Control apparatus, control system, and communication method

A control system in which at least one control apparatus including a control section, a transmitting section, and a receiving section and configured to drive a motor and an overall control apparatus including a control section, a transmitting section, and a receiving section and configured to control the control apparatus are connected via a network, and one of the control apparatus and the overall control apparatus generates a reference timing, the control system performing data communication by serial communication between the overall control apparatus and the control apparatus under a predetermined communication period, wherein

• the transmitting section of the control apparatus includes:
• a memory configured to store data transmitted to the overall control apparatus;
• and
• a transmission control section configured to generate a frame containing the data acquired from the memory, memory storage information indicating a storage position of the data in a buffer memory of the receiving section of the overall control apparatus, and frame check data used for error detection of the data, and
• the receiving section of the overall control apparatus includes:
• a reception control section configured to extract the memory storage information, and the data, and the frame check data from the frame transmitted by the other control apparatuses, and perform error detection using the frame check data, concerning the extracted data;
• a buffer memory configured to store the extracted data;
• and
• a data-storage processing section configured to store a received data state, which is a result of the error detection performed by the reception control section, together with the extracted data, in an address of the buffer memory designated by the memory storage information,
• the control section of the overall control apparatus reads out, every time, data from the other control apparatuses and a received data state corresponding to the data, from an address of the buffer memory fixedly set for each of the other control apparatuses, acquires desired data from the data when the received data state is normal, and does not acquire desired data from the data when the received data state is not normal, and
• wherein the memory storage information has a different value set for each of the control apparatuses connected to the network.

A communication method in a control system in which at least one control apparatus including a control section, a transmitting section, and a receiving section and configured to drive a motor and an overall control apparatus including a control section, a transmitting section, and a receiving section and configured to control the control apparatus are connected via a network, and one of the control apparatus and the overall control apparatus generates a reference timing, the control system performing data communication by serial communication between the overall control apparatus and the control apparatus under a predetermined communication period, wherein

• the communication method comprising:
• a frame generating step at which the control apparatus generates a frame including data transmitted to the overall control apparatus, memory storage information indicating a storage position of the data in a buffer memory of the receiving section of the overall control apparatus, and frame check data used for error detection of the data;
• a frame transmitting step at which the control apparatus transmits the frame to the overall control apparatus;
• an extracting step at which the overall control apparatus extracts the memory storage information, the data, and the frame check data from the frame;
• an error detecting step at which the overall control apparatus performs error detection by using the frame check data concerning the extracted data;
• a data storing step at which the overall control apparatus stores a received data state, which is a result of the error detection performed by the reception control section, together with the extracted data, in an address of the buffer memory designated by the memory storage information;
• a data readout step at which the overall control apparatus reads out, every time, the data and a received data state corresponding to the data from the address of the buffer memory fixedly set for each of the control apparatuses;
• and
• a data acquiring step at which the overall control apparatus acquires desired data from the data when the received data state is normal and does not acquire desired data from the data when the received data state is not normal,
• wherein the memory storage information has a different value set for each of the control apparatuses connected to the network.