Systems and methods for coordination motion instructions

• US 8,000,818 B1
• Filed: 05/04/2009
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Baker, Jacob S., Steh, Stephen L., Schwarz, William C., Bhatt, Jatin P., Mowry, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hartman, Jr.; Ronald D
• Application Number:
  US12/434,884
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 700/17, 700/61, 700/86, 700/181, 700/188
• US Class Current: 700/86
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1664 characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/19 characterised by positioning or contouring control systems, e.g. to control position from one programmed point to another or to control movement along a programmed continuous path
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34095 Look ahead segment calculation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34177 Calculate for different inclined segments stitch points evenly distributed
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35585 Motion command profile
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40395 Compose movement with primitive movement segments from database

Abstract

The invention provides systems and methods that integrate and/or control motion of a plurality of axes in a motion control environment. Grouped axes can be linked (e.g., via a tag) to provide desired multi-axis coordinated motion as well as provide control for corresponding aspects of motion such as acceleration, velocity, etc. Such axes can be integrated with other control functionality such as process and/or machine control to provide the user with a comprehensive control. The foregoing can provide simple mechanisms for moving devices in multiple axes of a coordinate system in a coordinated fashion. Such coordinated move functionality can provide a user-friendly interface for linear and circular moves in multi-dimensional space. The algorithm employed for path planning can provide fast execution and dynamic parameter changes (e.g., maximum velocity, acceleration and deceleration) along a desired path of motion. In this manner, such instructions can provide smooth transitions from one coordinated move to the next.

Claims

1. A motion control system for an industrial controller comprising the following components:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein computer-executable instructions to implement the system, including;

a coordinated system operand that represents a plurality of axes of motion, the coordinated system operand links the plurality of axes of motion to provide multi-axis coordinated motion; and

a processing component that executes at least one instruction on the coordinated system operand, the instruction is employed to act on at least one parameter associated with the plurality of axes of motion, wherein the executing at least one instruction is terminated utilizing one of actual tolerance, no settle, command tolerance, no decel, contour with velocity constrained, or contour with velocity unconstrained to affect transition path between path segments.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a queuing component employed to store subsequent instructions.

3. The system of claim 1, the at least one instruction is employed to stop motion related to all axis of motion associated with the instruction.

4. The system of claim 1, the at least one instruction is employed to stop all motion related to a single axis, which in turn stops all motion associated with the single axis.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface in which displayable objects are employed to represent physical hardware and relationships between physical hardware.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising an instruction bank containing at least one of a Motion Coordinated Linear Move instruction, a Motion Coordinated Circular Move instruction, a Motion Coordinated Change Dynamics instruction, a Motion Coordinated Stop instruction, a Motion Coordinated Shutdown instruction or a Motion Coordinated Shutdown Reset instruction.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the Motion Coordinated Linear Move instruction is employed to initiate a multi-dimensional linear coordinated move within a coordinate system,

the Motion Coordinated Circular Move instruction is utilized to initiate one of a two-dimensional or a three dimensional circular coordinated move within the coordinate system,

the Motion Coordinated Change Dynamics instruction is employed to initiate a change in the path dynamics for the motion active within the coordinate system,

the Motion Coordinated Stop instruction is employed to initiate a controlled stop of a specified motion profile operative on a system,

the Motion Coordinated Shutdown instruction is employed to initiate a controlled shutdown of all the axes within the coordinate system, and

the Motion Coordinated Shutdown Reset instruction is employed to initiate a reset of a specified coordinate system from the shutdown state to the axis ready state and to clear the axis faults.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the Motion Coordinated Linear Move instruction comprises at least one of the following operands;

a coordinate system operand, a motion control operand, a move type operand, a position operand, a speed operand, a speed units operand, an accel rate operand, an accel units operand, a decel rate operand, a decel units operand, a profile operand, a termination type operand, a merge operand or a merge speed operand,

the Motion Coordinated Circular Move instruction comprises at least one the following operands;

a coordinate system operand, a motion control operand, a move type operand, a position operand, a circle type operand, a via/center/radius operand, a direction operand, a speed operand, a speed units operand, an acceleration rate operand, an acceleration units operand, a deceleration rate operand, a profile operand, a termination type operand, a merge operand or a merge speed operand,

the Motion Coordinated Change Dynamics instruction comprises at least one of the following operands;

a coordinate system operand, a motion control operand, a motion type operand, a change speed operand, a speed operand, a speed units operand, a change accel operand, an accel rate operand, an accel units operand, a change decel operand, a decel rate operand or a decel units operand,

the Motion Coordinated Stop instruction comprises at least one of the following operands;

a coordinate system operand, a motion control operand, a stop type operand, a change decel operand, a decel rate operand or a decel units operand,

the Motion Coordinated Shutdown instruction comprises at least one of the following operands;

a coordinate system operand or a motion control operand,

the Motion Coordinated Shutdown Reset instruction comprises at least one of the following operands;

a coordinate system operand or a motion control operand.

9. The system of claim 7, the Motion Coordinated Circular Move at least one of:

provides motion employing at least one of the following motion types;

circle via, circle center, circle radius or circle incremental;

specifies direction in one of the clockwise or counter-clockwise direction;

or

specifies one of an arc or a full circle.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of currently executing motion instruction parameters are modified.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of currently executing motion instructions are stopped along the path of programmed motion.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein a single axis instruction is stopped immediately thereby affecting the state of a plurality of currently executing motion instructions.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein details of path segments for the move instruction are displayed and modified utilizing a target position dialogue interface.

14. The system of claim 1, the transition path between path segments is accomplished using one of blended or non-blended termination types.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein:

the non-blended termination type is one of actual tolerance or no settle, and

the blended termination type is one of command tolerance, no decel, contour with velocity constrained and contour with velocity unconstrained.

16. A method to execute an instruction to effectuate motion control, comprising:

employing a processor executing computer executable instructions embodied on a computer readable storage medium to perform the following acts;

accessing a coordinated system operand that represents a plurality of axes of motion associated with a coordinate system, the coordinated system operand links the plurality of axes of motion to provide multi-axis coordinated motion; and

executing at least one instruction on the coordinated system operand to coordinate motion of the plurality of axes within the coordinate system, wherein the executing at least one instruction is terminated utilizing one of actual tolerance, no settle, command tolerance, no decel, contour with velocity constrained, or contour with velocity unconstrained to affect transition path between path segments.

17. A computer readable medium including computer executable instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the following acts:

access a coordinated system operand that represents a plurality of axes of motion associated with a coordinate system, the coordinated system operand links the plurality of axes of motion to provide multi-axis coordinated motion; and

execute at least one instruction on the coordinated system operand to coordinate motion of the plurality of axes within the coordinate system, wherein the executing at least one instruction is terminated utilizing one of actual tolerance, no settle, command tolerance, no decel, contour with velocity constrained, or contour with velocity unconstrained to affect transition path between path segments.