JP7600788B2 - Information processing device, method and program - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to technology for providing an environment for developing programs to control FA (Factory Automation) equipment.

FA systems for automating production processes are becoming commonplace at various production sites. FA systems are equipped with the equipment to be controlled that is installed in the production process, and control devices such as PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) that execute control programs.

Designers can usually use a simulator to develop a control program. The simulator executes the control program for the controlled object, and executes a model to calculate the behavior of the controlled object using the execution results. Regarding technology for supporting simulation, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-42378 (Patent Document 1) discloses a simulation device capable of realizing an integrated simulation including a visual sensor.

JP 2016-42378 A

The diversity of production sites is increasing, and in order to keep up with this diversity, there is a demand for an easy way to obtain the control programs of the controlled objects and the models of the devices that drive the controlled objects. Patent Document 1 does not propose a mechanism for obtaining the control programs and the corresponding models.

The present disclosure provides a configuration that allows easy acquisition of a control program for a controlled object and a model of the driving device for the controlled object.

The information processing device according to the present disclosure includes an operation receiving means for receiving a user operation on the information processing device, a storage means for storing, for each of a plurality of control objects, one or more program elements for controlling a moving device that drives the control object, a program creating means for searching the storage means for one or more program elements corresponding to the control object specified by the user operation and setting control parameters based on the method of controlling the moving device specified by the user operation to the searched one or more program elements to create a control program, and a management means for managing the control program created by the program creating means by linking it to a model for calculating the behavior of the moving device of the control object specified by the user operation.

According to the above disclosure, a control program is created based on the control target and control method specified by the user, and the created control program is linked to a model and managed. This allows the user to easily obtain the control program for the control target and a model of the driving device for the control target by specifying the control target and the control method.

In the above disclosure, the information processing device further includes a model creation means for setting model parameters based on the mechanical or physical characteristics of the moving device set by a user operation to the model.

According to the above disclosure, by accepting user settings, the information processing device can create a model having model parameters based on the user settings, thereby reducing the time required for creation.

In the above disclosure, the information processing device further includes a simulator that executes a simulation to calculate the behavior of the moving equipment and a controller that controls the moving equipment, and the simulation includes a process of executing a control program and outputting a command value for controlling the moving equipment, and a process of executing a model using the command value as input and calculating a behavior value that indicates the behavior of the moving equipment, and the simulator further includes a collection means that executes the control program using the behavior value calculated by the model as input and collects the behavior values while the simulation is being executed, and a means for outputting the behavior values collected by the collection means and a target behavior value associated with the behavior value.

According to the above disclosure, the information processing device can present to the user the behavior of the moving machine calculated through simulation in association with the target behavior.

In the above disclosure, the information processing device further includes an adjustment means for outputting guide information for adjusting the control parameters or model parameters based on the magnitude of the difference between the collected behavior values and the target behavior values.

According to the above disclosure, the information processing device can present the user with guide information for adjusting parameters.

In the above disclosure, the guide information includes an identifier for the parameter to be adjusted and an amount of adjustment for that parameter to reduce the difference.

According to the above disclosure, the information processing device can provide the user with a guide for adjustment by presenting the parameters to be adjusted and the amount of adjustment through the guide information.

In the above disclosure, the information processing device performs an adjustment process to adjust the control parameters set in the control program or the model parameters set in the model, based on the parameters to be adjusted and the adjustment amounts of the parameters specified by a user operation.

According to the above disclosure, the information processing device can reset the adjusted parameters to the control program or model.

In the above disclosure, the simulator executes the above simulation each time the above adjustment process is performed until the above difference converges to a predetermined value.

According to the above disclosure, the information processing device repeatedly performs a simulation with the adjusted parameters until the difference converges. Therefore, when the difference converges, the parameter adjustment and simulation are automatically stopped, thereby reducing the time required for adjustment.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the method includes a step of accepting a user operation, a step of creating a control program by setting control parameters based on a method of controlling the movable equipment specified by the user operation to one or more program elements for controlling the movable equipment that drives the control target specified by the user operation, and a step of managing the control program created in the creating step by linking it to a model for calculating the behavior of the movable equipment corresponding to the control target specified by the user operation.

According to the above disclosure, when the method is carried out, a control program is created based on the control target and control method specified by the user, and the created control program is linked to a model and managed. This allows the user to easily obtain the control program for the control target and a model of the driving device for the control target by specifying the control target and the control method.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a program for causing a processor to execute the method described above.

In the above disclosure, when the processor executes a program, a control program is created based on the control target and control method specified by the user, and the created control program is linked to a model and managed. This allows the user to easily obtain the control program for the control target and a model of the driving device for the control target by specifying the control target and the control method.

According to this disclosure, it is possible to easily obtain the control program for the controlled object and the model of the driving device for the controlled object.

1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an information processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a development environment according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an FA system 50 having a control target according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a control program 15 according to the present embodiment. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a UI that supports parameter creation according to the present embodiment. FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an arithmetic expression 741 of a model 16 according to the present embodiment. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a UI for designating a control target according to the present embodiment; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a UI for designating model parameters according to the embodiment; FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration for adjustment based on an output of an actual machine according to the present embodiment; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a UI for adjustment processing according to the present embodiment. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a configuration of an information processing device 10 according to the present embodiment. 11 is a flowchart of a creation process according to the present embodiment. 11 is a flowchart of an adjustment process based on an output of an actual machine according to the present embodiment. 11 is a flowchart of an adjustment process based on an output of an actual machine according to the present embodiment.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same parts and components are given the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions thereof will not be repeated.

<A. Application Examples>
An application example of the present invention will be described. An information processing device 10 according to this embodiment provides an environment for developing a control program 15 for a driving device (hereinafter also referred to as an actual device) for driving a machine that is a control target provided in a production process, and a model 16 of the driving device.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing a schematic example of a development environment according to this embodiment. The information processing device 10 includes a development support tool 20 for developing a control program 15 and a model 16 based on user settings 19 using a simulator 21, a builder 18 for converting the created control program 15 into an executable format, and a storage unit for storing information related to the development. A designer can operate the development support tool 20 and the builder 18 by operating a UI tool provided by the information processing device 10.

The information processing device 10 transfers the control program 15 converted by the builder 18 to a controller 51 that controls the actual machine. The controller 51 controls the actual machine by executing the transferred control program 15. The controller 51 typically includes a PLC, but is not limited to the name PLC, and the controller is a general concept that refers to a control device that controls the actual machine.

The control program 15 is an example of a user program and is written in a cyclic execution type programming language (for example, a ladder language or a ST (Structured Text) language). More specifically, the control program 15 includes a ladder program having FU (Function), FB (Function Block), etc. as program elements that are basic components called POU (Program Organization Unit) that make up a user program. The control program 15 is not limited to programs written in a cyclic execution type programming language such as a ladder program, and may also include, for example, programs written in a sequential execution type language. In this embodiment, FBs are mainly described as program elements that make up the control program 15, but this embodiment can be similarly applied to FUs.

The user settings 19 include a control object 19a that includes an identifier for identifying the control object (machine) specified by the user, settings 19b related to the parameters of the model 16, and a control method 19c that indicates the method for controlling the actual machine.

The storage unit stores, for each of a number of machines that can be controlled, an FB (Function Block) set 138 having an object ID 1381 that identifies the machine, and a CAD (Computer-Aided Design) set 139 having an object ID 1391 that identifies the machine, as well as pairs 17, which will be described later. The FB set 138 includes one or more FBs that realize control calculation processing for controlling the corresponding machine. The CAD set 139 includes a basic model 16B of the driving equipment of the controlled object (machine) along with data of one or more images that represent the three-dimensional shape of the corresponding machine. The basic model 16B indicates a model in which specific model parameters have not yet been set, for example a model in which initial model parameters have been set.

The control program creation tool 22 searches the storage unit for an FB set 138 with a target ID 1381 that matches the identifier of the control target 19a in the user settings 19. The control parameter setting unit 23 sets a control parameter for control based on the control method 19c of the user settings 19 to the FB of the searched FB set 138. In this embodiment, the control method 19c includes a specification value for control indicated by the specification data of the machine or driving device to be controlled. The control parameter setting unit 23 converts the specification value indicated by the control method 19c into a control parameter value using a predetermined conversion formula, and sets the converted control parameter to the FB. In this embodiment, a "parameter" corresponds to a variable representing a parameter, and "setting a parameter" means setting the type of a variable representing a parameter, or setting a value to a variable. In addition, "adjusting a parameter," "adjusting the control program 15," or "adjusting the model 16" means adjusting (changing) the value of a parameter in this embodiment.

The control parameters include parameters of the control calculation process realized by the FB. For example, if the actual machine to be controlled includes a servo motor, the control calculation process may include a PID (Proportional-Integral-Differential Controller) calculation. The PID parameters include, for example, a gain, a target value, a time constant, and the like. The types of control parameters differ depending on the method of control and are not limited to these. For example, the control parameters may include a trigger that indicates the timing of the calculation. The control parameter setting unit 23 sets the control parameters to each FB of the FB set 138, thereby creating a control program 15 based on the specifications.

The model creation tool 24 searches the storage unit for a CAD set 139 and a basic model 16B with an object ID 1391 that matches the identifier of the control object 19a in the user settings 19. The model parameter setting unit 25 creates a model 16 by setting model parameters based on the model specifications based on the settings 19b of the user settings 19 to the searched basic model 16B. The basic model 16B may be provided by the settings 19b of the user settings 19.

More specifically, the model is represented by various arithmetic expressions including physical arithmetic expressions that calculate the behavior of the driving equipment (actual equipment) to be controlled, and the model parameters represent parameters to be set in the arithmetic expressions of the model. The model parameters include parameters of the mechanical characteristics and physical characteristics of the actual equipment. Setting 19b indicates the mechanical characteristics and physical characteristics. Parameters based on the mechanical characteristics (hereinafter also referred to as mechanical parameters) include parameters based on size, position, etc., and parameters of the physical characteristics (hereinafter also referred to as physical parameters) include parameters based on friction coefficient, mass (weight), etc. For example, when the driving equipment is configured to include a servo motor, the physical parameter may include the friction coefficient of the motor bearing. Note that the types of mechanical parameters and physical parameters are not limited to these.

The development support tool 20 executes the control program 15 in which the control parameters are set and the model 16 in which the model parameters are set using the simulator 21 to obtain the control program 15 in which the control parameters are adjusted, and transfers the adjusted control program 15 to the controller 51.

More specifically, the simulator 21 executes the control program 15 based on the behavior value as input, executes the calculation of the model 16 using the control command value as an input, and outputs the calculated behavior value indicating the behavior of the actual machine as an input to the control program 15. The simulator 21 repeatedly executes this series of processes for each time step ti (i = 1, 2, 3 ...) described below. In this way, the simulator 21 can estimate the behavior of the actual machine when it is controlled by the control program 15 by executing the control program 15 and the model 16. In this embodiment, "calculating the behavior" refers to a concept that can include "estimating the behavior" or "simulating the behavior".

When the simulation is executed, the information processing device 10 uses the CAD data (images) of the CAD set 139 by the visualizer 27 described below to generate an image that visualizes the movement of the controlled object according to the behavior calculated by the model 16, and displays the generated image on the display. This allows the designer to visually present the estimated behavior of the actual machine.

In this embodiment, the driving equipment includes an actuator such as a servo motor, and the command value includes the angular velocity of the driving equipment. The behavior value calculated by model 16 includes the rotation speed of the servo motor, etc. Note that the "command value" is not limited to the angular velocity, and may be, for example, a command for a driving equipment including an actuator such as a servo motor, such as a numerical value representing a position, velocity, acceleration, jerk (jerk), angle, angular acceleration, angular jerk, etc.

When the designer operates the development support tool 20 to develop the control program 15, the designer operates the control program creation tool 22 to adjust the control parameters so as to derive behavior values that satisfy the specifications, and creates the control program 15. The designer also operates the development support tool 20 to adjust the model parameters, thereby creating the model 16.

More specifically, the simulator 21 executes the control program 15 and the model 16 at each periodic time step ti. At the start of the simulation, the model parameters indicated by the settings 19b are set in the model 16, and the control program 15 is set with control parameters based on the control method 19c. At the time step ti, the control program 15 is executed using the behavior value from the model 16 as an input, and the model 16 is executed using the command value from the control program 15 as an input to calculate the behavior value. At the next time step t(i+1), the control program 15 is executed using the behavior value calculated at the immediately preceding time step ti as an input. In this way, the simulator 21 derives the time-series behavior value for each time step ti.

If the time series behavior values derived from the simulator 21 deviate from the target behavior values indicated in the specifications, the development support tool 20 adjusts the control parameters based on the degree of deviation, based on the user operation of the designer, and performs the above simulation using the control program 15 in which the adjusted control parameters are set. The development support tool 20 repeatedly performs the simulation while adjusting the control parameters, until it is detected that the time series behavior values derived from the simulator 21 match the target behavior values. At this time, the development support tool 20 may adjust the model parameters based on the user operation, and perform the simulation using the adjusted model 16.

The linking unit 26 is an example of a management means that manages the control program 15 by linking it to the model 16 and storing it as a pair 17. More specifically, when the development support tool 20 detects that the time-series behavior value derived from the simulator 21 matches the target behavior value, the linking unit 26 links the control program 15 in which the adjusted control parameters are set to the model 16 (or the model 16 in which the adjusted model parameters are set) to generate and store the pair 17.

By inputting user settings 19 (control target 19a, settings 19b, and control method 19c) into the information processing device 10 and operating the development support tool 20, the designer can obtain a control program 15 that controls the actual machine to meet the specifications, and transfer this to a controller 51 in an online environment such as a factory production site.

In this way, the control program 15 is mostly adjusted in the offline environment provided by the development support tool 20, so the adjustment time using the actual machine in an online environment can be reduced.

In addition, managing the control program 15 and model 16 as a pair 17 is useful in situations where the two need to be matched to the mechanical or physical characteristics of the control program 15 and the actual machine in an online environment.

More specifically, due to changes in the online environment, the control parameters of the control program 15 executed by the controller 51 are adjusted, or the mechanical or physical characteristics of the actual machine change. The designer adjusts the parameters of the control program 15 and model 16 again in the offline environment so that the changes in the online environment are reflected in the control program 15 and model 16 in the offline environment. In such a scenario, the designer can easily identify the target of adjustment by managing the two as a pair 17. As a result, even when multiple control programs 15 are developed in the same offline environment, or when managing adjusted versions of the control program 15, the management of the pair 17 makes it easy to identify the target of adjustment.

This section describes a configuration for reflecting the above-mentioned changes in the online environment in the control program 15 and model 16 in the offline environment.

In this configuration, in an online environment, the controller executes a control program 15 that outputs a command value for controlling a moving machine, and the moving machine is controlled according to the command value. In an offline environment, the information processing device 10 executes a controller emulation that calculates the behavior of the controller by executing the control program 15, and executes an actuator emulation that calculates a behavior value of the moving machine by executing a model 16 using an input of a command value output when the control program 15 is executed by the controller emulation. When the control program 15 is executed by the controller, the information processing device 10 collects behavior values of the online environment that indicate the behavior of the moving machine. In addition, when the control program 15 is executed in the controller emulation in an offline environment, the information processing device 10 collects behavior values of the offline environment calculated by the actuator emulation. The information processing device 10 adjusts the model parameters set in the model 16 linked to the control program 15 based on the difference on the same time axis between the time-series behavior values collected in the online environment and the time-series behavior values collected in the offline environment, for example, the difference at the same time or the same time. This allows the information processing device 10 to maintain the model 16 linked to the control program 15 in a state that reflects changes in the actual device in an online environment.

The "same time" mentioned above refers to, for example, the time elapsed since the information processing device 10 starts executing the control program 15, i.e., starts actuator emulation, in an offline environment, and the time elapsed since the controller executes the control program 15 in an online environment and starts controlling the driving device according to the command value. Moreover, the "same time" mentioned above refers to the common time for both of these elapsed times.

The following describes some specific application examples of this embodiment.

<B. Overall Modular Configuration of the System>
1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment. In the following, a packaging machine 400 (described later) is exemplified as a controlled object, and a servo motor that drives a rotary knife of the packaging machine 400 is exemplified as a driving device. Note that the controlled object is not limited to the packaging machine 400, and may be a moving table for a workpiece, a conveyor for transporting the workpiece, or the like.

Referring to FIG. 1, the information processing system 1 includes an FA system 50, an information processing device 10, and a display 109. The FA system 50 includes a controller 51, a drive device 55, and a first collection unit 60. The information processing device 10 includes a development support tool 20, a simulator 21, a visualizer 27, and a second collection unit 130. The development support tool 20 has an adjustment tool 123 for adjusting the control program 15 in which the control parameters 20B are set or the model 16 in which the model parameters 16A are set.

The controller 51 is network-connected to the driving devices 55 via an industrial field network and controls various driving devices 55.

The controller 51 controls the driving device 55 by executing the control program 15 using the control parameters 20A. The driving device 55 is a device that directly or indirectly acts on the workpiece in the production process, and operates according to a command value from the controller 51 to rotate the rotary knife. More specifically, the driving device 55 includes a servo motor that is driven by PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) according to the command value. A measuring device such as a sensor associated with the driving device 55 measures the behavior of the servo motor that operates according to the command value and outputs a behavior value. The controller 51 executes an IO (Input Output) refresh for each control period, which includes a process of acquiring a behavior value indicating the behavior according to the command value as input data, and a process of calculating a command value based on the input data and outputting it to the driving device 55. The period for executing the IO refresh may be any predetermined period and is not limited to the control period.

The first collection unit 60 collects behavior values D1 indicating the behavior of the driving device 55 in synchronization with the control period. The first collection unit 60 may be various sensors including an encoder for detecting the behavior values D1 of the driving device 55, or may be a collection program for collecting data. The behavior values D1 include, for example, the position, speed, rotation speed, acceleration, angular velocity, and angular acceleration of each part of the driving device 55.

The simulator 21 includes a controller emulator 120, an actuator emulator 124, and a virtual time generator 122. The virtual time generator 122 outputs a virtual time for synchronously operating the controller emulator 120 and the actuator emulator 124. The controller emulator 120 and the actuator emulator 124 operate synchronously at a period based on a time step ti according to the virtual time. The controller emulator 120 is a program for calculating the behavior of the controller 51. The actuator emulator 124 is a program for calculating the behavior of the driving device 55.

More specifically, for each time step ti, the actuator emulator 124 calculates a behavior value according to the calculation formula of the model 16 based on the command value from the controller emulator 120, and the controller emulator 120 executes the control program 15 of the control parameters 20B based on the behavior value from the actuator emulator 124 to output the command value to the actuator emulator 124. In this manner, the controller emulator 120 and the actuator emulator 124 exchange command values and behavior values while being synchronized. This exchange simulates an IO refresh of the FA system 50 in the simulator 21. In this embodiment, the cycle at which the controller emulator 120 and the actuator emulator 124 are synchronized is based on the control cycle, but is not limited to this.

The second collection unit 130 is a collection program for collecting data. The second collection unit 130 collects behavior values D2 output by the actuator emulator 124 for each time step ti when the simulation is executed. The behavior values D2 are, for example, the position, rotation speed, speed, acceleration, angular velocity, angular acceleration, etc. in the simulation of each part of the driving equipment 55.

In FIG. 1, control parameters 20A and 20B are shown separately, but the two may represent common parameters.

(b1. Visualization Configuration)
The visualizer 27 constitutes a visualization module that generates 3D (3-dimensions) drawing data for visualizing the movement of the controlled object in a three-dimensional virtual space and drawing the movement on the display 109 .

More specifically, the visualizer 27 generates drawing data for drawing the emulated movement of the rotary knife on the display 109 based on the trajectory data of the rotary knife of the packaging machine 400 and image data representing the packaging machine 400 having the rotary knife. The image data representing the packaging machine 400 having the rotary knife includes CAD data of the CAD set 139 specified by the control object 19a.

The visualizer 27 calculates three-dimensional coordinates P (x, y, z) and acquires trajectory data by performing calculations using a predetermined function on command values (such as angular velocity representing the amount of rotation) from the controller emulator 120. In this way, the trajectory data includes information indicating the movement of the packaging machine 400 in the three-dimensional virtual space estimated by the simulation of the controlled object. The visualizer 27 generates drawing data for three-dimensionally drawing the movement of the packaging machine 400 in the three-dimensional virtual space according to the calculated trajectory data and image data of the packaging machine 400, and displays an image on the display 109 based on the drawing data. The designer can check the results of the simulation from the rotation behavior of the rotary knife of the packaging machine 400 drawn on the display 109. The visualizer 27 may calculate the above trajectory data using a predetermined function for the behavior value from the model 16.

<C. Configuration of FA System 50>
The configuration of the FA system 50 and the packaging machine 400, which is the controlled object, will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram that shows a schematic configuration of the FA system 50 having the controlled object according to the present embodiment. With reference to Fig. 3, the information processing system 1 includes the FA system 50 and an information processing device 10. The FA system 50 includes a controller 51 including, for example, a PLC, the packaging machine 400, and servo drivers 500A and 500B. The servo drivers 500A and 500B drive the servo motors 410 and 56 of the packaging machine 400, respectively, according to command values from the controller 51. In Fig. 3, the driving equipment of the controlled object (packaging machine 400) includes the servo drivers 500A and 500B and the servo motors 410 and 56.

The information processing device 10 has a configuration equivalent to a computer such as a PC (Personal Computer), a tablet terminal, or a smartphone. The controller 51 and the information processing device 10 are connected to a field network NW1. For example, EtherNET (registered trademark) is adopted for the field network NW1. However, the field network NW1 is not limited to EtherNET, and any communication means may be adopted. For example, the controller 51 and the information processing device 10 may be directly connected by a signal line such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus).

The controller 51 and the servo drivers 500A, 500B are connected to the field network NW2 in a daisy chain. For the field network NW2, it is preferable to adopt a network that performs periodic communication in which the arrival time of data is guaranteed. Known examples of networks that perform such periodic communication include EtherCAT (registered trademark), (registered trademark), DeviceNet (registered trademark), and CompoNet (registered trademark).

Referring to FIG. 3, the packaging machine 400 is configured to include a plurality of mechanisms that operate in conjunction with one another. Specifically, the packaging machine 400 includes a conveying mechanism having a servo motor 56 associated with a conveying path that conveys the packaging material 412 in the direction of the arrow 413, a sensor 408 provided midway along the conveying path, and a cutting mechanism 406 that cuts the packaging material 412 on the conveying path to generate individual packages 418.

Roll-shaped packaging material is sequentially sent from a supply mechanism (not shown) to the conveying path, and the workpieces 414 supplied from a line (not shown) are covered with the packaging material on the conveying path, so that the packaging material 412 enclosing the workpieces 414 is continuously supplied to the conveying path. The sensor 408 includes, for example, a proximity switch. The sensor 408 is provided so as to be able to detect that the workpieces 414 have passed a predetermined position on the conveying path. When the sensor 408 detects the passage of the workpieces 414, it outputs a trigger 402.

The cutting mechanism 406 includes servo motors 410 and 416, and an encoder 411. In the cutting mechanism 406, the servo motor 410 drives the rotary knife 416 in response to a trigger 402 from a sensor 408, and the rotary knife 416 cuts and seals the packaging material 412 to sequentially generate individual packages 418. The encoder 411 measures the amount of rotation (rotation direction, angle, number of rotations, etc.) of the servo motor 410 and outputs a measurement value 401. In this embodiment, the measurement value 401 indicates, for example, the number of rotations per unit time. In the FA system 50 of FIG. 3, the measurement value 401 can be acquired as a response to a command value output by the controller 51 executing the control program 15.

D. Control Program and Creation
Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the control program 15 according to the present embodiment. A part of the control program 15 of the packaging machine 400 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The control program 15 of Fig. 4 is written in a ladder language including a conveyor FB60 for executing control and arithmetic processing of the conveyor mechanism of the packaging machine 400 and a cutter FB61 for executing control and arithmetic processing of the cutting mechanism 406 of the packaging machine 400. A process in which the information processing device 10, as the control program creation tool 22, creates the control program 15 will be described.

The information processing device 10 searches for an FB set 138 identified by the target ID 1381 of the packaging machine 400 based on the control target 19a of the user settings 19. The searched FB set 138 includes a conveyor FB60 and a cutter FB61. The conveyor FB60 and the cutter FB61 each have an algorithm of PID calculation 62 and an algorithm of PID calculation 63. The conveyor FB60 is configured to receive a behavior value 64 (rotation speed) of the driving device 55 as an input and output a command value 66 (angular velocity) as a calculation result. The cutter FB61 is configured to receive a behavior value 67 (rotation speed) of the driving device 55 and the output of the block Trigger as an input and output a command value 69 (angular velocity) as a calculation result. The information processing device 10, as the control parameter setting unit 23, sets PID parameters 65 and PID parameters 68 for the conveyor FB 60 and the cutting machine FB 61, respectively, based on the control method 19c of the user settings 19. Also, based on the control method 19c of the user settings 19, a trigger 402 is set in addition to the PID parameters 68 for the cutting machine FB 61.

The controller 51 executes the control program 15 in FIG. 4. More specifically, when the controller 51 executes the conveyor FB 60, it executes a PID calculation 62 based on a behavior value 64 indicating the rotation speed and a PID parameter 65 so as to converge the rotation speed to a target value, and outputs a command value 66 indicating the angular velocity as a result of the execution.

When the trigger 402 is output from the sensor 408, the block Trigger changes from an OFF state to an ON state. The cutting machine FB 61 receives the output of the block Trigger as an input parameter, and is activated in response to the change of the output from OFF to ON. The controller 51 executes the cutting machine FB 61 when it becomes activated. More specifically, the controller 51 executes a PID calculation 63 based on a behavior value 67 indicating the rotation speed and a PID parameter 68 so as to converge the rotation speed to a target value, and outputs a command value 69 indicating the angular velocity as a result of the execution.

The controller 51 outputs a command value 66 for the conveyor FB60 to the servo driver 500B, and outputs a command value 69 for the cutter FB61 to the servo driver 500A. Each of the servo drivers 500A and 500B has a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) circuit (not shown). The servo driver 500A generates a PWM signal, which is an electric signal having a pulse width based on the angular velocity indicated by the command value 66, using the PWM circuit, and outputs the PWM signal to the servo motor 56. The servo driver 500B generates a PWM signal, which is an electric signal having a pulse width based on the angular velocity indicated by the command value 69, using the PWM circuit, and outputs the PWM signal to the servo motor 410. The controller 51 can maintain the rotation speed of the driving device 55 at a target value by periodically and repeatedly executing the control program 15 in this manner.

Normally, a control program describes the parameters and input/output values used by the program using variable names, but for the sake of explanation, the FB in control program 15 in Figure 4 uses descriptions of the parameters and input/output values instead of variable names. Normally, the FB outputs variable values for the state of the FB (execution complete state, execution state, execution interrupted state, error state, etc. when the command value is output) and inputs variable values for the startup command, but for the sake of explanation, these variable values are omitted in Figure 4.

<E. Configuration for creating a control program or model>
5 is a diagram showing an example of a UI for supporting parameter creation according to the present embodiment. When a designer operates the development support tool 20 to create the control program 15 or the model 16, the development support tool 20 outputs guide information for parameter adjustment, including information on the execution result of the simulator 21, to a UI screen 125 in FIG. 5.

Referring to FIG. 5, the UI screen 125 displayed on the display 109 displays, as guide information, in an area 91 a graph showing the time-series behavior value D2 output by the model 16, in an area 92 the code of the control program 15 in which the control parameters 20B are set, and in an area 93 a 3D image showing the movement of the controlled object drawn by the visualizer 27. The UI screen 125 also includes, as guide information, a button 94 operated to instruct the execution of a simulation, a button 95 operated to adjust (change) parameters to create the control program 15 or model 16, and a button 96 operated to adjust parameters.

The adjustment tool 123 provides an environment for performing "estimation of the amount of adjustment" when creating a control program or model. When parameter adjustment is completed by the adjustment tool 123, the control program 15 is almost complete, and the creation of the corresponding model 16 is also completed. In "estimation of the amount of adjustment," information on the amount of adjustment is provided to the designer.

More specifically, graph G4 in area 91 of FIG. 9 shows the target, and graph G5 shows the simulation value. Graph G4 shows the ideal behavior that satisfies the specifications, that is, the ideal change in the time series of the rotation speed of the servo motor 410. In contrast, graph G5 shows the time series change in the behavior value output by the model 16 when the control program 15 and the model 16 are executed by the simulator 21. Graph G4 and graph G5 are output in association with each other on the same time axis. When the simulation is executed, the second collection unit 130 collects the behavior values from the actuator emulator 124 in time series. Graph G5 is based on the collected time series behavior values. The same time axis mentioned above shows, for example, the elapsed time from when the information processing device 10 starts executing the control program 15 in an offline environment and the elapsed time from when the driving device starts to be ideally controlled according to the specifications.

Focusing on the rise time until the behavior value (rpm) converges to the target TR, the rise time is t0 to t5 in the target graph G4. In contrast, the rise time is t0 to t7 in the graph G5, so there is a delay in the rise time.

In the "Estimation of adjustment amount" step, the information processing device 10, as the adjustment tool 123, determines whether or not a parameter needs to be adjusted based on the data of the graph in area 91 and the pattern represented by the trend of change in the difference between graphs G4 and G5, and provides information on the approximate amount of adjustment.

More specifically, the information processing device 10 detects a change trend in the difference by comparing the data of graph G4 and graph G5. The information processing device 10 compares the detected change trend with multiple predetermined change patterns to determine which change pattern it matches. For example, it determines that it matches a rising delay pattern.

The information processing device 10 extracts the rise delay time, compares the rise delay time with a threshold value, and determines from the comparison result whether a parameter related to the rise time needs to be adjusted. For example, when it is determined that the delay time exceeds the threshold value, the information processing device 10 searches an LUT (Look Up Table) for a parameter to be adjusted and an adjustment method to reduce the delay time indicated by the difference. Note that the method of identifying the parameter to be adjusted and the adjustment method is not limited to the LUT method, and may be an identification method using learning data by machine learning.

The information processing device 10 searches the LUT for parameters to be adjusted that are related to the rise time, for example, for control parameters, it searches for I (integral value) among the PID parameters 68, and for model parameters, it searches for "friction coefficient." In addition, as adjustment amounts, it searches for "making smaller" the current values for both the I (integral value) parameter and the "friction coefficient."

The information processing device 10, as the adjustment tool 123, displays guide information for the amount of adjustment on a button 96 on the UI screen 125. For example, the button 96 includes an arrow icon that guides the adjustment amount of the friction coefficient, i.e., making the friction coefficient smaller or larger than the current value, with the parameter to be adjusted being the friction coefficient, as the friction coefficient's current value, and the adjustment amount of the friction coefficient, i.e., making the friction coefficient smaller than the current value. Of the arrow icons on the button 96, the information processing device 10 blinks a downward arrow icon indicating "make smaller."

The designer can adjust the value of the friction coefficient by operating button 96 to increase or decrease it. When the Create after Adjustment button 95 is operated, the friction coefficient after adjustment of button 96 is set as model parameter 16A of model 16, and when button 94 is operated, a simulation by simulator 21 is started. Simulator 21 performs a simulation using model 16 having the adjusted friction coefficient. Adjustment tool 123 updates graph G5 of area 91 based on the simulation results. Adjustment tool 123 performs the "Estimation of adjustment amount" process described above based on a comparison between updated graph G5 and target graph G4.

In this way, the designer repeats the adjustment (change) of the parameters and the simulation using the control program 15 or model 16 in which the adjusted parameters are set, until the difference in the rise delay converges to a predetermined value, and ends the adjustment when convergence occurs. Based on the parameter to be adjusted and the adjustment amount information of the button 96 provided by the adjustment tool 123, the designer can quickly adjust the rise time of the updated graph G5 in the area 91 to match the rise time of the target graph G4. Note that while FIG. 5 shows a friction coefficient as the parameter to be adjusted, this is not limiting, and the parameter may be the control parameter I (integral value).

In addition, without using the adjustment tool 123, the designer may search by trial and error from the graph of area 91 for the parameters to be adjusted and the amount of adjustment to be made so that the difference (delay) in the rise times is reduced.

F. Calculating and visualizing behavior using models
Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an arithmetic expression 741 of the model 16 according to this embodiment. When the simulator 21 is executed, the actuator emulator 124 calculates a behavior value Y according to the arithmetic expression 741 of Fig. 6 based on a command value from the controller emulator 120 in synchronization with the controller emulator 120 for each time step ti based on a period according to the virtual time output by the virtual time generator 122. When the simulator 21 is executed, the actuator emulator 124 calculates a behavior value according to the arithmetic expression of the model 16 based on the command value from the controller emulator 120.

The calculation formula 741 is constructed, for example, using an equation of a physical simulation model to calculate the behavior value of the servo motor 410 of the driving device of the packaging machine 400, which is the object to be controlled.

Referring to FIG. 6, the calculation formula 741 indicates that the behavior value Y at the time step ti is calculated by the function F (X, A, B). As shown in the explanation 742, the parameter X of the function F indicates the command value 69 (angular velocity) from the cutting machine FB 61 of the control program 15, the parameter A indicates the physical parameter of the servo motor 410, and the parameter B indicates the mechanical parameter of the servo motor 410. Also, as shown in the initial value 743, the initial value X0 of the parameter X of the function F is calculated by the function FB (C, D). The parameter C indicates the input parameter of the cutting machine FB 61, and the parameter D indicates the calculation start command of the cutting machine FB 61. In this embodiment, the parameter C indicates the initial value of the PID parameter 68 and the behavior value 67, and the parameter D indicates the trigger 402.

When the simulator 21 is executed, the actuator emulator 124 calculates the behavior value Y according to the calculation formula 741 of the model 16. This makes it possible to calculate the behavior value Y of the servo motor 410, i.e., the behavior value 67 (rotation speed), for each time step ti.

The visualizer 27 calculates equipment behavior data including the time-series three-dimensional coordinates P (x, y, z) of the object in the three-dimensional virtual space based on the time-series command values 66, 69 according to the time step ti output from the controller emulator 120. More specifically, the visualizer 27 generates equipment behavior data representing the operation of the conveying mechanism (packaging material 412, work 414, individual package 418) of the packaging machine 400 based on the command value 66 for each time step ti, and generates equipment behavior data representing the operation of the cutting mechanism (rotary knife 416) based on the command value 69 for each time step ti.

The visualizer 27 generates image data that visualizes the operation of the packaging machine 400, which is the object to be controlled, in the three-dimensional virtual space, based on the equipment behavior data and the image of the CAD set 139. The image data is output to the display 109. As a result, an image showing the operation of the object to be controlled (packaging machine 400) based on the behavior value calculated by the simulator 21 is displayed on the display 109, as shown in area 93 in FIG. 5.

In this embodiment, the visualizer 27 updates and displays an image of the equipment behavior data for each time step ti. The designer can set the image update period for the visualizer 27 via the UI. For example, the designer can visually check the movement of the controlled object at a desired speed by setting slow playback, fast forward, rewind, etc.

<G. Example of UI>
An example of a UI tool provided by the information processing device 10 is shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a UI for specifying a control target according to the present embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a UI for specifying a model parameter according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 7, in order to specify the control target 19a, the designer inputs an identifier 151 such as the name of the control target to the information processing device 10, and specifies a control parameter 152 for the motion of the moving machine as a control method 19c. More specifically, the information processing device 10 searches the storage unit for an FB set 138 having an object ID 1381 that matches the identifier 151, and displays candidates for parameters to be set for each FB of the searched FB set 138. The designer can specify a desired parameter as the control parameter 152 from among the candidate parameters. The candidates for parameters to be set for each FB are stored in association with each FB set 138.

Referring to FIG. 8, in order to specify setting 19b, the designer inputs mechanical parameters 81 and physical parameters 82 of the driving device (servo motor 410) to be controlled to the information processing device 10. More specifically, the size, movement direction, initial position, etc. are input to the mechanical parameters 81, and the bearing friction coefficient, mass, density, etc. are input to the description 821 of the physical parameters 82.

<H. Adjustment based on actual machine output>
In this embodiment, the control parameters 20A or model parameters 16A are adjusted in an offline environment based on behavior values acquired in an online environment, so that the control program 15 and model 16 in the offline environment can be maintained so as to reflect changes in the control program 15 or the actual machine in the online environment.

Here, as an example of a change in the control program 15 or the actual machine in an online environment, a case will be described in which the bearings or shaft of the servo motor 410 wear out due to long-term use, resulting in a change in the bearing friction coefficient. Note that the change is not limited to physical characteristics, but may be mechanical characteristics. Also, it is not limited to changes in the characteristics of the actual machine, but may be a change in the control parameters 20A.

9 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the adjustment based on the output of the actual machine according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 9, the information processing system 1 includes an FA system 50, an information processing device 10, and a storage device 113 as main components of the adjustment based on the output of the actual machine. The FA system 50 includes a controller 51, a driving device 55, and a first collection unit 60. The information processing device 10 includes a controller emulator 120, an actuator emulator 124, a visualizer 27, a second collection unit 130, a calculation unit 131 that calculates a difference D3 between the behavior values D1 and D2, and an adjustment tool 123. The adjustment tool 123 has an adjustment amount determination unit 141 for determining an adjustment amount, an adjustment implementation unit 142 that implements the adjustment with the determined adjustment amount, and an output unit 143 that outputs information related to the adjustment. The calculation unit 131 may be provided in the adjustment tool 123. The configuration other than the calculation unit 131 and the adjustment tool 123 is as described in FIG. 1, so detailed description of them will not be repeated.

The calculation unit 131 compares the time-series behavior value D1 collected by the first collection unit 60 with the time-series behavior value D2 collected by the second collection unit 130 on the same time axis, calculates the difference D3 between the behavior values D1 and D2 based on the comparison result, and outputs it to the adjustment tool 123.

(h1. Model Adjustment Processing)
The information processing device 10, as the adjustment tool 123, executes an adjustment process for matching the behavior value D2 from the model 16 to the behavior value D1 from the FA system 50. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a UI for the adjustment process according to the present embodiment. Fig. 10 shows user support information for adjustment, which includes a graph and guide information 103 of an adjustment amount. The guide information 103 outputs guide information for adjusting the model parameter 16A based on the magnitude of the difference between the behavior value D2 calculated and collected by the model 16 and the behavior value D1 collected from the actual machine at the same time or at the same time. The adjustment target may include the control parameter 20B.

The information processing device 10 performs the "estimate of adjustment amount" described above to determine the parameters to be adjusted and the adjustment amount so that the difference D3 in FIG. 9 calculated by the calculation unit 131 is small, i.e., so that the behavior value D2 calculated by the actuator emulator 124 matches (is consistent with) the behavior value D1 measured by the actual device.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, the information processing device 10, as the adjustment amount determination unit 141, outputs the behavior value D1 collected in time series by the first collection unit 60 and the behavior value D2 collected in time series by the second collection unit 130 in association with each other. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, this association includes plotting the behavior value D1 collected in time series by the first collection unit 60 and the behavior value D2 collected in time series by the second collection unit 130 based on the collected time or time on a two-dimensional plane graph with the behavior value as the vertical axis and the time axis as the horizontal axis. As a result, the information processing device 10 plots the behavior value D1 of the time series for each control cycle and the behavior value D2 of the time series for each time step ti based on the collected time or time to calculate the graph of FIG. 10 showing the changes in the behavior values D1 and D2. From the graph, the information processing device 10 calculates the rise time (time t0 to t4) required for the behavior value D1 of the actual machine to converge to the target TR and the rise time (time t0 to t8) required for the behavior value D2 calculated by the model 16 to converge to the target TR, and calculates the rise delay as the difference D3 between the two times. From the graph, it can be inferred that the rise of the behavior value D1 of the actual machine is earlier than the rise of the behavior value D2 by the difference D3, that is, the friction coefficient of the servo motor 410 of the actual machine is smaller than the friction coefficient of the model parameter 16A.

The information processing device 10 creates guide information 103 having a parameter 1341 to be adjusted and an adjustment amount 1342 based on the "estimated adjustment amount", and outputs it to the display 109. More specifically, if the difference D3, which is the delay in the rise time, exceeds a predetermined threshold, the information processing device 10 determines that the parameter 1341 to be adjusted is the "friction coefficient". In addition, the adjustment amount 1342 is determined to be "reducing" the friction coefficient based on the occurrence of the difference D3 indicating the delay. Conversely, if the difference D3 does not occur and the rise time of the actual machine is slower, the adjustment amount determination unit 141 determines that the friction coefficient is "increased". In the case of a graph, the adjustment amount 1342 is displayed as "reducing" the friction coefficient in a blinking manner based on the occurrence of the difference D3 indicating the delay.

The information processing device 10, as the adjustment implementation unit 142, adjusts the model parameters 16A based on a user operation via the UI. For example, the designer inputs the amount of adjustment to the information processing device 10 based on the difference D3 indicated by the graph or the guide information 103.

In the information processing device 10, the designer sets the adjusted model parameters 16A in the model 16 and starts the simulator 21. When the simulator 21 is started, the adjusted model 16 and the control program 15 linked to the model 16 are executed by the controller emulator 120 and the actuator emulator 124, respectively, and the second collection unit 130 collects the behavior value D2 as a result of the execution of the simulator 21.

The information processing device 10, as the adjustment tool 123, executes processing based on "estimating the adjustment amount" to match the behavior value D2 from the adjusted model 16 to the behavior value D1 acquired from the FA system 50.

The information processing device 10 terminates the model adjustment process when it detects that the difference D3 (rise delay time) satisfies a predetermined convergence condition. The convergence condition is satisfied, for example, when the difference D3 between the behavior values D1 and D2 becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold value. Alternatively, the convergence condition may be satisfied when the number of adjustments exceeds a predetermined number.

In addition, as a parameter related to the rise time delay, for example, the I (integral value) parameter of PID parameter 68 of control parameter 20B may be adjusted instead of or together with the friction coefficient of model parameter 16A.

The information processing device 10 sets the adjusted model parameters 16A when the convergence conditions are satisfied as the final setting values for the model 16, or sets the adjusted control parameters 20B for the control program 15 linked to the model 16. After the adjustment, the information processing device 10 can more accurately calculate the behavior of the actual servo motor 410 by having the simulator 21 execute the control program 15 and the model 16. Note that, without using the adjustment tool 123, the designer may search for the parameters to be adjusted and the adjustment amount by trial and error from the graph in FIG. 10 via a UI tool.

<I. Configuration of information processing device 10>
11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing device 10 according to the present embodiment. The configuration for providing a development environment according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

The information processing device 10 in FIG. 11 includes, as its main components, a processor 102 that executes an operating system (OS) and various programs as described below, a main memory 104 that provides a working area for storing data necessary for the processor 102 to execute the programs, an operation unit 106 that accepts user operations on the information processing device 10 such as a keyboard or mouse, an output unit 108 that outputs processing results such as a display 109, various indicators, and a printer, a network interface 110 that is connected to various networks including the network NW1, an optical drive 112, a local communication interface 116 that communicates with external devices, and a storage 111. These components are connected to enable data communication via an internal bus 118 or the like.

The information processing device 10 has an optical drive 112, and reads various programs from a computer-readable recording medium 114, including an optical recording medium (e.g., a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)) that non-transiently stores computer-readable programs, and installs the programs in the storage 111, etc.

The various programs executed by the information processing device 10 may be installed via a computer-readable recording medium 114, or may be installed by downloading them via the network interface 110 from a server device (not shown) on the network.

The storage 111 is composed of, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a flash solid state drive (SSD), and stores the programs executed by the processor 102. Specifically, the storage 111 stores a virtual time generation program 119 that realizes a virtual time generator 122, a development support program 121 that realizes a development support tool 20, model parameters 16A, a simulation program 126 that realizes a simulator 21, control parameters 20B, a UI program 129 that realizes a UI tool when executed, an adjustment program 132 that realizes an adjustment tool 123, a management program 134 that links the control program 15 and the model 16 and manages them as a pair 17, a visualizer program 135 that uses drawing data 136 to draw the behavior of the control object, the pair 17, an FB set 138 for each control object, a CAD set 139 for each control object, and a basic model 16B.

When the visualizer program 135 is executed, it realizes the visualizer 27. The visualizer 27 generates drawing data 136 for drawing the movement of the controlled object on the display 109 based on the virtual space information 105 in the main memory 104. The virtual space information 105 indicates the time series of command values 66 and angular velocities indicated by the command values 69 for each time step ti acquired during execution of the simulator 21, as time series three-dimensional coordinates P (x, y, z) calculated using a predetermined function. The visualizer 27 generates drawing data 136 for stereoscopically drawing an object image based on a CAD set 139 of the controlled object in a three-dimensional virtual space based on the virtual space information 105, and outputs it to the display 109. As a result, the object is displayed on the display 109 according to the behavior value calculated by the simulation, and the movement of the controlled machine can be reproduced.

Although FIG. 11 shows an example in which a development environment is realized by a single information processing device 10, a development environment may be realized by linking multiple information processing devices. In this case, a part of the processing required to realize the development environment may be executed by the information processing device 10, and the remaining processing may be executed by a cloud-based server or an on-premise server.

Figure 11 shows an example in which a development environment is realized by the processor 102 executing one or more programs, but some of the processing and functions required to realize the development environment may be implemented using circuits such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array).

<J. Flowchart of Creation Process>
12 is a flowchart of the creation process according to the present embodiment. The process of creating the control program 15 or the model 16 by the processor 102 executing the development support tool 20 will be described with reference to FIG.

First, the processor 102 receives user settings 19, including a control target 19a, settings 19b, and a control method 19c, from a user operation via the UI tool (step S1).

The processor 102, as the control program creation tool 22 and the model creation tool 24, searches the storage 111 for the FB set 138 and the CAD set 139 that correspond to the target ID 1381 and the target ID 1391 that indicate the control target 19a (step S3). As a result, the processor 102 determines the FB set 138 and the CAD set 139 that correspond to the control target 19a.

The processor 102, as the control parameter setting unit 23, sets the control parameters 20B based on the control method 19c for each FB of the determined FB set 138 (step S5), and also sets the model parameters 16A based on the settings 19b to the model 16 (step S7).

The processor 102, as the simulator 21, executes the control program 15 in which the control parameters 20B are set and the model 16 in which the model parameters 16A are set, to simulate the behavior of the controlled object (step S10).

When the processor 102 performs a simulation, it performs a visualization process as the visualizer 27 to generate drawing data 136 based on command values calculated by the simulation (step S11). The display 109 is driven based on the drawing data 136, and the display 109 draws the movement of the controlled object.

In the simulation, the processor 102, as the adjustment tool 123, repeatedly performs the simulation while changing (adjusting) the control parameters 20B or the model parameters 16A by the "estimate of the adjustment amount" described above (step S12).

The processor 102 acquires the control parameters 20B and the model parameters 16A through simulation. The processor 102, as the linking unit 26, creates and stores a pair 17 linking the control program 15 and the model 16 in which the acquired parameters are set (step S13).

The processor 102 builds the control program 15 as the builder 18, and transfers the built control program 15 to the controller 51 (step S15). This allows the processor 102 to transfer the control program 15 to the controller 51 as a program having control parameters 20B that have been adjusted to a large extent so that the actual machine can be controlled according to the specifications. Once transferred, the controller 51 treats the control parameters 20B as control parameters 20A. In this way, in an online environment, the user only needs to adjust the adjusted control program 15 to a large extent, reducing the burden associated with the adjustment work.

<K. Flowchart of adjustment process based on actual machine output>
13 and 14 are flow charts of the adjustment process based on the output of the actual machine according to this embodiment. The processor 102 of the information processing device 10 performs the adjustment process based on the output of the actual machine as the adjustment tool 123. Here, for the sake of simplicity, the friction coefficient of the parameter A of the model 16 is adjusted, but the same can be applied even if the control parameter 20B is adjusted. The processes of FIGS. 13 and 14 will be described with reference to FIG. 9 as appropriate.

First, the processor 102 compares the difference D3 from the calculation unit 131 with a threshold value, and determines whether the model parameter 16A needs to be adjusted based on the comparison result (step S20). For example, the delay time of the difference D3 is compared with a threshold value, and when the processor 102 detects that the difference D3 exceeds the threshold value based on the comparison result, it determines that the model parameter 16A needs to be adjusted (YES in step S20) and proceeds to step S21. When the processor 102 detects that the difference D3 does not exceed the threshold value (NO in step S20), it repeats step S20 or ends the adjustment process.

In step S21, the processor 102 receives the behavior value D1 of the servo motor 410 of the FA system 50 and stores 1 to N cycles of the control cycle (step S21). As a result, the processor 102 stores the behavior value D1 in time series. The processor 102 compares the project when the actual machine is in operation with the project in the offline environment and determines whether the comparison result indicates a match (step S23). More specifically, the processor 102 compares the control parameter 20A acquired from the controller 51 with the control parameter 20B in the offline environment and determines whether the values of both parameters match based on the comparison result. When the processor 102 determines that the values of both control parameters match (YES in step S23), it proceeds to step S27, but when it determines that they do not match (NO in step S23), the processor 102 matches the project in the offline environment with the project of the actual machine (step S25). More specifically, the processor 102 adjusts and changes the control parameters 20B in the offline environment so that they are consistent with the control parameters 20A obtained from the online environment.

In step S27, the processor 102 determines whether a design change has been made to the actual machine at the production process site (step S27). More specifically, the processor 102 performs this determination based on a user operation received from the designer. In this case, the design change of the actual machine includes a change or adjustment of mechanical characteristics such as the size and position of the servo motor 410.

When the processor 102 determines that the design has been changed based on the user's operation (NO in step S27), it sets the mechanical parameters corresponding to the changed mechanical characteristics of the actual device based on the user's operation to the model parameters 16A (step S29). More specifically, the processor 102 changes the parameter B of the formula 741 of the model 16 to indicate the mechanical parameters of the size and position that indicate the input mechanical characteristics.

The processor 102, as the adjustment tool 123, executes an adjustment process based on an "estimate of the adjustment amount" for matching the behavior value D2 from the adjusted model 16 to the behavior value D1 acquired from the FA system 50 (steps S31, S33, S35). More specifically, the processor 102 estimates (calculates) a parameter A such as a friction coefficient in equation 741 of the model 16 (step S31). The details of the process of step S31 will be described later with reference to FIG. 14.

The processor 102 outputs guidance information including the result of the adjustment process (step S33). For example, the adjusted value of the friction coefficient is displayed on the display 109 as a result of the adjustment process.

The processor 102 receives the user operation of the designer and determines whether the received user operation indicates "OK" (step S35). If the processor 102 determines that the user operation does not indicate "OK" (NO in step S35), the processor 102 proceeds to step S31 and continues the parameter adjustment process.

On the other hand, when the processor 102 determines that the user operation indicates "OK" (YES in step S35), the processor 102 updates the model parameters 16A by rewriting the friction coefficient of the model parameters 16A to the adjusted friction coefficient (step S37). For example, when the designer determines from the graph in FIG. 10 that the behavior calculated by the model 16 is consistent with the behavior of the servo motor 410 of the actual machine, the designer inputs "OK" to the information processing device 10 as a user operation.

The parameter adjustment process (step S31) using the formal parameter set will be described with reference to FIG. 14. The formal parameter set includes parameter B, which includes a friction coefficient, and parameter A, which was input in step S29. Here, the formal parameter set is updated by changing the friction coefficient to be adjusted, and a new formal parameter set is generated each time it is updated.

First, the processor 102 generates a formal parameter set of the model parameters 16A in the parameter adjustment process (step S311). At the start of the parameter adjustment process, an initial value is set for the friction coefficient, and a formal parameter set is generated.

The processor 102, as the simulator 21, repeatedly executes the control program 15 and the model 16 in which the formal parameter set generated in step S311 is set as the model parameters for each time step ti, and generates a simulation result (step S313). The generated simulation result indicates a time-series behavior value D2 according to the time step ti.

The processor 102 determines whether the difference D3 between the time-series behavior value D2, which is the simulation result, and the time-series behavior value D1 of the actual machine stored in step S21 is sufficiently small (step S315). More specifically, for example, the difference D3 is compared with a threshold value, and based on the comparison result, it is determined whether the difference D3 is sufficiently small.

If it is determined that the difference D3 is not sufficiently small (NO in step S315), the process returns to step S311. In step S311, the processor 102 generates a new formal parameter set by changing the friction coefficient of the current formal parameter set. The processor 102 executes a simulation using the generated new formal parameter set (step S313). The processor 102 determines whether the difference D3 between the time-series behavior value D2 as the simulation result and the time-series behavior value D1 of the actual machine stored in step S29 is sufficiently small (step S315). In this way, the processor 102 repeats the simulation and the generation of a formal parameter set based on the simulation result until the difference D3 becomes sufficiently small, that is, until an optimal formal parameter set is obtained.

When the processor 102 determines that the difference D3 is sufficiently small (YES in step S315), the processor 102 adopts the most recently generated formal parameter set as the model parameters 16A (step S317). More specifically, the processor 102 rewrites the model parameters 16A with the most recently generated formal parameter set. This allows the model parameters 16A in an offline environment to be matched to the mechanical or physical characteristics of the actual machine in an online environment.

According to the adjustment process of Figures 13 and 14, in an offline environment, the information processing device 10 can change (adjust) the control parameters 20B and model parameters 16A to follow the changes in the control parameters 20A in the online environment and the changes in the mechanical and physical characteristics of the actual machine.

Various algorithms can be applied to the algorithm for searching for the optimal formal parameter set in FIG. 14. In addition, in step S315, the difference D3 is used as the condition for terminating the processing of the algorithm, but the termination determination condition is not limited to a condition using the difference D3. For example, the termination determination condition may be the number of times the processing of steps S311 to S315 is repeated. In that case, the processor 102 saves the best formal parameter set obtained in the process of repeating the processing, and adopts the best formal parameter set as the optimal formal parameter set.

<L. Program>
The processor 102 of the information processing device 10 executes the program in the storage 111 to provide the user with a development environment for the control program 15 or the model 16 in an offline environment.

The program and data for realizing the development environment may be downloaded to the storage 111 via the network interface 110 or the local communication interface 116 and a communication line. Alternatively, the program and data may be downloaded to the storage 111 via the recording medium 114. The recording medium 114 is a medium that stores information on the program or the like by electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical or chemical action so that a computer or other device, machine or the like can read the recorded information on the program or the like. The information processing device 10 may obtain the program or data for realizing the development environment from the recording medium 114.

The program may be executed by one or more processors, such as processor 102, or by a combination of a processor and a circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array).

<M. Note>
The present embodiment as described above includes the following technical idea.
[Configuration 1]
An information processing device (10),
an operation receiving means (106) for receiving a user operation on the information processing device;
A storage means (111) for storing, for each of a plurality of control objects, one or more program elements (FB) for controlling a driving device (55) that drives the control object;
a program creating means (22) for searching the storage means for one or more program elements corresponding to a control target (19a) designated by the user operation, and for creating a control program (15) by setting control parameters (20B) based on a control method (19c) for the movable device designated by the user operation for the one or more program elements searched for;
and a management means (26) that manages the control program created by the program creation means by linking it to a model (16) for calculating the behavior of the movable device to be controlled, the movable device being specified by the user operation.
[Configuration 2]
2. The information processing apparatus according to configuration 1, further comprising a model creating means (24) for setting, in the model, model parameters (16A) based on mechanical characteristics or physical characteristics of the movable device set by the user operation.
[Configuration 3]
The system further includes a simulator (21) that executes a simulation to calculate behaviors of the moving machine and a controller (51) that controls the moving machine,
The simulation
A process (120) of executing the control program and outputting a command value for controlling the moving device;
and a process (124) of executing the model using the command value as an input and calculating a behavior value indicating a behavior of the movable machine, wherein the simulator executes the control program using the behavior value calculated by the model as an input,
a collection means (130) for collecting said performance values as said simulation is being performed;
3. The information processing apparatus according to configuration 2, further comprising: a means for outputting the behavior value (G5) collected by the collecting means and a target behavior value (G4) associated with the behavior value.
[Configuration 4]
The information processing device according to configuration 3, further comprising an adjustment means (123) for outputting guide information (96) for adjusting the control parameters or the model parameters based on a magnitude of a difference between the collected behavior values and the target behavior values.
[Configuration 5]
5. The information processing device according to configuration 4, wherein the guide information includes an identifier of a parameter to be adjusted and an amount of adjustment of the parameter that reduces the difference.
[Configuration 6]
The information processing device of configuration 5, wherein an adjustment process (S12) is performed to adjust the control parameters set in the control program or the model parameters set in the model based on the parameters to be adjusted and the adjustment amounts of the parameters specified by the user operation.
[Configuration 7]
7. The information processing apparatus according to configuration 6, wherein the simulator executes the simulation each time the adjustment process is performed until the difference converges to a predetermined value.
[Configuration 8]
A step of accepting a user operation (S1);
creating a control program by setting control parameters based on a control method for a movable device specified by a user operation to one or more program elements for controlling the movable device that drives the control target specified by the user operation (S3, S5, S10);
and managing the control program created in the creating step by linking it to a model for calculating the behavior of the movable device corresponding to the control object specified by the user operation (S13).
[Configuration 9]
A program for causing a processor (102) to execute the method according to claim 8.

The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

1 Information processing system, 10 Information processing device, 15 Control program, 16 Model, 16A Model parameters, 16B Basic model, 17 Pair, 18 Builder, 19 User settings, 19a Control target, 19b Settings, 19c Method of control, 20 Development support tool, 20A, 20B, 152 Control parameters, 21 Simulator, 22 Control program creation tool, 23 Control parameter setting section, 24 Model creation tool, 25 Model parameter setting section, 26 Linking section, 27 Visualizer, 402 Trigger, 50 FA system, 51 Controller, 55 Drive equipment, 56, 410 Servo motor, 60 First collection section, 62, 63 PID calculation, 64, 67, D1, D2, Y Behavior value, 66, 69 Command value, 81 Mechanical parameters, 82 Physical parameters, 91, 92, 93 Area, 94, 95, 96 Button, 102 Processor, 103 Guide information, 104 Main memory, 105 Virtual space information, 106 Operation unit, 108 Output unit, 109 Display, 111 Storage, 114 Recording medium, 119 Virtual time generation program, 120 Controller emulator, 121 Development support program, 122 Virtual time generator, 123 Adjustment tool, 124 Actuator emulator, 125 Screen, 126 Simulation program, 130 Second collection unit, 131 Calculation unit, 132 Adjustment program, 134 Management program, 135 Visualizer program, 136 Drawing data, 138 FB set, 139 CAD set, 141 Adjustment amount determination unit, 142 Adjustment implementation unit, 143 Output unit, 400 Packaging machine, 401 Measurement value, 406 Cutting mechanism, 408 sensor, 411 encoder, 412 packaging material, 414 workpiece, 416 rotary knife, 418 individual package, 500A, 500B servo driver, 741 calculation formula, 1342 adjustment amount, D3 difference, G4, G5 graph, 1381, 1391 target ID, TR target.

Claims (11)

An information processing device,
an operation receiving means for receiving a user operation on the information processing device;
a storage means for storing, for each of a plurality of control objects, one or more program elements for controlling a drive device that drives the control object;
a program creating means for searching the storage means for one or more program elements corresponding to a control target specified by the user operation, and for creating a control program by setting control parameters based on a method of controlling the movable device specified by the user operation for the one or more program elements found;
a management means for managing the control program created by the program creation means in association with a model for calculating a behavior of the movable device to be controlled, the model being specified by the user operation;
The information processing device , wherein the control method includes specification values for control indicated by specification data of the driving device, and converts the specification values into the control parameters using a conversion formula . The information processing device according to claim 1, further comprising a model creation means for setting model parameters based on the mechanical or physical characteristics of the movable device set by the user operation to the model. A simulator that executes a simulation to calculate behaviors of the movable device and a controller that controls the movable device,
The simulation
A process of executing the control program and outputting a command value for controlling the movable device;
a process of executing the model using the command value as an input and calculating a behavior value indicating a behavior of the movable machine, wherein the simulator executes the control program using the behavior value calculated by the model as an input,
a collection means for collecting the behavior values while the simulation is running;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising: means for outputting the behavior values collected by said collection means and a target behavior value in association with said behavior values. An information processing device,
an operation receiving means for receiving a user operation on the information processing device;
a storage means for storing, for each of a plurality of control objects, one or more program elements for controlling a drive device that drives the control object;
a program creating means for searching the storage means for one or more program elements corresponding to a control target specified by the user operation, and for creating a control program by setting control parameters based on a method of controlling the movable device specified by the user operation for the one or more program elements found;
a management means for managing the control program created by the program creation means by linking the control program to a model for calculating a behavior of the movable device to be controlled, the model being specified by the user operation;
a model creating means for setting, in the model, model parameters based on mechanical characteristics or physical characteristics of the movable device set by the user operation;
a simulator that executes a simulation to calculate behaviors of the movable device and a controller that controls the movable device,
The simulation
A process of executing the control program and outputting a command value for controlling the movable device;
a process of executing the model using the command value as an input and calculating a behavior value indicating a behavior of the movable machine, wherein the simulator executes the control program using the behavior value calculated by the model as an input,
The information processing device includes:
a collection means for collecting the behavior values while the simulation is running;
An information processing apparatus comprising: a means for outputting the behavior values collected by the collecting means and a target behavior value associated with the behavior values. 5. The information processing device according to claim 3, further comprising an adjustment means for outputting guide information for adjusting the control parameters or the model parameters based on the magnitude of a difference between the collected behavior values and the target behavior values. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the guide information includes an identifier of a parameter to be adjusted and an amount of adjustment of the parameter that reduces the difference. The information processing device according to claim 6 , further comprising: an adjustment process for adjusting the control parameters set in the control program or the model parameters set in the model, based on the parameters to be adjusted and the adjustment amounts of the parameters specified by the user operation . The information processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the simulator executes the simulation each time the adjustment process is performed until the difference converges to a predetermined value. 1. A method comprising:
receiving a user operation;
creating a control program by setting control parameters based on a control method for a movable device specified by a user operation to one or more program elements for controlling the movable device that drives the control target specified by the user operation;
and managing the control program created in the creating step by linking the control program to a model for calculating a behavior of the movable machine corresponding to a control target designated by the user operation,
the control method includes a specification value for control indicated by the specification data of the driving device,
The method comprises:
The method comprising converting the specification value to the control parameter using a conversion formula . 1. A method comprising:
receiving a user operation;
creating a control program by setting control parameters based on a control method for a movable device specified by a user operation to one or more program elements for controlling the movable device that drives the control target specified by the user operation;
managing the control program created in the creating step by linking it to a model for calculating a behavior of the movable machine corresponding to a control target designated by the user operation;
setting model parameters in the model based on mechanical or physical characteristics of the movable device set by the user operation;
executing a simulation to calculate behaviors of the moving machine and a controller that controls the moving machine;
The simulation
A process of executing the control program and outputting a command value for controlling the movable device;
a process of executing the model using the command value as an input and calculating a behavior value indicating a behavior of the movable machine, wherein the step of executing the simulation includes a step of executing the control program using the behavior value calculated by the model as an input,
The method comprises:
collecting the performance values as the simulation is running;
A method comprising the step of outputting the behavior values collected in the collecting step and a target behavior value associated with the behavior values. A program for causing a processor to execute the method according to claim 9 or 10 .

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