Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Staubli International Ag.

Unimation, Inc.

Connecticut Innovations, Inc.

Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Kenneth E Daggett

Richard J Casler, Jr

Eimei M Onaga

Richard A Johnson

Barrett L Booth

Leonard C Vercellotti

George Edward Riehm

Jeffrey R Davis

Dirk J Boomgaard

Norman J Bergman

Vincent P Jalbert

Albert W Crew

Michal M Feilchenfeld

Rajan C Penkar

James M Mussler

Raymond A Lloyd

Nicholas G Muskovac

Kim Ngoc Trinh

Roy E Lancraft

Marcus D Nuncy

Lane L Woodland

Booth Barrett L

James A Hart

A multi-axis motion controller includes a digital signal processor operable in a standalone mode to run a motion control application program for controlling motion along multiple axes is organized in a shared memory architecture and includes a serial I/O data system with DMA access to the memory for repeatedly moving input and output data directly between the memory and a serial data line. The motion controller may be utilized in connection with a cup lid dispenser for an automated drinkmaker having a pivotable shuttle arrangement for dispensing the bottommost lid in a stack, and a double lid sensor for determining if more than one lid has been dispensed.

Lid dispenser

An apparatus and method for media access control of a first node in a network on a powerline communication medium. The apparatus includes a priority controller for providing a transmit authorization signal. The authorization signal can be responsive to a unique priority of the first node in relation to other nodes in the network, with the priority controller receiving the node's priority from a node network controller in the first node. The apparatus includes an access controller for receiving the transmit authorization signal and, in response, communicating a transmit request signal to the node network controller. The apparatus also includes an arbitration controller for preventing the node from transmitting to the network until a predetermined number of other nodes have been allowed to precedentially access the network. The arbitration controller responds to the priority controller, and sends a transmit inhibition signal to the access controller, inhibiting node transmission irrespective of the authorization signal. The invention also provides a method for communication by a first node in a network having a plurality of nodes, including the steps of sensing a powerline communication medium for the presence of a carrier signal by the first node; inhibiting transmitting by the first node to the network if the presence of the carrier signal is sensed; and transmitting at least one data packet, if the carrier signal is not sensed on the network and the current priority period corresponds with a first predetermined priority period.

Communication apparatus and method

Multi-axis motion controller and lid dispenser

A method for demodulating the carrier signal of powerline communication networks. The method involves demodulating an HDLC data body that had been modulated through differential phase shift keyed modulation. Under the method, the data body is split with data input into a single bit digital delay circuit which outputs a delayed or 'previous' binary data bit. A 'present' binary data bit is input to one input of an XNOR circuit and the previous binary data bit is input into a second input of the XNOR circuit. When the present binary data bit and the previous binary data bit have unlike phases the XNOR circuit outputs a first binary data bit value. When the present binary data bit and the previous binary data bit have like phases, the XNOR circuit outputs a second binary data bit value. Preferably, the demodulated data is input into a post detection filter. The demodulation method also preferably involves the step of processing the demodulated data through a receive data correlator, a data body state machine and a variable divide counter.

Demodulator for powerline carrier communications

Workpoint torque control is employed in an electron multiaxis robot controller. Robot axis torque is determined from axis motor current feedback. Axis torque requests are based on torque command and torque feedback in an axis torque control mode or on the basis of position, velocity and torque commands and position, velocity and torque feedback in a combined position/torque control mode, or an indirect torque control mode.

Multiaxis robot controller having workpoint torque control

A binary accelerator is provided for coprocessing operation with a microcontroller. A common memory is shared by the accelerator and the microcontroller for storage of binary equations and equation solutions. The accelerator is formed from a plurality of and LS devices and execute fetched binary instructions in accordance with a Reverse Polish Notation (RPN) system.

Robotic workcell control system with a binary accelerator providing

A pulse width modulation (PWM) control circuit provides for improved implementation of position, velocity and current feedback loops for digital servo control of a multi axis robot. The PWM circuit utilizes a single resistor for sensing joint motor drive current. Circuitry is also disclosed for reducing audible noise and motor heating in large servo motors used for joint arms operated at relatively low PWM frequencies by reducing the motor ripple current.

Digital robot control having pulse width modulator operable with reduced

The partitioning of circuitry and software on electronic boards in a robot control is arranged to enable respective controls for varied types of robots to be readily assembled and packaged with use of a few standard boards. The basic control system is formed from an arm interface (AIF) board and a torque processor (TP) board and a servo control (SCM) board. The AIF board has a VME bus terminated in multiple pin connectors for interconnection with the TP and SCM boards and any other boards or additional units to be included in a particular robot control. An AIF connector is also provided for TP board connection on a VMX bus. Robot controls with extended control performance are packaged by including additional boards. For example, the system control board includes a VME bus connector for connection to the AIF board to provide a robot control with higher control capacity. Input/output devices such as programmable controllers, peripherals such as CRTs, and supervisory computers can also be coupled to the control through AIF interconnectors. The AIF board contains robot dependent circuitry so that different AIF boards can be used to assemble different controls for different robots. For example, different board circuitry is used for absolute position feedback as opposed to incremental position feedback or for brush type DC motors are opposed to brushless DC motors.

Universal robot control board configuration

A modular digital robot control includes an electronic arm interface board provided with circuitry for performing robot arm dependent functions. Included are circuitry for generating power amplifier control signals in response to input voltage command signals and circuitry for processing and manipulating position, velocity and motor current feedback signals. An electronic torque processor board is provided with paired torque microprocessors for operating each of respective torque control loops for respective robot joint motors. The torque microprocessors generate the voltage commands in response to input torque commands and feedback motor current signals. An electronic servo control board is provided with paired position/velocity microprocessors for operating position and velocity control loops for the respective joint motors. The position/velocity microprocessors generate the torque commands in response to input position commands and feedback position and velocity signals. The servo control board further includes system resource facilities providing general support for the operation of the microprocessors and includes a DMC controller and two asynchronous controllers for communications interfacing with local input/output devices and other systems and devices. When executed in one of the position/velocity microprocessors, a stored motion program uses trajectory planning and interpolation to generate position commands in accordance with predefined moves set forth in a robot program. The servo control, torque processor and arm interface boards are interconnected to provide a complete basic control for the robot joint motors. An optional fourth electronic board can be connected to the basic control. It is called a system board and it includes paired system microprocessors that execute the motion program enabling the expanded control to provide extended robot control performance.

Modular robot control system

A digital control for a multiaxis robot includes position, velocity and torque controls that drive a motor voltage control loop. Pulse width modulated control signals operate power switches in a power bridge to control the current to each robot joint motor. A single resistor is connected in the bridge circuit to supply motor current feedback needed for control loop operation.

Digital robot control having an improved current sensing system for

A control system is provided for a workcell having a plurality of electric robots and a plurality of workcell equipment items in turn having a plurality of control and sensor devices associated therewith. Respective electronic robot controllers are disposed at respective workcell locations to operate robots as a part of the workcell process. Each robot controller has a floppy disk or other means for loading program data for one of the robot controllers. A first input/output control module is disposed at another workcell location and it has connected thereto as inputs a first group of the sensor devices and as outputs a first group of the control devices. Second and third input/output control modules are disposed at additional workcell locations and have connected thereto as inputs second and third groups of the sensor devices and as outputs second and third groups of the control devices. Additional input/output control modules are associated with the other robot controllers, and are similarly connected and placed in spaced workcell locations.

Robotic workcell control system having improved input/output interfacing

A pulse width moduation (PWM) scheme provides for digital implementation of robot control commands. For this purpose, it provides time stabilized current sampling synchronized to the sampling frequency of the position and velocity loops in the robot control. The PWM scheme enables accurate motor current measurement through usage of a single current sense resistor independent of the number of legs in a power amplifier configuration. This scheme permits commercially available, low cost, power blocks to be used for implementation of robot control system power amplifiers. The PWM scheme is cost effectively implemented in a semi-custom large scale integrated (LSI) circuit which provides the digital interface between a torque loop microprocessor and the drive circuitry for the power handling devices used to apply voltage to the robot axis actuator. Interface and control for three axes is provided by a single LSI device.

Digital robot control having an improved pulse width modulator

A digital position and velocity feedback system is provided for a multiaxis robot control and it employs an LSI chip to process incremental position signals for position change and velocity computations. At low speeds, velocity is computed from the reciprocal of elasped time. At higher speeds, velocity is computed from the rate at which incremental position signals are generated.

Position and velocity feedback system for a digital robot control

Circuitry is provided for applying a pulse width modulation (PWM) scheme to a brushless DC motor that operates as a robot axis drive. A pulse width modulation (PWM) scheme provides for digital implementation of robot control commands. For this purpose, it provides time stabilized current sampling synchronized to the sampling frequency of the position and velocity loops in the robot control. The brushless drive application circuitry provides for application of the PWM control outputs to commutate the motor energization from winding pair to winding pair.

Digital robot control providing pulse width modulation for a brushless

A servo control operates in a control loop for a robot control system and performs control support tasks and calculation tasks for the control loop for all of the robot joint motors. The servo includes first and second microprocessors. The first microprocessor performs calculation tasks including the computation of output control commands from stored algorithms for the one control loop for each joint motor. The second microprocessor supervises the operation of the servo control and performs servo control support tasks in the one control loop for each joint motor including the routing of control command, status and feedback data to and from the first microprocessor. A communication interface couples the first and second microprocessors so as to enable the servo control to operate the one control loop for each joint motor and control the controlled variable for the one control loop. The communication interface includes a first memory bank and a second memory bank. The first microprocessor is coupled to one of the banks to write command and feedback data thereto and to read calculated control data therefrom. The second microprocessor is coupled to the other of the banks to read command and feedback data therefrom and to write calculated control data thereto. The microprocessors and the memory banks are cross-switched at the control sampling rate so that the first microprocessor can supply new control calculations for control loop operation based on new control commands and feedback data in each control cycle.

Growing community of inventors

Murrysville, PA, United States of America

Kenneth E Daggett