Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated

Mark A Chaffee

Robert J Miklosovic

Kendal R Harris

Brian Fast

Kenwood H Hall

Charles Martin Rischar

Scott A Pierce

Terence Scott Tenorio

Harsh Shah

Bret S Hildebran

Eric D Decker

Andreas P Frischknecht

Peter M Delic

DuWayne D Mulhall

Robert J Kretschmann

Juergen K Weinhofer

Joachim Thomsen

John Michael Keller

Gregory J Svetina

Robert Guenther

Richard O Ruggeri

Charmaine J Van Minnen

John Pritchard

David A Pasela

Graham F Elvis

Steven Terry Seidlitz

Donald A Westman

Anthony Sorbello

John J Kolat, Jr

Antoon Laane

Harsh P Shah

Jürgen K Weinhofer

To improve integrity of time synchronization, a node in the safety rated system takes steps to ensure the time to which it is synchronized has not become corrupted. The node receives a synchronize request message from an adjacent network device, which includes the master time, and the node generates an offset value corresponding to a difference between a local time and the master time. The node stores the offset time into a safety memory to ensure that the offset value has data integrity and does not become corrupted. The node performs periodic skew detection between two devices to verify that the clocks remain synchronized. In addition, the node performs a local drift detection to detect if the frequency of the local oscillator on which the local clock value is based begins to change.

System and method of network synchronized time in safety applications

A system and method for online simulation of a controlled machine or process utilizes a simplified model of the system dynamics and may be used with hardware in the loop to evaluate performance of the controlled system or with software in the loop to perform commissioning of the control program prior to completion of the mechanical installation. The simplified model includes dominant order dynamics of the controlled system such as the inertia of the system and a damping factor. Further, the online simulation is scheduled to execute at an update rate slower than the update rate of the control loops within the motor drive. The simplified model and reduced update rate reduce the computational burden on the processor such that the simulation may be performed either on the industrial controller or on the motor drive.

Method and apparatus for online simulation of complex motion systems

A motor drive having controller settings which will result in improved tuning-less performance is disclosed. Gain values for the control loops and/or observer are determined independently of the mechanical loading and the resultant effects of that loading on the motor. The motor drive includes a control loop operable to receive a command signal and to generate a controller reference signal to achieve desired operation of a motor connected to the motor drive. The motor drive also includes a load observer operable to generate a signal that estimates a response required by the motor drive as a result of a load present on the motor. The response estimate signal is provided to the controller to isolate the effects of the load dynamics from operation of the control loops within the controller. A modified controller reference signal is generated as a function of the response estimate signal and the controller reference signal.

System and method for isolation of load dynamics in motor drive tuning

An improved system and method for analyzing motor performance to detect vibration of an electric machine controlled by a motor drive is disclosed. A load observer determines an estimated torque present as a load on the motor as a function of input signals corresponding to a desired torque to be generated by the motor and to a measured angular position of the motor during operation. The motor drive determines a frequency response of the estimated torque to identify at what magnitude and frequency any vibration components are present within the estimated torque signal. The motor drive compares the frequency response of the estimated torque signal to set points. If the measured magnitude of vibration at a particular frequency, as seen in the frequency response, exceeds a threshold set in one of the set points for that frequency, the motor drive generates an output signal indicting an excessive vibration is present.

System and method of integrated vibration monitoring in motor drives

An improved system and method for analyzing motor performance to detect vibration of an electric machine controlled by a motor drive is disclosed. A load observer determines an estimated torque present as a load on the motor as a function of input signals corresponding to a desired torque to be generated by the motor and to a measured angular position of the motor during operation. The motor drive determines a frequency response of the estimated torque to identify at what magnitude and frequency any vibration components are present within the estimated torque signal. The motor drive compares the frequency response of the estimated torque signal to set points. If the measured magnitude of vibration at a particular frequency, as seen in the frequency response, exceeds a threshold set in one of the set points for that frequency, the motor drive generates an output signal indicating an excessive vibration is present.

An improved system and method for tuning a motor controller is disclosed. The improved system and method for tuning a motor controller adjusts controller gains and filter settings in tandem to achieve a desired level of performance. A user terminal is in communication with a motor controller and reads the existing controller gains from the motor controller. The user terminal displays the existing controller gains and at least one user selectable object for adjusting the controller gains. A user adjusts the user selectable object to adjust the controller gains in tandem. The controller gains are adjusted responsive to the user input while maintaining existing relationships between controller gains. The user terminal writes the adjusted values of the gains to the motor controller.

System and method of single parameter ratiometric tuning for motor drives

An improved system for controlling operation of a motor with a motor drive is disclosed. The motor drive includes a control module having an inner control loop operable to generate a torque reference signal and a load observer operable to generate an estimate of the torque present on the motor. The torque estimate is summed with the torque reference signal to generate a modified torque reference. The bandwidth of the load observer is set wide enough to generate the estimated torque over a desired operating range of the motor. The control module may also include a low pass filter and at least one tracking notch filter. The low pass filter suppresses vibrations at high frequencies, and the tracking notch filter suppresses resonances present at frequencies above the bandwidth of the load observer and within the pass band of the low pass filter.

System and method for improved motor drive tuning

An output module for an industrial controller configurable to simplify setup and commissioning is disclosed. The output module includes configurable PWM outputs that may be scheduled to start at different times within the PWM period, that may be configured to generate a fixed number of PWM pulses, and that may have an extendable PWM period. The output terminals are configurable to enter a first state upon generation of a fault and further configurable to enter a second state after a configurable time delay following the fault being generated. The output module may receive inputs signals directly from another module and set output signals at the terminals responsive to these signals.

Peer communication between modules in an industrial controller

An industrial control system provides motion control functions that may distribute motion planning tasks to capable motor drives and motion devices based on stored drive profiles. The profile-aware functions allow control programs to be used with motor drives that are both capable and incapable of executing a motion planning with automatic distribution of the planning tasks as appropriate. Coordination among different devices in the industrial control system when motion planning is distributed may be accommodated through peer-to-peer communication between drives and non-controller devices.

Industrial control system with distributed motion planning

An input module for an industrial controller is configurable to simplify setup and commissioning. The input module includes input terminals configurable, for example, as a counter input. Still other input terminals may be configured to trigger events as a function of the input signals present at the terminals. Time signals corresponding to transitions in state of the input terminals, triggering of events, or operation of the counters may be recorded. The input module is further configurable to transmit data back to the processor or to transmit data directly to another module in the industrial control network.

Input module for an industrial controller

A servo driven mechatronic system simulator and analyzer utilizing preconfigured motion equipment profile databases to predict the behavior of a motion system based on a user selected configuration. The user can adjust the parameters and rerun the simulation and analysis many times in an efficient manner until the optimum operating conditions of the desired system are reached. The user can then archive the system design and implement the system with a greater level of confidence in the ability of the design to meet the requirements of the application.

Simulation of tuning effects for a servo driven mechatronic system

A system that enables controlling motion over a network comprises an interface that receives motion control data that includes a time stamp from the network. Additionally, the system includes a motion control component that utilizes the received motion control data to update properties associated with the motion control component based at least in part on the time stamp. The system can also include a clock that is synchronized with disparate clocks associated with disparate motion control components located on the network.

Time stamped motion control network protocol that enables balanced single cycle timing and utilization of dynamic data structures

The claimed subject matter provides systems and/or methods that facilitate utilizing a motion control timing model to coordinate operations associated with controlling motion within an industrial automation environment. For example, a cycle timing component can implement timing set forth by a timing model (e.g., that can be selected, preset, . . . ). Pursuant to an illustration, the cycle timing component can utilize the timing model to coordinate transmitting data, receiving data, performing calculations associated with data (e.g., to generate command(s)), capturing data, applying received commands, and so forth.

Motion control timing models

One or more embodiments provide Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) based time synchronization systems and methods. The CIP Sync solution can be part of Ethernet/IP and can be based on standard UDP (User Datagram Protocol) and/or IEEE 1588 (Time Synchronization) Ethernet technology. According to an embodiment is a system that compensates for step changes in a master clock.

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Chagrin Falls, OH, United States of America

Mark A Chaffee