Electricity: motive power systems – Positional servo systems – Program- or pattern-controlled systems
Patent
1990-09-28
1993-04-20
Shoop, Jr., William M.
Electricity: motive power systems
Positional servo systems
Program- or pattern-controlled systems
318569, 36447411, G05B 1918
Patent
active
052045978
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an externally extended type programmable controller in which a part of the control functions thereof is independently provided as an external unit, and more specifically, to an externally extended type programmable controller in which a control function of a sequence program regarding particular mechanical units is independently provided as an external unit.
BACKGROUND ART
Two kinds of programmable controllers (PC) are generally used: one as an independent unit; and the other as a unit contained in a numerical control apparatus (CNC). Hereinafter, the PC contained in the numerical control apparatus is referred to as a programmable machine controller (PMC).
FIG. 3 is a wiring diagram of a conventional PMC, in which a PMC 20 is contained in a numerical control apparatus 10. A sequence program for controlling the particular operations of mechanical units A 61 and B 62 is stored in the PMC 20 and controls the mechanical unit A 61 through an I/O circuit 31 and the mechanical unit B 62 through an I/O circuit 32 in response to a command.
The operation of some of the mechanical units controlled by the PMC 20 for example, an automatic pallet changer (APC), loader and the like, are independently effected, because a sequence program, for example, controlling these mechanical units can be more easily debugged when they are handled independently.
Nevertheless, when a sequence program for all of the wired mechanical units is stored in the PMC 20, as in prior art, all of the mechanical units must be wired when debugging is carried out.
Further, when another mechanical unit is to be added later, a necessary modification of the sequence program is very cumbersome.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
Taking the above into consideration, an object of the present invention is to provide an externally extended type programmable controller in which a control function of a sequence program regarding particular mechanical units is independently provided as an external unit.
To solve the above problem, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided an externally extended programmable controller in which a part of control functions is independently provided as an external unit, which comprises a main programmable controller (PC) unit contained in a numerical control apparatus (CNC) and controlled in response to a command from the numerical control apparatus, an I/O unit connected to the main PC for transmitting and receiving signals to and from a predetermined mechanical unit, an extended PC connected to the main PC for controlling a particular mechanical unit by an independent sequence program, and a communication means for connecting the main PC, the I/O unit, and the extended PC.
The extended PC independently stores the sequence programs for the mechanical units to be controlled, and controls the mechanical units by transmitting and receiving commands and various data to and from the main PC through a communication means. A connection of a program creating device to the extended PC enables programs to be input, edited and debugged therefrom.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a wiring diagram of an embodiment of an externally extended programmable controller according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the inner arrangement of an extended PMC in the embodiment according to the present invention; and
FIG. 3 is a wiring diagram of a conventional PMC.
BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a wiring diagram of an embodiment of an externally extended programmable controller according to the present invention, wherein a numerical control apparatus 1 contains the main PMC 2 of a main PC. The main PMC 2 stores a sequence program for a mechanical unit A 61 and controls the operation of the mechanical unit A 61 through an I/O circuit 3, in response to commands.
On the other hand, an extended PMC 4 of an extended PC independently stores
REFERENCES:
patent: 4683549 (1987-07-01), Takaki
patent: 4754427 (1988-06-01), Okayama
patent: 4912384 (1990-03-01), Kinoshita et al.
patent: 4982335 (1991-01-01), Inobe et al.
patent: 5005134 (1991-04-01), Nakashima et al.
Sakagami Akira
Yamauchi Takashi
Fanuc Ltd.
Shoop Jr. William M.
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