Electricity: motive power systems – Positional servo systems – Program- or pattern-controlled systems
Patent
1990-04-02
1992-05-19
Ip, Paul
Electricity: motive power systems
Positional servo systems
Program- or pattern-controlled systems
31856811, 3642694, 371 161, 371 221, 371 51, 371 101, G05B 902
Patent
active
051151774
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a malfunction diagnosis system for use in the diagnosis of a malfunction of a numerical control system (CNC) by a remote host computer, and more specifically, to a malfunction diagnosis method and system capable of processing input and output signals and the like of the host computer.
BACKGROUND ART
Numerical control apparatuses (CNC) or programmable controllers connected thereto (PC) have become more sophisticated and complicated due to advances in a semiconductor technology including a microprocessor and a software technology. The malfunction rate of these numerical control apparatuses and programmable controllers has been reduced to a very low level by improvements in reliability technologies, but once a malfunction occurs, it is sometimes difficult to find the portion at which the malfunction exists. More specifically, an overall knowledge of electronics, software, machine tools, machining technologies and the like is required to find the malfunctioning portion.
A malfunction diagnosis system has been proposed wherein a host computer is installed at a service station and a malfunction of a CNC system is diagnosed by connecting the host computer to the CNC system through a communication line instead of dispatching a service engineer to the site at which the CNC system is installed, to diagnose the malfunction.
Nevertheless, even if the portion of the CNC system at which a malfunction has occurred is found as a result of the malfunction diagnosis effected by the host computer connected to the CNC system, a service engineer must be dispatched to the field to repair the malfunction, and it is not always possible to meet the user's request for an immediate dispatch of a service engineer.
On the other hand, as a result of the diagnosis, it is often found that the CNC system is suffering only a local malfunction, and can be returned to use by a suitable processing of the malfunction. Further, it is sometimes found that the CNC system itself has malfunctioned and it is a sequence program or the like that is defective. Therefore, there are many cases wherein a machining operation can be resumed by taking suitable measures, without the need for a service engineer at the site.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Taking the above into consideration, an object of the present invention is to provide a malfunction diagnosis system capable of processing input and output signals and the like of a host computer.
To solve the above problem, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a malfunction diagnosis system for use in the diagnosis of a malfunction of a numerical control system (CNC) having a programmable controller (PC) by a remote host computer, comprising the steps of reading input and output signals of the PC by the host computer, diagnosing the malfunction to determine whether the malfunction can be repaired by processing the input and output signals, and repairing the malfunction by processing the input and output signals.
An service engineer operates the host computer and reads the input and output signals from the PC connected to the host computer through a communication line, and diagnoses a cause of the malfunction from the input and output signals.
When a local malfunction occurs and the CNC system can be used by restricting a part of the functions thereof, a part of the input and output signals is peremptorily changed to enable the CNC system to be operated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a malfunction diagnosis system according to the present invention; and
FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the processing effected by a host computer.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to drawings.
FIG. 1 illustrates a malfunction diagnosis system according to the present invention, wherein 1 designates a numerical control system (hereinafter, referred to as a CNC) and 2 designates a programmable controller (hereinafter, referred to as a PC), w
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Chiba Kosuke
Tanaka Kunio
Fanuc Ltd.
Ip Paul
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