (B) formed by at least one structural bus, the single functional bus linking a control unit of the calculation and processing unit to the at least one power module and to the at least one digital interface card and the single functional bus enabling the at least one power module to be controlled by the at least one calculation and processing unit and feedback signals to be transmitted from the arm to the control unit and/or the at least one power module, at a frequency of the single functional bus.

2. The robot as claimed in claim 1 wherein the single functional bus (B) includes at least two structural buses (B₁, B₂):

A first structural bus linking the control unit to the at least one power module; and

A second structural bus linking the control unit to the at least one digital interface card.

3. The robot as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first structural bus is a metallic bus (B₁) made of copper.

4. The robot as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second structural bus is an optical fiber bus (B₂).

5. The robot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is linked to the at least one calculation and processing unit by a PCI type bus.

6. The robot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is incorporated in the at least one calculation and processing unit.

7. The robot as claimed in claim 1, including an identification and calibration card incorporated in the functional bus (B).

8. The robot as claimed in claim 1 wherein each structural bus is designed to be extended by additional connection means) to interact with at least one external unit processing information.

9. The robot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the link means also includes a power conductor linking the at least one module to the arm (A), independently of the functional bus (B).

10. The robot as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first structural bus (B₁) is connected to a plurality of power modules, each dedicated to a separate motor of the robot.

11. The robot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one digital interface card computes the speed and/or the acceleration of the movement measured by an associated sensor, serializes its output signal and, where appropriate, digitizes the output signals of the associated sensor when it is analog.

12. The robot as claimed in claim 1, the at least one digital interface card is incorporated in an associated sensor and is for computing a speed and an acceleration of the movement measured by the associated sensor, serializing its output signal and, where appropriate, digitizing the output signal of the associated sensor when it is analog.

13. The robot as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one power supply module, the calculation and processing unit, the control unit and a first structural bus are installed within a housing of the controller.