JP7115195B2 - Control system, support equipment, support program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a control system and a support device and support program used for the control system.

In many manufacturing sites, the introduction of safety systems is progressing in order to use facilities and machines safely. Safety systems are designed to provide safety functions that comply with international standards, and consist of safety components such as safety controllers, safety sensors, safety switches, and safety relays.

Safety systems are required to provide safety functions to drive devices such as servo motors that drive facilities and machines. For example, Non-Patent Document 1 defines safety features to be provided for variable speed electric drive systems.

More specifically, Non-Patent Document 1 describes drive control such as STO (Safe Torque Off), SS1 (Safe Stop 1), SS2 (Safe Stop 2), SOS (Safe Operating Stop), and SBC (Safe Brake Control). Defines some safety functions associated with the equipment.

"IEC 61800-5-2:2016 Adjustable speed electrical power drive systems - Part 5-2: Safety requirements - Functional", International Electrotechnical Commission, 2016-04-18

When implementing a safety function related to the drive device as described above, a function for realizing the safety function is provided independently of the function for controlling the drive device. Each function is provided independently of each other, and communication paths are often formed independently of each other.

On the other hand, when controlling the drive device, it is necessary to consider the state of the safety function.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-described problems, and to provide a control system that allows easy access to information relating to the operation of safety functions.

A control system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a first controller and a drive device that drives a motor according to a first command from the first controller. The drive device has a safety function for driving the motor. The control system shares data among the second controller, which transmits a second command relating to the operation of the safety function to the drive device, and the first controller, the drive device, and the second controller. including a network of The second command is sent through a connection formed using a network between the second controller and the drive device. The drive device includes a state management unit that manages the state of the safety function according to the second command, and a data disclosure unit that discloses preset information among the information held by the state management unit via the network.

According to this embodiment, the information related to the second command transmitted via the connection formed using the network between the second controller and the drive device can be easily transmitted from the first controller. have access. This allows the first controller to implement control according to the operation of the safety function that depends on the second command.

Preferably, the control system further includes a support device that receives specification of information to be disclosed by the data disclosure unit and transfers disclosure settings specifying the specified information to the drive device.

According to this embodiment, necessary information can be made public by setting it in the support device.

Preferably, the support device refers to the disclosure settings to identify information to be disclosed among the information managed by the state management unit, and sets the reference information for referencing the information disclosed by the data disclosure unit. Associate the meaning of the identified information.

According to the present embodiment, by associating the meaning of the specified information with the reference information for referring to the information disclosed by the data disclosure unit, the information having the meaning of each reference information can be used in the support device. You can tell at a glance if there is one.

Preferably, the information disclosed by the data disclosure unit can be referenced as a variable in the support device. The support device reflects the meaning of the information specified as the name of the variable.

According to this embodiment, the name of the variable indicates the meaning of each piece of information, so that the meaning of the information can be grasped at a glance from the name of the variable alone.

Preferably, the information disclosed by the data disclosure unit can be referenced as a variable in the support device. The support device reflects the meaning of the information specified as the additional information assigned to the variable.

According to this embodiment, the additional information assigned to the variables indicates the meaning of each piece of information, so that the meaning of the information can be grasped at a glance from the name of the variable alone.

Preferably, the support device reflects the information specifying the drive device containing the data disclosure part in the reference information for referring to the information disclosed by the data disclosure part.

According to this embodiment, even if there are a plurality of drive devices, it is possible to grasp at a glance which drive device provides the information.

Preferably, the support device provides an environment for developing control programs to be executed by the first controller. In an environment for developing a control program, it is possible to create a control program using the reference information associated with the meaning of the specified information.

According to this embodiment, the control program can be created using the reference information associated with the meaning of the specified information, so the efficiency of creating the control program can be improved.

Preferably, the control system has a plurality of drives. The support device collectively enables or disables disclosure via the network for the data disclosure units of all drive devices in response to user operations.

According to this embodiment, debugging and the like can be efficiently performed by collectively disabling disclosure of information.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a support device is provided that is connected to the control system. The control system includes a first controller and a drive device that drives the motor according to a first command from the first controller. The drive device has a safety function for driving the motor. The control system shares data among the second controller, which transmits a second command relating to the operation of the safety function to the drive device, and the first controller, the drive device, and the second controller. including a network of The second command is sent through a connection formed using a network between the second controller and the drive device. The drive device includes a state management unit that manages the state of the safety function according to the second command, and a data disclosure unit that discloses preset information among the information held by the state management unit via the network. The support device receives designation of information to be disclosed by the data disclosure unit, transfers disclosure settings specifying the specified information to the drive device, and refers to the disclosure settings to manage by the state management unit. means for identifying information to be disclosed among the information disclosed by the data disclosure unit, and for associating the meaning of the identified information with reference information for referring to the information disclosed by the data disclosure unit.

According to this embodiment, the information related to the second command transmitted via the connection formed using the network between the second controller and the drive device can be easily transmitted from the first controller. have access. This allows the first controller to implement control according to the operation of the safety function that depends on the second command.

According to yet another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a support program running on a computer coupled to the control system. The control system includes a first controller and a drive device that drives the motor according to a first command from the first controller. The drive device has a safety function for driving the motor. The control system shares data among the second controller, which transmits a second command relating to the operation of the safety function to the drive device, and the first controller, the drive device, and the second controller. including a network of The second command is sent through a connection formed using a network between the second controller and the drive device. The drive device includes a state management unit that manages the state of the safety function according to the second command, and a data disclosure unit that discloses preset information among the information held by the state management unit via the network. The support program receives specification of information to be disclosed by the data disclosure unit in the computer, transfers disclosure settings specifying the specified information to the drive device; specifying information to be disclosed among the information managed by the data disclosure unit, and associating the meaning of the specified information with reference information for referring to the information disclosed by the data disclosure unit.

According to this embodiment, the information related to the second command transmitted via the connection formed using the network between the second controller and the drive device can be easily transmitted from the first controller. have access. This allows the first controller to implement control according to the operation of the safety function that depends on the second command.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a control system in which information regarding the operation of safety functions can be easily accessed.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a control system according to an embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing functions of a control system according to the present embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a hardware configuration example of a standard controller that configures the control system according to the present embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a hardware configuration example of a safety controller that configures the control system according to the present embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a hardware configuration example of a safety driver and servo motors that configure the control system according to the present embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a hardware configuration example of a support device that configures the control system according to the present embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of functional allocation of the control system according to the present embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a processing procedure relating to a safety function by a safety driver of the control system according to the present embodiment; It is a figure which shows an example of the motion safety function which the control system which concerns on this Embodiment provides. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a parameter set for realizing a motion safety function stored in the safety driver of the control system according to the embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a form of transmission of communication frames in the control system according to the present embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining data transmission in the control system according to the embodiment; FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an implementation example of standard control and safety control in the control system according to the present embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining one method of referring to information on motion safety functions by a standard controller of the control system according to the present embodiment; FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining another method for referring to information on the motion safety function by the standard controller of the control system according to the present embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a setting example of a motion safety control object disclosed by a safety driver of the control system according to the embodiment; FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining setting processing in a support device of the control system according to the embodiment; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a user interface screen provided by a support device of the control system according to the present embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a standard control program that refers to motion safety control objects in the control system according to the present embodiment; 7 is a flow chart showing an example of a setting process procedure in a support device that constitutes the control system according to the present embodiment; FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining collective disclosure setting processing in a support device that configures the control system according to the present embodiment;

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same or corresponding parts in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

<A. Application example>
First, an example of a scene to which the present invention is applied will be described.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a control system 1 according to this embodiment. The control system 1 according to the present embodiment provides, for example, a safety function for the drive device defined in Non-Patent Document 1 above, in addition to the safety function defined in IEC 61508 or the like.

Referring to FIG. 1 , control system 1 mainly includes standard controller 100 , safety controller 200 and one or more safety drivers 300 connected to standard controller 100 via field network 2 . Each safety driver 300 is an example of a drive device, and drives an electrically connected servomotor 400 . Any type of actuator (for example, a three-phase AC motor, a DC motor, a single-phase AC motor, a polyphase AC motor, a linear servo, etc.) can be employed without being limited to the servomotor 400 . Also, the substance of the safety driver 300 may be a servo driver or a general-purpose inverter device. In the following description, the safety driver 300 will be described as an example of a drive device.

The standard controller 100 corresponds to a first controller, and performs standard control on controlled objects including the servomotor 400 according to a pre-created standard control program. Typically, standard controller 100 periodically issues commands to actuators such as servomotor 400 by cyclically executing control operations in response to input signals from one or more sensors (not shown). Calculate to

The safety controller 200 transmits to the safety driver 300 a safety command (second command) relating to the operation of the safety function. More specifically, the safety controller 200 cyclically executes monitoring and control calculations for realizing safety functions for the controlled object, independently of the standard controller 100 . The safety controller 200 can accept input signals from any safety device 240 and/or output commands to any safety device 240 .

The safety driver 300 drives the servomotor 400 by supplying power to the servomotor 400 according to a command (first command) from the standard controller 100 . The safety driver 300 periodically calculates the rotational position, rotational speed, rotational acceleration, generated torque, and the like of the servomotor 400 based on feedback signals from the servomotor 400 and the like.

Furthermore, the safety driver 300 has a safety function related to driving the servomotor 400 . More specifically, the safety driver 300 provides the safety controller 200 with status information necessary for the safety function, and adjusts or cuts off the power supplied to the servo motor 400 according to the required safety function.

The servo motor 400 has a motor that rotates by receiving power from the safety driver 300, and outputs a detection signal from an encoder coupled to the rotating shaft of the motor to the safety driver 300 as a feedback signal.

In this specification, "device" is a general term for devices capable of data communication with other devices via any network such as the field network 2. FIG. In the control system 1 according to the present embodiment, "devices" include the standard controller 100, the safety controller 200 and the safety driver 300.

In this specification, the terms "standard control" and "safety control" are used in contrast. "Standard control" is a generic term for processes for controlling controlled objects in accordance with predetermined required specifications. On the other hand, "safety control" is a general term for processes for preventing human safety from being threatened by facilities, machines, and the like. "Safety control" is designed to meet the requirements for realizing safety functions specified in IEC 61508 and the like.

In this specification, the safety functions unique to the drive device are collectively referred to as "motion safety functions". Typically, "function" encompasses safety functions associated with the drive defined in Non-Patent Document 1 above. For example, it includes control for ensuring safety by monitoring the position and speed of the control axis.

As used herein, "process data" is a generic term for data used in at least one of standard control and safety control. Specifically, "process data" includes input information acquired from the controlled object, output information output to the controlled object, internal information used for control calculations in each device, and the like.

Input information includes ON/OFF signals (digital input) detected by photoelectric sensors, physical signals (analog inputs) detected by temperature sensors, and pulse signals generated by pulse encoders (pulse inputs). contain. Output information includes ON/OFF (digital output) for driving relays, etc., speed command (analog output) for indicating the rotation speed of a servomotor, and displacement command (pulse output) for indicating the amount of movement of a stepping motor. output), etc. The internal information includes state information and the like determined by control calculations and the like with arbitrary process data as input.

Basically, the value of "process data" is updated every control cycle or communication cycle. Here, updating means reflecting the latest value, and may include the case where the value does not change before and after updating.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing functions of the control system 1 according to this embodiment. Referring to FIG. 2, each safety driver 300 is equipped with a servo control 350 in charge of driving the servo motor 400 . A command (first command) is given to the servo control 350 from the standard controller 100 .

A motion safety function 360 is further implemented in each of the safety drivers 300 . A safety command (second command) is given to the motion safety function 360 from the safety controller 200 . This safety command is transmitted via the logical connection 4 formed between the safety controller 200 and the safety driver 300 using the field network 2 .

The motion safety function 360 of the safety driver 300 has a motion safety function state management engine 378 (corresponding to a state management section) that manages the state of the safety function according to safety commands.

Here, the field network 2 is used to share data among the standard controller 100, one or more safety drivers 300, and the safety controller 200. FIG. In the control system 1, the field network 2 is used to prepare a data public architecture 6 for sharing data between devices.

Each of the safety drivers 300 has a data mirror engine 380 (details of which will be described later. Data publishing unit equivalent to ). That is, the data mirror engine 380 uses the data disclosure architecture 6 to copy preset information among the information held by the motion safety function state management engine 378 so that other devices can access it.

By adopting such a configuration, the state information of the motion safety function 360 that is changed according to the safety command exchanged via the logical connection 4 can be accessed from the standard controller 100 and other devices. Become. This allows the standard controller 100 and other devices to implement control operations according to the operating state of the safety function in the safety driver 300 .

<B. Configuration Example of Devices Included in Control System 1>
Next, a configuration example of devices included in the control system 1 will be described.

(b1: standard controller 100)
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a hardware configuration example of the standard controller 100 that configures the control system 1 according to this embodiment. 3, standard controller 100 includes processor 102, main memory 104, storage 110, host network controller 106, field network controller 108, USB (Universal Serial Bus) controller 120, and memory card interface. 112 and a local bus controller 116 . These components are connected via processor bus 118 .

The processor 102 mainly corresponds to a calculation processing unit that executes control calculations related to standard control, and is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or the like. Specifically, processor 102 reads a program (for example, system program 1102 and standard control program 1104) stored in storage 110, develops it in main memory 104, and executes it, depending on the object to be controlled. It implements control calculations and various types of processing to be described later.

The main memory 104 is composed of a volatile storage device such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) or an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory). The storage 110 is configured by, for example, a non-volatile storage device such as SSD (Solid State Drive) or HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

The storage 110 stores a system program 1102 for realizing basic functions as well as a standard control program 1104 created according to the object to be controlled. Further, the storage 110 stores setting information 1106 for setting variables and the like, which will be described later.

The host network controller 106 exchanges data with any information processing device via the host network.

Field network controller 108 exchanges data with arbitrary devices including safety controller 200 and safety driver 300 via field network 2 . In the control system 1 shown in FIG. 3 , the field network controller 108 of the standard controller 100 functions as the communication master of the field network 2 .

The USB controller 120 exchanges data with the support device 500 or the like via a USB connection.

Memory card interface 112 accepts memory card 114, which is an example of a removable recording medium. A memory card interface 112 can write data to a memory card 114 and read various data (log, trace data, etc.) from the memory card 114 .

Local bus controller 116 transfers data to and from any unit connected to standard controller 100 via a local bus.

FIG. 3 shows a configuration example in which necessary functions are provided by the processor 102 executing a program. (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), etc.). Alternatively, the main part of the standard controller 100 may be implemented using hardware conforming to a general-purpose architecture (for example, an industrial personal computer based on a general-purpose personal computer). In this case, virtualization technology may be used to execute a plurality of OSs (Operating Systems) for different purposes in parallel, and necessary applications may be executed on each OS. Furthermore, a configuration in which functions such as a display device and a support device are integrated into the standard controller 100 may be employed.

(b2: safety controller 200)
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a hardware configuration example of the safety controller 200 that configures the control system 1 according to this embodiment. Referring to FIG. 4, safety controller 200 includes processor 202 , main memory 204 , storage 210 , field network controller 208 , USB controller 220 and safety local bus controller 216 . These components are connected via processor bus 218 .

The processor 202 mainly corresponds to a calculation processing unit that executes control calculations related to safety control, and is configured by a CPU, GPU, or the like. Specifically, processor 202 reads programs (for example, system program 2102 and safety program 2104) stored in storage 210, develops them in main memory 204, and executes them to provide necessary safety functions. It implements control calculations for performing and various types of processing to be described later.

The main memory 204 is composed of a volatile memory device such as DRAM and SRAM. The storage 210 is configured by, for example, a non-volatile storage device such as an SSD or HDD.

The storage 210 stores a system program 2102 for realizing basic functions as well as a safety program 2104 created according to required safety functions. Further, the storage 210 stores setting information 2106 for setting variables and the like, which will be described later.

Field network controller 208 exchanges data with arbitrary devices including standard controller 100 and safety driver 300 via field network 2 . In the control system 1 shown in FIG. 3 , the field network controller 208 of the safety controller 200 functions as a communication slave of the field network 2 .

The USB controller 220 exchanges data with an information processing device such as the support device 500 via a USB connection.

The safety local bus controller 216 exchanges data with any safety unit connected to the safety controller 200 via the safety local bus. FIG. 4 shows the safety IO unit 230 as an example of the safety unit.

The safety IO unit 230 exchanges input/output signals with an arbitrary safety device 240 . More specifically, the safety IO unit 230 receives input signals from safety devices 240 such as safety sensors and safety switches. Alternatively, safety IO unit 230 outputs a command to safety device 240 such as a safety relay.

FIG. 4 shows a configuration example in which necessary functions are provided by the processor 202 executing a program. Alternatively, it may be implemented using an FPGA, etc.). Alternatively, the main part of the safety controller 200 may be implemented using hardware following a general-purpose architecture (for example, an industrial personal computer based on a general-purpose personal computer).

(b3: safety driver 300 and servo motor 400)
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a hardware configuration example of the safety driver 300 and the servomotor 400 that configure the control system 1 according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 5, safety driver 300 includes field network controller 302 , control section 310 , drive circuit 330 and feedback receiving circuit 332 .

Field network controller 302 exchanges data with arbitrary devices including standard controller 100 and safety controller 200 via field network 2 . In the control system 1 shown in FIG. 5 , the field network controller 302 of the safety driver 300 functions as a communication slave of the field network 2 .

The control unit 310 executes arithmetic processing required to operate the safety driver 300 . As an example, controller 310 includes processors 312 and 314 , main memory 316 , and storage 320 .

The processor 312 corresponds to an arithmetic processing unit that mainly executes control arithmetic for driving the servomotor 400 . The processor 314 corresponds to an arithmetic processing unit that mainly executes control arithmetic operations for providing safety functions related to the servomotor 400 . Both of the processors 312 and 314 are configured by a CPU or the like.

The main memory 316 is composed of a volatile memory device such as DRAM and SRAM. The storage 320 is configured by, for example, a non-volatile storage device such as SSD or HDD.

The storage 320 contains a servo control program 3202 for realizing the servo control 350, a motion safety program 3204 for realizing the motion safety function 360, and setting information for setting variables to be exposed to other devices. 3206 are stored.

FIG. 5 exemplifies a configuration in which the two processors 312 and 314 execute control calculations for different purposes, thereby enhancing reliability. may be adopted. For example, where a single processor includes multiple cores, processors 312 and 314 may each perform corresponding control operations. FIG. 5 shows a configuration example in which necessary functions are provided by the processors 312 and 314 executing programs. (eg, ASIC or FPGA).

Drive circuit 330 includes a converter circuit, an inverter circuit, and the like, and according to a command from control unit 310 , generates power of specified voltage, current, and phase, and supplies it to servo motor 400 .

Feedback receiving circuit 332 receives a feedback signal from servo motor 400 and outputs the reception result to control section 310 .

Servo motor 400 typically includes a three-phase AC motor 402 and an encoder 404 attached to the rotating shaft of the three-phase AC motor 402 .

The three-phase AC motor 402 is an actuator that receives power supplied from the safety driver 300 and generates rotational force. Although FIG. 5 illustrates a three-phase AC motor as an example, the motor is not limited to this, and may be a DC motor, a single-phase AC motor, or a polyphase AC motor. Furthermore, an actuator that generates driving force along a straight line, such as a linear servo, may be employed.

Encoder 404 outputs a feedback signal (typically, the number of pulse signals corresponding to the number of revolutions) corresponding to the number of revolutions of three-phase AC motor 402 .

(b4: support device 500)
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a hardware configuration example of the support device 500 that configures the control system 1 according to this embodiment. Support device 500 is implemented, for example, by using hardware (for example, a general-purpose personal computer) conforming to a general-purpose architecture.

Referring to FIG. 6 , support device 500 includes processor 502 , main memory 504 , input section 506 , output section 508 , storage 510 , optical drive 512 and USB controller 520 . These components are connected via processor bus 518 .

The processor 502 is composed of a CPU, a GPU, or the like, reads a program (for example, an OS 5102 and a support program 5104) stored in the storage 510, develops it in the main memory 504, and executes it to perform various functions as described later. Realize processing.

The main memory 504 is composed of a volatile storage device such as DRAM and SRAM. The storage 510 is configured by, for example, a non-volatile storage device such as an HDD or SSD.

The storage 510 stores a support program 5104 for providing the function of the support device 500 in addition to an OS 5102 for realizing basic functions. That is, the support program 5104 is executed by a computer connected to the control system 1 to implement the support device 500 according to the present embodiment.

Furthermore, the storage 510 stores project data 5106 created by the user in the development environment provided by executing the support program 5104 .

In the present embodiment, the support device 500 provides a development environment in which settings for each device included in the control system 1 and creation of programs to be executed by each device can be made in an integrated manner. Project data 5106 includes data generated by such an integrated development environment. Project data 5106 typically includes standard control source programs 5108 , standard controller configuration information 5110 , safety source programs 5112 , safety controller configuration information 5114 , and safety driver configuration information 5116 .

The standard control source program 5108 is converted into object code, transmitted to the standard controller 100, and stored as the standard control program 1104 (see FIG. 3). Similarly, standard controller setting information 5110 is also transmitted to standard controller 100 and stored as setting information 1106 (see FIG. 3).

The safety source program 5112 is converted into object code, transmitted to the safety controller 200, and stored as the safety program 2104 (see FIG. 3). Similarly, the safety controller setting information 5114 is also transmitted to the safety controller 200 and stored as the setting information 2106 (see FIG. 4).

The safety driver setting information 5116 is transmitted to the safety driver 300 and stored as the setting information 3206 (see FIG. 5).

An input unit 506 is composed of a keyboard, a mouse, and the like, and receives user operations. An output unit 508 includes a display, various indicators, a printer, and the like, and outputs processing results from the processor 502 and the like.

USB controller 520 exchanges data with standard controller 100 or the like via a USB connection.

The support device 500 has an optical drive 512, and from a recording medium 514 (for example, an optical recording medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)) that stores a computer-readable program non-transitory, into it. The stored program is read and installed in the storage 510 or the like.

The support program 5104 and the like executed by the support device 500 may be installed via the computer-readable recording medium 514, or may be installed by being downloaded from a server device or the like on the network. Also, the functions provided by the support device 500 according to the present embodiment may be realized by using some of the modules provided by the OS.

FIG. 6 shows a configuration example in which the functions necessary for the support device 500 are provided by the processor 502 executing a program. It may be implemented using circuitry (eg, ASIC, FPGA, etc.).

Note that the support device 500 may be removed from the standard controller 100 while the control system 1 is in operation.

<C. Function sharing of control system 1>
Next, an example of division of functions in the control system 1 will be described. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of functional sharing of the control system 1 according to the present embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 7, safety driver 300 executes servo control 350 with respect to standard control 150 executed by standard controller 100 . The standard control 150 includes a process of periodically calculating a command for driving the servomotor 400 according to a user program preset for the controlled object. Also, the servo control 350 includes control for driving the servo motor 400 according to commands periodically calculated by the standard control 150, and processing for obtaining and outputting a state value indicating the operating state of the servo motor 400. . Servo control 350 is handled by processor 312 (see FIG. 5) of safety driver 300 .

On the other hand, the safety driver 300 provides a motion safety function 360 corresponding to the safety function 250 provided by the safety controller 200 . Motion safety function 360 is handled by processor 314 (see FIG. 5) of safety driver 300 .

The safety function 250 is predetermined based on the state value held by the standard control 150 executed by the standard controller 100, the state value indicated by the signal from the safety device 240, the state value held by the safety driver 300, and the like. When the above conditions are met, the safety function specified in advance is activated.

The process of activating a safety function designated in advance is, for example, the output of a safety command to the safety driver 300 or the output of a safety command to the safety device 240 (for example, a safety command related to power supply to a specific device). relay), etc.

Safety driver 300 provides specified motion safety functions 360 in response to safety commands from safety controller 200 . Intervening in the control of the servo motor 400 by the servo control 350 to cut off the power supply to the servo motor 400 or controlling the servo motor 400 by the servo control 350 according to the type of the specified motion safety function 360 is within a predetermined limit range.

FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a processing procedure related to the safety function by the safety driver 300 of the control system 1 according to this embodiment. Referring to FIG. 8, a command is periodically calculated by standard control 150 of standard controller 100 and output to safety driver 300 (servo control 350) (sequence SQ2). Servo control 350 of safety driver 300 drives servo motor 400 in accordance with a command from standard control 150 (sequence SQ4).

At a certain timing, when a safety event occurs from the safety device 240 (for example, a safety sensor) (sequence SQ6), the safety controller 200 outputs a safety command to the safety driver 300 (motion safety function 360) (sequence SQ8). In response to this safety command, motion safety function 360 of safety driver 300 activates the designated safety function (sequence SQ10).

In response to the activation of the safety function, standard control 150 of standard controller 100 calculates and outputs a command according to the activated safety function (sequence SQ12). On the other hand, the safety driver 300 (motion safety function 360) monitors whether the operating state of the servomotor 400 is within a predetermined limit range. When it is determined that the operating state of the servomotor 400 is not within the predetermined limit range, or when the predetermined stop time arrives, the safety driver 300 (motion safety function 360) stops the servomotor 400 is cut off (sequence SQ14).

In this way, the safety driver 300 can drive the servo motor 400 according to a command from the standard controller 100 (standard control 150), and can also drive the safety controller 200 (safety function 250) according to a command for activating the safety function. It is possible to realize a motion safety function for

<D. Motion Safety Function of Control System 1>
Next, an example of the motion safety function provided by the control system 1 will be described.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the motion safety function provided by the control system 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 9A shows an example of the behavior of the servomotor 400 corresponding to STO (Safe Torque Off), and FIG. 9B shows the behavior of the servomotor 400 corresponding to SS1 (Safe Stop 1). Here is an example.

Referring to FIG. 9A, when a safety command (STO) is given at time t1 while servomotor 400 is operating at a certain rotational speed, safety driver 300 supplies power to servomotor 400. is cut off to make the torque generated by the servomotor 400 zero. As a result, the servomotor 400 coasts and then stops. If the servomotor 400 is equipped with a brake, the servomotor 400 can be stopped immediately.

Referring to FIG. 9B, when servomotor 400 is operating at a certain rotational speed and a safety command (SS1) is given at time t1, safety driver 300 rotates at a predetermined acceleration. Reduce speed. At this time, the safety driver 300 may perform power recovery (that is, regeneration) from the servomotor 400 . When the rotation speed of the servo motor 400 becomes zero at time t2, the safety driver 300 cuts off the power supply to the servo motor 400 and makes the torque generated by the servo motor 400 zero. After time t2, the state is similar to that of STO shown in FIG. 9A.

Of the STO shown in FIG. 9A and SS1 shown in FIG. selected.

Non-Patent Document 1 mentioned above defines not only the motion safety function shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, but also a plurality of motion safety functions. In order to implement each motion safety function, settings are required to define the behavior of the servo motor 400 .

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the parameter set 390 for realizing the motion safety function stored in the safety driver 300 of the control system 1 according to this embodiment. Referring to FIG. 10 , parameter set 390 includes one or more set values (parameters) corresponding to each motion safety function provided by safety driver 300 .

For example, settings corresponding to motion safety features may include velocity range, acceleration range, stop time, and the like.

Typically, the user operates the support device 500 to determine the behavior of the motion safety function in the safety driver 300 , and the parameter set 390 corresponding to the determined behavior is transferred to the safety driver 300 . The safety driver 300 pre-stores the parameter set 390 from the support device 500 .

<E. Data communication of control system 1>
Next, an example of data communication in the control system 1 will be described.

FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the form of transmission of communication frames in the control system 1 according to this embodiment. Referring to FIG. 11, in field network 2 of control system 1, process data communication is performed, and communication frame 600 is cyclically (for example, several to ten-odd milliseconds) with standard controller 100 as the communication master. Cycle through devices. The cycle in which the communication frame 600 is transmitted is also called a process data communication cycle.

In this embodiment, EtherCAT (registered trademark) is adopted as an example of the protocol of the field network 2 for cyclically transmitting such communication frames 600 .

A data area is assigned to each device in the communication frame 600 . When each device receives the communication frame 600 that is periodically transmitted, it writes the current value of preset data in the data area assigned to itself within the received communication frame 600 . Then, the communication frame 600 after writing the current value is sent to the next-stage device. The current value of data written by each device can be referenced from other devices.

Each device writes the current value of preset data in the communication frame 600, so that the communication frame 600 that goes around the field network 2 and returns to the communication master (standard controller 100) contains the latest data collected by each device. will contain the value of

In the present embodiment, using such process data communication, the logical connection 4 is formed between each of the safety controller 200 and the safety driver 300 (see FIG. 11). This logical connection 4 is used for exchanging data for realizing the safety function.

As described above, when EtherCAT is adopted as the protocol of the field network 2, the logical connection 4 can be formed using a protocol called FSoE (FailSafe over EtherCAT).

More specifically, a dedicated data area for storing commands exchanged to form the logical connection 4 is allocated to the communication frame 600 . A logical connection 4 is formed by exchanging commands between devices using the dedicated data area.

FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining data transmission in the control system 1 according to this embodiment. Referring to FIG. 12, communication frame 600 defines data area 620 used for logical connection 4 in addition to data area 610 used for process data communication.

Data area 610 includes data area 611 assigned to standard controller 100 , data areas 612 , 613 and 614 assigned to safety driver 300 , and data area 615 assigned to safety controller 200 .

Data areas 612, 613, 614 and 615 are composed of IN data areas 6121, 6131, 6141 and 6151 for disclosing data from each device to other devices, and OUT data areas 6122 and 6122 for receiving commands from each device. 6132, 6142, 6152.

The IN data areas 6121, 6131, 6141, and 6151 are data areas in which process data managed by each device and disclosed to other devices are written. Each device writes necessary data to the IN data area assigned to itself within the communication frame 600, so that other devices can refer to the written data. Normally, the standard controller 100 refers to the data written by each device in each communication cycle and executes control calculations related to standard control to calculate commands for each device.

In OUT data areas 6122, 6132, 6142 and 6152 are written commands given to respective devices. Each device refers to the data stored in the OUT data area assigned to itself within the communication frame 600 to generate an output signal to the controlled object or update the internal control state. Basically, the standard controller 100 writes data to the OUT data area of each device.

The data write and read operations of each device with respect to the data area 610 used for process data communication are set in advance according to the data area assigned to each device. Such data write and read setting operations are performed by the user on the support device 500 . Then, the setting information is transmitted from the support apparatus 500 to each device.

On the other hand, the data area 620 used for the logical connection 4 includes data areas 621 , 622 and 623 assigned to the safety driver 300 and a data area 624 assigned to the safety controller 200 . Each device writes and reads communication frames related to the logical connection 4 (hereinafter also referred to as “safety communication frames 630”) to the data areas 621 , 622 , 623 and 624 . The standard controller 100, which is the communication master, exchanges the stored safety communication frames 630 among the data areas 621, 622, 623, 624. FIG. Such return processing by the communication master enables the safety communication frame 630 to perform a kind of peer-to-peer communication.

FIG. 12 shows, as an example, processing when the safety communication frame 630 is transmitted from the safety controller 200 to the first safety driver 300 . A safety communication frame 630 as shown in FIG. 12 is transmitted when the safety controller 200 activates a specific motion safety function for a specific safety driver 300, for example.

First, the safety controller 200 generates a safety communication frame 630 to be transmitted to the destination safety driver 300 and writes it to the data area 624 of the communication frame 600 . After that, when the communication frame 600 in which the safety communication frame 630 is written arrives at the standard controller 100 which is the communication master, the standard controller 100 copies the safety communication frame 630 stored in the data area 624 to the data area 621. . When the communication frame 600 with the safety communication frame 630 duplicated in the data area 621 arrives at the destination safety driver 300 , the destination safety driver 300 refers to the data area 621 and receives the safety communication frame 630 .

Also, the safety communication frame 630 from the safety driver 300 to the safety controller 200 is transmitted through a communication path opposite to that described above.

Thus, in the control system 1 according to this embodiment, the logical connection 4 is formed using the data area 620 within the communication frame 600 .

<F. Implementation example of standard control and safety control>
As described above, in the control system 1 according to the present embodiment, process data communication and safety communication via the logical connection 4 are possible. Next, implementation examples of standard control and safety control using each communication will be described.

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an implementation example of standard control and safety control in control system 1 according to the present embodiment. For convenience of explanation, FIG. 13 shows an example of the control system 1 including one safety driver 300 in addition to the standard controller 100 and safety controller 200 .

Referring to FIG. 13, standard controller 100 has process data communication layer 170 and IO management module 172 as main functional components. The safety controller 200 includes a process data communication layer 270, an IO management module 272, a logical connection layer 276, and a safety function state management engine 278 as main functional components. The safety driver 300 includes a process data communication layer 370, a logical connection layer 376, a motion safety function state management engine 378, a servo control execution engine 352, and a motion safety function execution engine 362 as main functional components.

Process data communication layer 170 , process data communication layer 270 and process data communication layer 370 are in charge of transferring communication frame 600 on field network 2 . Each of process data communication layer 170, process data communication layer 270, and process data communication layer 370 updates process data 174, 274, 374 of each device based on data included in communication frame 600 that has arrived. Each of the process data communication layer 170, the process data communication layer 270, and the process data communication layer 370 regenerates the communication frame 600 after writing the process data specified in advance to the data area assigned in advance. and send it to the device in the next stage. At least a portion of the process data will be shared through process data communication.

The logical connection layer 276 of the safety controller 200 and the logical connection layer 376 of the safety driver 300 are responsible for exchanging safety communication frames 630 . That is, the logical connection layer 276 and the logical connection layer 376 use the safety communication frame 630 included in the communication frame 600 according to the protocol for forming the logical connection (FSoE in the present embodiment) to send commands and data. send and receive

In the standard controller 100, the IO management module 172 updates the process data 174 by exchanging signals with the controlled object. The standard control program 1104 executed in the standard controller 100 refers to the process data 174 to execute control calculations, and updates the process data 174 with the execution results of the control calculations.

In the safety controller 200 , the IO management module 272 updates process data 274 by exchanging signals with the safety device 240 . In FIG. 13, the process data 274 are collectively represented, but the process data (for standard control) updated by process data communication and the process data (for safety control) updated by interaction with the safety device 240 may be managed at different levels.

The safety program 2104 executed in the safety controller 200 refers to the process data 274 and the safety function state management engine 278 to execute control calculations, and updates the process data 274 based on the execution results of the control calculations. , outputs internal commands to the safety function state management engine 278 .

The safety function state management engine 278 generates a command for activating a specific motion safety function for a specific safety driver 300 according to the execution result of control calculation by the safety program 2104 . The logical connection layer 276 uses safety communication frames 630 to exchange necessary commands and information with the logical connection layer 376 of the target safety driver 300 in response to commands from the safety function state management engine 278 . .

In the safety driver 300 , the servo control execution engine 352 refers to the process data 374 and feedback signal information obtained via the feedback receiving circuit 332 to execute control calculations related to servo control. The servo control execution engine 352 updates the process data 374 and outputs internal commands to the drive circuit 330 based on the execution result of the control calculation. The drive circuit 330 drives the servomotor 400 according to commands from the servo control execution engine 352 .

The motion safety function state management engine 378 corresponds to a state management unit that manages the state of the motion safety function in accordance with safety commands from the safety controller 200 . Motion safety function state management engine 378 outputs internal commands to motion safety function execution engine 362 in response to commands from safety controller 200 .

Motion safety function execution engine 362 executes the specified motion safety function.

The logical connection layer 376 responds to commands from the motion safety function state management engine 378 to exchange necessary commands and information with the logical connection layer 276 of the safety controller 200 using safety communication frames 630 .

<G. Disclosure of safety status information>
As described above, in the control system 1 according to the present embodiment, activation of the motion safety function is instructed via the logical connection 4 between the safety controller 200 and the safety driver 300 . The standard controller 100 cannot directly refer to the interactions between the safety controller 200 and the safety driver 300. Therefore, unless related data is disclosed using the data area 610 used for process data communication of the communication frame 600, the standard controller 100 determines whether or not the motion safety function is activated and whether the motion safety function is activated. Timing, etc. cannot be detected. A method of referring to the information of the motion safety function by the standard controller 100 will be described below.

(g1: data disclosure from safety controller 200)
First, a method using data disclosure by process data communication from the safety controller 200 will be described.

FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining one method by which the standard controller 100 of the control system 1 according to the present embodiment refers to the motion safety function information. Referring to FIG. 14, in safety controller 200, safety function state management engine 278 manages information on motion safety functions. Therefore, first, a command and/or setting for acquiring information of the motion safety function managed by the safety function state management engine 278 is added to the safety program 2104 ((1) information acquisition). Then, an instruction and/or setting for disclosing the acquired information of the motion safety function to other devices is added to the safety program 2104 or the like ((2) information disclosure). By adding such commands and/or settings, the safety controller 200 discloses motion safety function information to other devices.

As a more specific setting procedure example, the safety function state management engine 278 manages information for each motion safety function. Settings for allocation are made. Also, public variables are defined for publishing to other devices. In addition, an instruction is added to the safety program 2104 to copy the value of the internal variable indicating the information referenced by the standard controller 100 to the public variable. This public variable may be defined as a global variable that can be referenced from other devices.

On the other hand, in the standard controller 100, an instruction and/or setting for acquiring information of the motion safety function disclosed by the safety controller 200 is added to the standard control program 1104 ((3) information acquisition). Then, a program for controlling the safety driver 300 using the acquired motion safety function information is added to the standard control program 1104 ((4) addition of command output program). By adding such commands and/or settings, the standard controller 100 can refer to the motion safety function information and output commands for controlling the safety driver 300 .

As a more specific setting procedure example, settings are made to assign information disclosed by the safety controller 200 to arbitrary internal variables of the standard controller 100 . A program for controlling the safety driver 300 is created using the allocated internal variables.

As described above, when the safety controller 200 implements data disclosure, the standard controller 100 and the safety controller 200 must be changed in their programs and/or settings.

(g2: public function of safety driver 300)
Next, a method of using data disclosure by process data communication from the safety driver 300 will be described.

FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining another method by which the standard controller 100 of the control system 1 according to the present embodiment refers to the motion safety function information. In the configuration shown in FIG. 15, safety driver 300 further includes data mirror engine 380 .

The data mirror engine 380 corresponds to a data disclosure unit that discloses preset information among the information held by the motion safety function state management engine 378 via the field network 2 . Specifically, the data mirror engine 380 copies preselected information from the motion safety function information managed by the motion safety function state management engine 378 to the process data 374 for data disclosure (( 1) replication).

On the other hand, in the standard controller 100, an instruction and/or setting for acquiring information of the motion safety function disclosed by the safety driver 300 is added to the standard control program 1104 or the like ((2) information acquisition). Then, a program for controlling the safety driver 300 using the acquired motion safety function information is added to the standard control program 1104 ((3) addition of command output program). By adding such commands and/or settings, the standard controller 100 can refer to the motion safety function information and output commands for controlling the safety driver 300 .

As a more specific setting procedure example, the motion safety function state management engine 378 of the safety driver 300 manages information for each motion safety function. Settings are made to assign variables for exposure to other devices. In the present embodiment, the information disclosed by the safety driver 300 is assigned to variables in object format, and such variables in object format are hereinafter also referred to as "motion safety control objects". Each of the disclosed information (a set of information type and value) will be assigned as a property of the motion safety control object. A motion safety control object corresponds to a communication object accessible via the field network 2 .

In the standard controller 100, a program for controlling the safety driver 300 is created using necessary information among the information (properties) included in the motion safety control object disclosed by the safety driver 300. be.

As described above, when implementing data disclosure by the safety driver 300, the standard control program executed by the standard controller 100 can be relatively easily executed by selecting the information to be disclosed to the safety driver 300. 1104 can be created.

Next, an example of the motion safety control object disclosed by the safety driver 300 will be described.

FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining a setting example of motion safety control objects disclosed by the safety driver 300 of the control system 1 according to the present embodiment.

In the example shown in FIG. 16, the motion safety control object 382 includes a control object 3821 indicating the issuance state of commands (validation/invalidation) for each motion safety, and a status object 3822 indicating the state value for each motion safety. include. Note that the number of objects is not limited to two as shown in FIG. 16, and only a single object may be prepared, or more objects may be prepared.

The motion safety function state management engine 378 of the safety driver 300 has control objects 3781, 3782, 3783, 3784, 3785, . . . for each motion safety function. The control objects 3781, 3782, 3783, 3784, 3785, . . . are data structures logically held by the motion safety function state management engine 378. FIG.

More specifically, the control objects 3781, 3782, 3783, 3784, 3785, . 3785A, . . . and information 3781B, 3782B, 3783B, 3784B, 3785B, .

Information selected in advance from the information included in the control objects 3781, 3782, 3783, 3784, 3785, . In this way, the motion safety control object 382 duplicates the information managed by the motion safety function state management engine 378, so the motion safety control object 382 can also be called a "mirror object."

The mirror object reflects the information contained in the motion safety control object 382 as it is, and is also a variable group that is open to each device connected to the field network 2 including the standard controller 100 .

Information allocated to the motion safety control object 382 is defined by the mirror object setting 384 (included in part of the setting information 3206 (see FIG. 5)). The mirror object setting 384 defines information to be copied as information (property) included in the motion safety control object 382 among the information managed by the motion safety function state management engine 378 .

In the configuration example shown in FIG. 16, the data mirror engine 380 is implemented by the processor 312, which is an arithmetic processing unit that executes the servo control 350, and the motion safety function state management engine 378 is an arithmetic processing unit that provides the motion safety function 360. is implemented by a processor 314 that is

When such a configuration is adopted, the event may be notified between the processors 312 and 314 by message communication or the like. Specifically, when the motion safety function state management engine 378 (processor 314) receives a command via the logical connection 4, it updates the information of the corresponding control object and also updates the data mirror engine 380 (processor 312). to notify you of information updates. Upon receiving this update notification, the data mirror engine 380 (processor 312) updates the contents of the motion safety control object 382. FIG.

<H. Setting Processing in Support Device 500>
A mirror object setting 384 for generating the motion safety control object 382 as described above is set in the support device 500 . More specifically, in the support device 500, the mirror object setting table 560 included in part of the safety driver setting information 5116 (see FIG. 6) is defined, and the mirror object setting table 560 is transferred to the safety driver 300. , is stored as a mirror object setting 384 in the safety driver 300 .

In this embodiment, both the mirror object setting table 560 held by the support device 500 and the mirror object setting 384 held by the safety driver 300 correspond to disclosure settings for specifying information to be disclosed. do. Setting processing in the support device 500 regarding the mirror object setting 384 will be described below.

FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining setting processing in support device 500 of control system 1 according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 17 , support device 500 accepts settings related to standard controller 100 and safety driver 300 included in control system 1 . FIG. 17 shows a standard controller variable setting table 550 (included in the standard controller setting information 5110 in FIG. 6) and a mirror object setting table 560 (included in the safety driver setting information 5116 in FIG. 6) as an example of settings. .

The mirror object setting table 560 is a table that defines information included in the motion safety control object 382 published by the target safety driver 300 . The user edits the mirror object setting table 560 on the support device 500 to set information to be included in the motion safety control object 382 published by the target safety driver 300 ((1) setting).

More specifically, the mirror object setting table 560 includes setting columns 562 and 564 respectively corresponding to the control object 3821 and status object 3822 included in the motion safety control object 382 . The user sets the variable name 566 of the target information in each entry of the setting columns 562 and 564 .

Information set in each entry is arbitrarily selected from control objects 3781, 3782, 3783, 3784, 3785, . be.

In this way, the support device 500 accepts designation of information to be disclosed by the data mirror engine 380 and transfers disclosure settings (mirror object setting table 560 ) specifying the designated information to the safety driver 300 .

The standard controller variable setting table 550 is a table that defines variables that can be referenced by the standard controller 100 . The standard controller variable setting table 550 includes settings for referencing the motion safety control objects 382 exposed by the safety driver 300 .

More specifically, the standard controller variable setting table 550 includes setting columns 552 and 554 respectively corresponding to the control object 3821 and status object 3822 included in the motion safety control object 382 .

In the standard controller 100 of the control system 1 according to the present embodiment, the motion safety control object 382 can be referenced as it is. It is also possible to set variables for each attribute contained in the .

FIG. 17 shows an example in which variables are automatically set for each attribute included in the motion safety control object 382 in the standard controller variable setting table 550 based on settings in the mirror object setting table 560 .

As shown in FIG. 17, when the user sets the mirror object setting table 560 and then performs a reflection operation to the standard controller variable setting table 550, the variable name 556 corresponding to each attribute is automatically set. In this way, the support device 500 refers to the mirror object setting table 560 (public setting) to identify information to be disclosed among the information managed by the motion safety function state management engine 378 of the safety driver 300, and The meaning of the specified information is associated with the variable name 556 (corresponding to reference information) for referring to the information published by the data mirror engine 380 .

The standard control program 1104 can refer to the variable name 556 set in the standard controller variable setting table 550 .

FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a user interface screen provided by support device 500 of control system 1 according to the present embodiment. 18A, a setting screen 570 relating to the motion safety control object 382 includes a target information display field 572, a mirror object display field 574, an attribute setting field 576, and a data type setting field 578. include.

A mirror object display field 574 displays each element (bit) included in the motion safety control object 382 . Information to be assigned to the motion safety control object 382 is set in the target information display column 572 . In the attribute setting column 576, the attribute of information to be assigned (read-only/editable) is set. In the data type setting column 578, the data type (BOOL type, real number type, etc.) of the information to be assigned is set.

The user sets information to be included in the motion safety control object 382 by operating the setting screen 570 shown in FIG. 18A. Thereafter, when the user performs a reflection operation, a variable name that can be referred to by the standard controller 100 is automatically set as shown in FIG. 18(B).

As shown in FIG. 18(B), the setting screen 570 further has a variable name setting field 580 . A variable name setting column 580 is used to set a variable name for referring to each piece of information in the standard controller 100 . Note that the variable name set in the variable name setting field 580 may be the same as the variable name set in the target information display field 572 .

As described above, FIGS. 17 and 18 show configuration examples in which arbitrary process values are referenced using variable names as reference information. That is, in the support device 500, the information disclosed by the data mirror engine 380 of the safety driver 300 can be referenced as a variable. When reflecting the meaning of each information for such variables, it may be reflected as the name of the variable (variable name), or it may be given separately from the variable name displayed when referring to the variable. may be reflected as additional information such as comments or labels.

That is, the support device 500 may reflect the meaning of the information specified as the variable name, or may reflect the meaning of the information specified as the additional information added to the variable.

However, the reference information does not have to be a variable name. For example, the physical address or logical address of the storage area in which each process value is stored may be specified. Alternatively, identification information indicating physical addresses or logical addresses may be used as reference information. Even in such a case, the meaning of the information specified as the identification information for specifying the reference information may be reflected, or the meaning of the information specified as the additional information added to the reference information may be reflected. good too.

Further, as shown in FIG. 18B, additional information may be added so as not to conflict with information included in motion safety control objects 382 published by other safety drivers 300 . In the setting screen 570 shown in FIG. 18B, variable names to which information (“E003” in the example shown in FIG. 18) specifying the safety driver 300 that is the disclosure source is added are adopted.

As described above, the support device 500 includes the data mirror engine 380 in the reference information (typically, variables) for referring to the information published by the data mirror engine 380 of the safety driver 300. Information specifying the driver 300 may be reflected.

Also, the user assigns a variable name including a corresponding name to each bit of the disclosed motion safety control object in the setting of the standard controller 100 on the support device 500 . By adopting such variable names, reference to information included in the motion safety control object 382 can be facilitated when creating the standard control program 1104, and program creation can be made more efficient. That is, a standard control program can be created using variable names that express or imply the meaning of each bit of the motion safety control object.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of the standard control program 1104 that refers to the motion safety control object 382 in the control system 1 according to this embodiment. 19(A) and 19(B) both show instructions (code 1105) is described.

FIG. 19A shows an example of the standard control program 1104 when referring to the motion safety control object 382 as it is, and FIG. 19B shows variables associated with the motion safety control object 382. An example of the standard control program 1104 for reference is shown.

In the standard control program 1104 shown in FIG. 19(A), an IF statement using a reference instruction 582 to "E003_Mirror_Safety_statusword[3]" for referencing the 5th bit of the motion safety control object 382 is described. .

On the other hand, in the standard control program 1104 shown in FIG. 19B, an IF statement using the variable name 584 of "E003_SOS_command1_active" assigned to the 5th bit information of the motion safety control object 382 is described. It is By using the variable name 584 shown in FIG. 19B in this way, it is possible to grasp at a glance which information the variable item refers to.

Thus, the support device 500 provides an environment for developing the standard control program 1104 executed by the standard controller 100. FIG. In the environment for developing this standard control program 1104, the standard control program 1104 can be created using the reference information (typically, each variable) associated with the meaning of the specified information as described above. .

FIG. 20 is a flow chart showing an example of a setting processing procedure in the support device 500 configuring the control system 1 according to the present embodiment. Each step shown in FIG. 20 is typically implemented by processor 502 of support device 500 executing support program 5104 .

Referring to FIG. 20, support device 500 provides the user with a development screen for creating a program and making various settings for control system 1 in response to a user operation (step S100).

First, the support device 500 receives a setting regarding the motion safety function of the safety driver 300 from the user (step S102). At the same time, the support device 500 receives from the user a selection of information to be disclosed among the information included in the motion safety control object (step S104). That is, the information to be included in the mirror object is selected. The support device 500 stores the received setting as the safety driver setting information 5116 (FIG. 6) upon receiving the setting completion operation from the user.

Subsequently, the support device 500 receives from the user the setting of variables that can be used in the standard controller 100 in response to the user's operation (step S106). When the support device 500 receives an instruction from the user to reflect the information disclosed by the safety driver 300, the support device 500 refers to the safety driver setting information 5116 and corresponds to the variable group (mirror object) disclosed by the safety driver 300. The information of the motion safety control object to be used is specified (step S108). Then, the support device 500 determines a variable name corresponding to each public variable from the safety driver 300 based on the information of the specified motion safety control object (step S110).

Specifically, the support device 500 analyzes the settings related to the motion safety function of the safety driver 300, decomposes the mirror object into bits, and generates and determines variable names for each bit.

Finally, the support device 500 assigns each determined variable name to the corresponding bit, and stores the assigned result as the standard controller setting information 5110 (FIG. 6) (step S112). With the above setting operation, the variables assigned names that reflect the allocation settings in the safety driver 300 can be used when creating the standard control program.

<I. Batch Setting/Batch Invalidation/Batch Validation from Support Device 500>
In the above-described disclosure setting procedure, the support device 500 selects and sets the motion safety control object information to be disclosed for each safety driver 300 .

Assuming actual operation, the control system 1 often includes a plurality of safety drivers 300, and in such a case, setting for each safety driver 300 complicates the operation.

Further, for example, when debugging a program related to the safety driver 300, it may be desired to debug only the portion related to standard control while the motion safety function of the safety driver 300 is disabled. At this time, it is preferable to disable disclosure of the motion safety control object information (mirror object) from the safety driver 300 . In such a case, deleting or invalidating the public settings for each safety driver 300 would be a complicated operation.

FIG. 21 is a diagram for explaining batch disclosure setting processing in support device 500 that configures control system 1 according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 21, it is assumed that mirror object setting table 560 is prepared for each of a plurality of safety drivers 300 .

Support device 500 has a common setting template 590 . The common setting template 590 defines allocation settings for the mirror object setting table 560 and the like. When the user performs a predetermined operation on the support device 500 , the contents of the common setting template 590 are reflected in each of the mirror object setting tables 560 .

Through such an operation, the same setting can be reflected in a plurality of mirror object setting tables 560. FIG.

Alternatively, even if the common setting template 590 is not used, the user performs a predetermined operation on the support device 500 so that each of the mirror object setting tables 560 reflects the contents set in advance; The state in which no setting is made may be collectively switched. That is, when the control system 1 has a plurality of safety drivers 300, the support device 500 responds to the user's operation by Disclosure via the field network 2 may be enabled or disabled collectively.

By implementing part or all of the batch setting function, batch invalidation function, and batch validation function in the support device 500, the debugging operation as described above can be made more efficient.

<J. Note>
The present embodiment as described above includes the following technical ideas.
[Configuration 1]
a first controller (100);
a drive device (300) for driving the motor according to a first command from the first controller, the drive device having a safety function (360) relating to driving the motor (400),
a second controller (200) that transmits a second command relating to the operation of the safety function to the drive device;
a network (2) for sharing data between the first controller, the drive device and the second controller;
the second command is transmitted through a connection (4) formed between the second controller and the drive device using the network;
The drive device
a state management unit (378) that manages the state of the safety function according to the second command;
A control system, comprising: a data disclosure unit (380) that discloses preset information among the information held by the state management unit through the network.
[Configuration 2]
Configuration 1, further comprising a support device (500) that receives specification of information to be disclosed by the data disclosure unit and transfers disclosure settings (384; 560) specifying the specified information to the drive device. control system.
[Configuration 3]
The support device refers to the disclosure setting to identify information to be disclosed among the information managed by the state management unit, and sets reference information for referencing the information disclosed by the data disclosure unit. 3. The control system of configuration 2, associating a meaning of the identified information.
[Configuration 4]
In the support device, the information disclosed by the data disclosure unit can be referenced as a variable,
4. The control system of configuration 3, wherein the support device reflects the meaning of the identified information as the name of the variable.
[Configuration 5]
In the support device, the information disclosed by the data disclosure unit can be referenced as a variable,
The control system according to configuration 3, wherein the support device reflects the meaning of the specified information as additional information assigned to the variable.
[Configuration 6]
6. Any one item of configurations 3 to 5, wherein the support device reflects information specifying a drive device containing the data disclosure unit in reference information for referring to the information disclosed by the data disclosure unit. The control system described in .
[Configuration 7]
The support device provides an environment for developing a control program executed by the first controller,
The control system according to any one of configurations 3 to 6, wherein the control program can be created using reference information associated with the meaning of the specified information in an environment for developing the control program. .
[Configuration 8]
The control system includes a plurality of the drive devices,
8. Any one of configurations 3 to 7, wherein the support device collectively enables or disables disclosure via the network for data disclosure units of all drive devices in response to a user operation. The control system described in .
[Configuration 9]
A support device (500) connected to a control system, comprising:
Said control system (1) comprises:
a first controller (100);
a drive device (300) for driving the motor according to a first command from the first controller, the drive device having a safety function (360) relating to the driving of the motor,
a second controller (200) that transmits a second command relating to the operation of the safety function to the drive device;
a network (2) for sharing data between the first controller, the drive device and the second controller;
the second command is transmitted through a connection (4) formed between the second controller and the drive device using the network;
The drive device
a state management unit (378) that manages the state of the safety function according to the second command;
a data publishing unit (380) that publishes, via the network, preset information among the information held by the state management unit;
The support device is
means (S104) for receiving specification of information to be disclosed by the data disclosure unit and for transferring disclosure settings specifying the specified information to the drive device;
By referring to the disclosure settings, information to be disclosed among the information managed by the state management unit is specified, and the specified information is added to the reference information for referring to the information disclosed by the data disclosure unit. means for associating meaning (S106-S112).
[Configuration 10]
A support program (5104) running on a computer (500) connected to a control system (1),
The control system is
a first controller (100);
a drive device (300) for driving the motor (400) in accordance with a first command from the first controller, the drive device having a safety function (360) relating to the driving of the motor,
a second controller (200) that transmits a second command relating to the operation of the safety function to the drive device;
a network (2) for sharing data between the first controller, the drive device and the second controller;
the second command is transmitted through a connection (4) formed between the second controller and the drive device using the network;
The drive device
a state management unit (378) that manages the state of the safety function according to the second command;
a data publishing unit (380) that publishes, via the network, preset information among the information held by the state management unit;
a step of receiving, in the computer, the specification of information to be disclosed by the data disclosure unit, and transferring disclosure settings specifying the specified information to the drive device (S104);
By referring to the disclosure settings, information to be disclosed among the information managed by the state management unit is specified, and the specified information is added to the reference information for referring to the information disclosed by the data disclosure unit. A support program that causes the steps of associating meaning (S106 to S112) to be executed.

<K. Advantage>
According to the control system 1 according to the present embodiment, the safety command exchanged via the logical connection formed between the safety controller 200 and the safety driver 300 and/or the motion safety command updated according to the safety command. Function status information is readily accessible from the standard controller 100 independently of the logical connections.

Further, according to the control system 1 according to the present embodiment, the standard control program 1104 can be created in the support device 500 using variables that reflect the meaning of the information disclosed by the safety driver 300. Therefore, the standard control program 1104 can increase the efficiency of creating

It should be considered that the embodiments disclosed this time are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the scope of the claims rather than the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the scope of the claims.

1 control system, 2 field network, 4 logical connection, 6 data public architecture, 100 standard controller, 102, 202, 312, 314, 502 processor, 104, 204, 316, 504 main memory, 106 upper network controller, 108, 208 , 302 field network controller, 110, 210, 320, 510 storage, 112 memory card interface, 114 memory card, 116 local bus controller, 118, 218, 518 processor bus, 120, 220, 520 USB controller, 150 standard control, 170 , 270, 370 process data communication layer, 172, 272 management module, 174, 274, 374 process data, 200 safety controller, 216 safety local bus controller, 230 safety IO unit, 240 safety device, 250 safety function, 276, 376 logic Connection Layer, 278 Safety Function State Management Engine, 300 Safety Driver, 310 Control Unit, 330 Drive Circuit, 332 Feedback Receiving Circuit, 350 Servo Control, 352 Servo Control Execution Engine, 360 Motion Safety Function, 362 Motion Safety Function Execution Engine, 378 motion safety function state management engine 380 data mirror engine 382 motion safety control object 384 mirror object setting 390 parameter set 400 servo motor 402 three-phase AC motor 404 encoder 500 support device 506 input unit 508 Output unit 512 Optical drive 514 Recording medium 550 Standard controller variable setting table 552, 562 Setting column 556, 566, 584 Variable name 560 Mirror object setting table 570 Setting screen 572 Object information display column 574 Mirror Object display column 576 Attribute setting column 578 Data type setting column 580 Variable name setting column 582 Reference instruction 590 Common setting template 600 Communication frame 610, 611, 612, 613, 614, 615, 620, 621, 622, 623, 624, 6121, 6122, 6131, 6132, 6141, 6142, 6151, 6152 data area, 630 safety communication frame, 1102, 2102 system program, 1104 standard control program, 1105 code , 1106, 2106, 3206 setting information 2104 safety program 3202 servo control program 3204 motion safety program 3781, 3782, 3783, 3784, 3785 control object 3781A, 3781B, 3782A, 3782B, 3783A, 3783B, 3784A, 3784B, 3785A, 3785B information, 3821 control object, 3822 status object, 5102 OS, 5104 support program, 5106 project data, 5108 standard control source program, 5110 standard controller setting information, 5112 safety source program, 5114 safety controller setting information, 5116 Safety driver configuration information.

Claims (10)

a first controller;
a drive device for driving the motor according to a first command from the first controller, the drive device having a safety function related to driving the motor;
a second controller that transmits a second command related to the operation of the safety function to the drive device;
a network for sharing data with each other by cyclically circulating communication frames among the first controller, the drive device, and the second controller;
the second controller and the drive device form a logical connection using the network;
the second command is sent over the logical connection between the second controller and the drive device;
The drive device
a state management unit that manages the state of the safety function according to the second command;
A control system, comprising: a data publishing unit that publishes preset information among the information held by the state management unit through the network without using the logical connection . 2. The control system according to claim 1, further comprising a support device that receives specification of information to be disclosed by said data disclosure unit and transfers disclosure settings specifying said specified information to said drive device. The support device refers to the disclosure setting to identify information to be disclosed among the information managed by the state management unit, and sets reference information for referencing the information disclosed by the data disclosure unit. 3. The control system of claim 2, which associates the meaning of said identified information. In the support device, the information disclosed by the data disclosure unit can be referenced as a variable,
4. The control system of claim 3, wherein the support device reflects the meaning of the identified information as the name of the variable. In the support device, the information disclosed by the data disclosure unit can be referenced as a variable,
4. The control system according to claim 3, wherein said support device reflects the meaning of said specified information as additional information assigned to said variable. 6. The support device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein reference information for referring to information disclosed by said data disclosure unit reflects information specifying a drive device containing said data disclosure unit. A control system as described in paragraph. The support device provides an environment for developing a control program to be executed by the first controller,
The control according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein in an environment for developing the control program, the control program can be created using reference information associated with the meaning of the specified information. system. The control system includes a plurality of the drive devices,
8. The support device according to any one of claims 3 to 7, in response to a user operation, collectively enables or disables disclosure via the network for data disclosure units of all drive devices. A control system as described in paragraph. A support device connected to a control system, comprising:
The control system is
a first controller;
a drive device for driving the motor according to a first command from the first controller, the drive device having a safety function related to driving the motor;
a second controller that transmits a second command related to the operation of the safety function to the drive device;
a network for sharing data with each other by cyclically circulating communication frames among the first controller, the drive device, and the second controller;
the second controller and the drive device form a logical connection using the network;
the second command is sent over the logical connection between the second controller and the drive device;
The drive device
a state management unit that manages the state of the safety function according to the second command;
a data publishing unit that publishes preset information among the information held by the state management unit through the network without using the logical connection ;
The support device is
means for receiving specification of information to be disclosed by the data disclosure unit and transferring disclosure settings specifying the specified information to the drive device;
By referring to the disclosure setting, information to be disclosed among the information managed by the state management unit is specified, and the specified information is added to the reference information for referring to the information disclosed by the data disclosure unit. means for associating meaning. A support program running on a computer connected to the control system, comprising:
The control system is
a first controller;
a drive device for driving the motor according to a first command from the first controller, the drive device having a safety function related to driving the motor;
a second controller that transmits a second command related to the operation of the safety function to the drive device;
a network for sharing data with each other by cyclically circulating communication frames among the first controller, the drive device, and the second controller;
the second controller and the drive device form a logical connection using the network;
the second command is sent over the logical connection between the second controller and the drive device;
The drive device
a state management unit that manages the state of the safety function according to the second command;
a data publishing unit that publishes preset information among the information held by the state management unit through the network without using the logical connection ;
a step in which the support program receives specification of information to be disclosed by the data disclosure unit in the computer and transfers disclosure settings specifying the specified information to the drive device;
By referring to the disclosure setting, information to be disclosed among the information managed by the state management unit is specified, and the specified information is added to the reference information for referring to the information disclosed by the data disclosure unit. A support program that performs the steps of associating meaning.

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