Electric heating – Heating devices – With power supply and voltage or current regulation or...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-21
2002-05-28
Paschall, Mark (Department: 3742)
Electric heating
Heating devices
With power supply and voltage or current regulation or...
C219S490000, C340S870030, C710S001000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06396030
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control system using a card-type input and output device in a control device for controlling a machine to be controlled, such as a robot control device, CNC control device, or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a control device for controlling a machine which is to be controlled, such as a robot control device, CNC control device, or the like, there arise cases where data inside the control device is output externally, and cases where data and programs are input to the control device from a source that is external to the control device. Card-type devices called input/output cards are known as one means for carrying out this input and output of data and programs.
Furthermore, a PCMCIA, or the like, is known as an interface for connecting input/output cards of this kind.
FIG. 5
is a diagram for illustrating a conventional composition for connecting input/output cards to a control device. The composition of the control device
100
shown in
FIG. 5
is a general composition used commonly in a variety of control devices, and only the principal constituent elements thereof are depicted. A CPU
110
, ROM
114
, RAM
115
, and axis control circuit
116
for performing calculational and control operations are connected to a CPU bus
111
. The CPU
110
performs control operations on the basis of programs stored in the ROM
114
and data stored in the RAM
115
, and it controls the machine to be controlled by driving a servo amp
117
via the axis control circuit
116
.
An input/output card can be connected to a control device
100
of this kind by connecting a input/output card interface
112
directly to the CPU bus
111
via a parallel bus
118
, and then connecting the input/output card
4
to this input/output card interface
112
.
Depending on the ease of operation and the set-up conditions of the device and machine, etc., cases may arise where operation of the input/output card
4
has to be carried out in a remove location from the control device
100
.
One conceivable composition for providing a distance between the control device
100
and the input/output card
4
is to extending the length of the aforementioned parallel bus
118
. However, generally, a parallel bus requires a large number of signal lines, since it uses a plurality of data lines and control lines, and hence this leads to problems in terms of increasing costs. In order to restrict cost rises in the device, it is not possible to extend the lines in the parallel bus beyond a certain length, and hence remote installation of the input/output card
4
is not practical by extension of the parallel bus.
Therefore, a composition may be conceived wherein an operating device for connecting input/output cards is provided independently from the control device, and the control device and operating device are connected together by means of a serial communications circuit.
FIG. 6
is a compositional diagram for illustrating a connection between a control device and an operational device using a serial communications circuit. The compositions of the control device
100
and the operating device
200
shown in
FIG. 6
are general compositions common to a variety of control devices and operating devices, and only the principal constituent elements thereof are depicted here.
In the control device
100
in
FIG. 6
, a CPU
110
, ROM
114
, RAM
115
and axis control circuit
116
are connected to a CPU bus
111
, and a communications interface
114
are also connected thereto via a parallel bus
118
. Moreover, in the operating device
200
, a CPU
210
, ROM
214
, RAM
215
and an I/O interface
216
connecting key
201
, etc. is connected to the CPU bus
211
, and an input/output card interface
224
is also connected thereto via a parallel bus
218
.
The control device
100
and operating device
200
are connected to each other by means of the communications interfaces
113
,
213
, and a serial communications circuit
300
connecting these interfaces. An input/output card
4
connected to the input/output card interface
224
is controlled by CPU
210
in the operating device
200
, and signals can be exchanged with the control device
100
via the communications interfaces
113
,
213
, and the serial communications circuit
300
.
Therefore, in a composition where the input/output card interface is connected to the parallel bus of the control device, when an input/output card is connected to the control device, operation of the input/output card is restricted to the vicinity of the host CPU of the control device, due to limitations on the length of the lines in the parallel bus, and hence it is difficult to situate an operating device for operating an I/O card in a remote location from the control device.
Moreover, in a composition where the control device and input/output card are connected by means of a serial communications circuit in order to situate this operating device at a remote location, it becomes necessary to provide a separate CPU for controlling communications on the input/output card side, thereby leading to cost increases.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the problems associated with conventional control systems, by providing a control system which enables connecting of input/output cards using an input/output card interface, without using a CPU for controlling communications, and also by providing a control system which is capable of handling input/output cards connected at a remote location from the control device in a similar manner to input/output cards connected to the control device.
By extending the length of the parallel bus in the control device on the input/output card side, by means of serial communications, the control system according to the present invention enables an input/output card connected at a remote location from the control device to be accessed in a similar manner to a device connected to the parallel bus of the control device without using a CPU for controlling communications.
One mode of a control system according to the present invention is a control system comprising a control selection provided with a CPU (processor) for controlling a machine to be controlled, an operating section provided with an input/output card interface for enabling connection of an input/output card, and a communications circuit for conducting communications between the control section and the operating section, wherein the control section comprises a first serial communications interface for connecting to the CPU via a first communications control circuit, the operating section comprises a second serial communications interface connected to the input/output card interface via a second communications control circuit, and the communications circuit is constituted by a serial communications circuit connecting a first serial communications interface with the second serial communications interface.
Here, the machine to be controlled is a machine controlled by means of control signals, such as a robot, machine tools, or the like, whilst the control device is a robot control device, CNC control device, or the like, which implements control over the machine to be controlled.
The control section according to the present invention is a constituent element corresponding to the control device described above, and it comprises a CPU (processor) for controlling the machine to be controlled, and a ROM, RAM, axis control circuit, and the like, used together with the CPU. The CPU implements control operations on the basis of programs and the data stored in the ROM and RAM, and it controls the machine to be controlled by driving a servo motor via the axis control circuit. Moreover, the control circuit also comprises a first communications control circuit and a first serial communications interface.
The operating section according to the present invention comprises an input/output card interface which enables input/output cards to be connected, and hence it serves t
Hashimoto Yoshiki
Kubo Yoshiyuki
Sera Takehisa
Fanuc Ltd.
Paschall Mark
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