Machine tools abstract
A method and a data network for automatically configuring a parameterizing
surface of at least one controller of machine tools or production
machines. An actual machine topology is determined via a data network
when the machine starts up and compared with stored desired machine
topologies. If the actual machine topology differs from the desired
machine topology, a corresponding dedicated parameterizing surface
is generated from the determined actual machine topology, whereby
for parameterizing the controller of the machine only the parameters
and/or functions of the identified machine components are indicated
to the user. In this way, a dedicated parameterizing surface matching
the actual machine configuration can be easily generated.
Machine tools claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method for automatically configuring a parameterizing surface
for parameterizing a controller for a machine, comprising the steps
of: a) automatically identifying at startup of the machine currently
connected machine components via a data network which connects the
machine components with each other, b) assigning an ID number to
each currently connected machine component, wherein the ID number
includes data of the corresponding machine component, said data
selected from the group consisting of serial number, order number,
software version, machine version, manufacturer identification,
manufacturer name and performance data, c) automatically identifying
a structure of the data network to determine an actual machine topology,
d) comparing the actual machine topology with stored desired machine
topologies, and e) if the actual machine topology does not match
one of the stored desired machine topologies, generating from the
determined actual machine topology a dedicated parameterizing surface
that is configured for the actual machine topology, and f) for parameterizing
the controller, displaying to a user only parameters and/or functions
of the identified machine components.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein after performing step c) and
d), requiring confirmation of the identified actual machine topology
by the user before continuing with step e).
3. The method of claim 1 and further comprising the step of automatically
pre-assigning values to the parameters of the identified machine
components, wherein the pre-assigned values can be subsequently
changed by the user through the parameterizing surface.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the machine comprises a machine
tool or a production machine.
Machine tools description
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the priority of German Patent Application,
Serial No. 102 54 010.1 filed Nov. 19 2002 pursuant to 35 U.S.C.
119(a)-(d), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for automatically configuring
a parameterizing surface of at least one controller and/or at least
one controller of machine tools or production machines, as well
as to a data network for connecting machine components in machine
tools or production machines.
Manufacturers typically offer machine tools and/or production machines,
including robots, in different versions, which can consist of a
basic configuration and additional optional components and/or functions.
These options are sometimes installed after the machine tool is
delivered to a customer. The controller and/or regulator of the
machine typically requires additional planning and startup work
after the mechanical and electrical installation of the optional
components is completed.
Production machines used for the manufacture of different products
or production machines using different recipes may have other problems.
Different machine components are frequently connected in different
configurations and/or optional machine components can be added to
a basic machine.
Until now, individual machine components have always been connected
with each other in fixed configurations. The individual machine
components, such as transducers or motors, input/output units as
well as power controllers, were not connected with each other via
data lines which would enable exchange of parameters that operate
the various machine components. Accordingly, the controller or regulator
of a machine was unable to automatically identify the connected
machine configuration and/or the connected machine components. For
this reason, the parameterizing surfaces for parameterizing the
machine components, in particular the controller, have until now
always been static, so that a suitable parameterizing surface for
parameterizing the machine components had to be manually configured
ahead of time for each customer-specific machine option or machine
configuration.
It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide a method
for automatically configuring a parameterizing surface for controlling
machine tools or production machines, which obviates prior art shortcomings
and can specifically be adapted to an actual machine topology.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is directed to a method and a data network for automatically
configuring a parameterizing surface a controller of machine tools
or production machines.
According to one aspect of the invention, a method for automatically
configuring a parameterizing surface for parameterizing a controller
for a machine, in particular a machine tool or a production machine,
includes the steps of automatically identifying at startup of the
machine currently connected machine components via a data network
which connects the machine components with each other; automatically
identifying a structure of the data network to determine an actual
machine topology; and comparing the actual machine topology with
stored desired machine topologies. If the actual machine topology
does not match one of the stored desired machine topologies, a parameterizing
surface that is configured for the actual machine topology is generated
from the determined actual machine topology, and only parameters
and/or functions of the identified machine components are displayed
to a user to be used for parameterizing the controller.
According to another aspect of the invention, a data network is
disclosed for connecting machine components of a machine, in particular
of a machine tool or a production machine. The machine components
include uniform data interfaces connected to the data network for
exchange of data between the machine components, wherein the data
interfaces are implemented as physical point-to-point connections.
The machine components include an intelligent component, for example,
a component with a controller and a unique ID number.
According to another advantageous feature of the invention, after
the structure of the data network has been automatically identified
to determine an actual machine topology and the actual machine topology
has been compared with stored desired machine topologies, the user
has to confirm the identified actual machine topology before generating
from the determined actual machine topology a parameterizing surface
that is configured for the actual machine topology.
According to another advantageous feature of the invention, an
ID number can be assigned to each currently connected machine component
for automatically identifying the currently connected machine components.
This guarantees a secure and unique identification of the connected
machine component
According to yet another advantageous feature of the invention,
the ID number can include data of the corresponding machine component,
in particular the serial number, order number, software version,
machine version, manufacturer identification, manufacturer name
and/or performance data. A comprehensive description of the machine
component by way of the corresponding ID number allows a unique
and reliable identification of the machine component.
According to yet another advantageous feature of the invention,
the uniform data interfaces can be implemented physically as Ethernet
interfaces, FireWire interfaces or USB interfaces. The aforedescribed
data interfaces allow a particularly simple configuration of the
data network.
According to yet another advantageous feature of the invention,
the ID number can include a serial number, an order number, a software
version, a machine version, a manufacturer identification, a manufacturer
name and/or performance data. A comprehensive description of the
machine component by way of the corresponding ID number allows a
unique and reliable identification of the machine component.
According to another feature of the invention, the machine components
can be implemented as at least one power controller, at least one
motor, at least one sensor, at least one transducer, at least one
input/output unit, at least one controller and/or at least one regulator.
Power controllers, motors, sensors, transducers and input/output
units represent conventional machine components.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be
more readily apparent upon reading the following description of
currently preferred exemplified embodiments of the invention with
reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a machine, including a data
network; and
FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a method according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Throughout all the Figures, same or corresponding elements are
generally indicated by same reference numerals. These depicted embodiments
are to be understood as illustrative of the invention and not as
limiting in any way. It should also be understood that the drawings
are not necessarily to scale and that the embodiments are sometimes
illustrated by graphic symbols, phantom lines, diagrammatic representations
and fragmentary views. In certain instances, details which are not
necessary for an understanding of the present invention or which
render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted.
Turning now to the drawing, and in particular to FIG. 1 there
is shown a schematic block diagram of a machine, which includes
a basic machine 1 and an optional machine component 2. In the exemplary
embodiment, only the machine in the form of the basic machine 1
is required when manufacturing a product A, whereas in addition
to the basic machine 1 an optional machine component 2 has to be
added when, for example, manufacturing a second product B. In the
illustrated embodiments, the basic machine 1 includes the following
machine components: controller 5 power controller 6a, motor 7a
and transducer 8a. The optional machine component 2 in this example
includes a power controller 6b, a motor 7b, a transducer 8b and
an input/output unit 9. The individual machine components are connected
with each other via a data network, which consists essentially of
the physical point-to-point connections 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e,
10f and 10g. In the illustrated embodiments, the interfaces of the
individual machine components are implemented as physical Ethernet
interfaces. However, other physical interfaces, such as FireWire
or USB (Universal Serial Bus) interfaces are also feasible.
Each of the machine components illustrated in the described examples
has its own intelligence 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d, 15e, 15f, 15g and 15h,
implemented for example in the form of a controller. In addition,
each machine component has as a unique identification its own ID
number 11a, 11b, 11c, 11c, 11d, 11e, 11f, 11g and 11h. A higher-level
automation plane 3 which is not a part of the machine, is connected
via a fieldbus 4 with the basic machine 1 and/or the controller
5.
The controller 5 includes a memory 12 which is preferably implemented
as a nonvolatile memory 12. A first desired machine topology 13a,
a second desired machine topology 13b, a first parameterizing surface
database 14a and a second parameterizing surface database 14b are
in the present embodiment stored in memory 12.
A parameterizing surface database is associated with each desired
machine topology, as indicated in FIG. 1 by a dashed connecting
line between, for example, the desired machine topology 13a, 13b
and the parameterizing surface database 14a, 14b, respectively.
Each parameterizing surface database includes the parameters for
configuring the parameterizing surface for the respective desired
machine topology. One exemplary parameter in such parameterizing
surface database is, for example, an amplification factor of a drive
control circuit.
In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1 a first desired machine topology
13a and a first parameterizing surface database 14a are associated
with the basic machine, if the machine consists of the basic machine
1 and the optional machine component 2. In other words, if the optional
machine component 2 is connected, then the second machine topology
13b and a second parameterizing surface database 14b are also associated
with the machine. The individual desired machine topologies and/or
associated parameterizing surface databases are created by the manufacturer
or by other trained personnel when the machine is started up using
the method of the invention, and stored in memory 12.
It will be understood that instead of or in addition to the controller
5 a controller with a corresponding memory storing the corresponding
desired machine topologies and/or parameterizing surface databases
or several such controllers can exist in the machine. The machine
can also have more than one additional optional machine component,
as well as other types of machine components.
FIG. 2 shows an exemplary flow diagram of the method according
to the invention. When the controller 5 of the illustrated embodiment
is initially automatically configured, the currently connected machine
components are automatically identified inside the functional block
16 during the startup of the machine, and the structure of the data
network is automatically identified. In other words, it is determined
how the machine components are connected with each other in the
data network, thereby identifying an actual machine topology 20
(see FIG. 1). The identified actual machine topology 20 includes
information about the structure of the data network as well as identification
of the connected machine components. The identification of the machine
components can include data such as the serial number and/or order
number and/or software version and/or machine version and/or manufacturer
identification and/or manufacturer name and/or performance data.
According to an advantageous embodiment, these data are combined
in the form of an ID number, wherein the corresponding machine data
can optionally be dynamically loaded via the data network from the
controller, if not all data of the machine components required for
the method of the invention are included in the ID number itself.
After the topology has been identified in decision block 16 decision
block 17 compares the determined actual machine topology with the
previously stored desired machine topologies. The corresponding
desired machine topologies, as well as the associated parameterizing
surface data, had either already been stored by the manufacturer
or were established during an earlier startup of the machine using
the method of the invention. If the comparison shows that an identical
desired machine topology already exists for the actually identified
actual machine topology, then the functional blocks 18 and 19 are
bypassed and the user is provided with a parameterizing surface
associated with the corresponding desired machine topology based
on the data in the parameterizing surface database that are associated
with the desired machine topology.
Assuming that the machine depicted in FIG. 1 is configured as a
basic machine 1 without an optional machine component 2 and assuming
that a first desired machine topology 13a and an associated first
parameterizing surface database 13b already exist as a result of
an earlier startup of the machine with the same configuration, then
no new parameterizing surface is generated. Instead, a parameterizing
surface is provided to the user based on or corresponding to the
existing first parameterizing surface database 13a.
If decision block 17 determines that the identified actual machine
topology does not match any stored desired machine topology, then
the process goes to decision block 18.
In decision block 18 the automatically identified actual machine
topology is checked for errors and accepted for the further processing,
for example, after confirmation by the user. If the check in decision
block 18 determines that the automatically identified actual machine
topology has errors, then the process can be repeated after the
machine is checked, for example, by returning to decision block
16 or particular parameters can be corrected manually. Decision
block 18 hereby represents an optional feature in the context of
an advantageous embodiment. The decision block 18 can optionally
also be eliminated and the process can go directly from decision
block 17 to decision block 19. Alternatively, the decision block
18 can be performed before the decision block 17.
The parameterizing surface is generated in functional block 19.
Based on the determined actual machine topology, a specific parameterizing
surface for that actual machine topology is generated, wherein only
the parameters and functions of the identified machine component
are displayed to the user for parameterizing the controller of the
machine. For example, if a new drive consisting of a motor power
controller and a rotation speed transducer is identified, then the
associated software applications in the controller are activated
and their parameter setting is generated, or optionally preset by
the manufacturer. At the conclusion of the automatic configuration
of the parameterizing surfaces; all parameters and functions required
for the instantaneous machine configuration or the instantaneous
actual machine topology are then available to the user. The actual
machine configuration is stored as desired machine configuration
with the associated parameter surface database in memory 12 after
parameterization is concluded and the optionally preset parameters
have been confirmed.
Assuming that the machine depicted in FIG. 1 is configured as a
basic machine 1 that is connected to the optional machine component
2 and further assuming that no second desired machine topology 13b
exists that corresponds to this actual machine configuration, then
the method of the invention can generate a parameterizing surface
that is tailored for the actual machine topology, and store the
identified actual machine topology as second desired machine topology
13b together with the associated second parameterizing surface database
14b in memory 12.
It may happen in certain applications that particular machine components,
such as a motor, do not have their own intelligence (controller)
or do not have a connection to the data network. In such cases,
an actual machine topology can typically still be determined by
assuming that a manufacturer will always connect a particular motor
type to a particular motor power controller, because the manufacturer
always uses this motor type with the identified motor power controller.
The method can therefore be carried out even if not all machine
components are provided with their own intelligence or their own
ID number and/or have a connection to the data network.
The actual machine topology, as well as additional data, such as
the time of the activation of the actual machine topology, the time
during which the actual machine topology was used, can be communicated
to a higher-level automation plane 3 via a fieldbus 4. If the machine
and/or the higher-level automation plane 3 is connected with a corresponding
communication means (not shown in FIG. 1), for example a switched
telephone network and/or the Internet/intranet, then the actual
machine topology can be determined and monitored, for example, by
the manufacturer of the machine.
It should be noted here that it may sometimes not be possible to
use the original interface protocols with the above-mentioned physical
data interfaces (Ethernet, FireWire or USB interfaces), because
certain machines have stringent requirements for real-time data
communication. The corresponding protocols for the physical interfaces
may therefore have to be modified with certain applications to improve
real-time commutation performance.
In addition, the ID number that identifies a machine component
should describe such component as comprehensively as possible. The
ID number can include, for example, the serial number of the component,
an order number, a software version, a machine version and/or a
manufacturer identification and/or the manufacturer's name.
While the invention has been illustrated and described in connection
with currently preferred embodiments shown and described in detail,
it is not intended to be limited to the details shown since various
modifications and structural changes may be made without departing
in any way from the spirit of the present invention. The embodiments
were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles
of the invention and practical application to thereby enable a person
skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments
with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. |