Robotic workcell control system having improved input/output interfacing for better workcell operation

Abstract

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

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.