Abstract: The present disclosure provides a servo output shaft angle calibration method and a robot using the same. In the method, when a servo output shaft rotational angle calibration instruction is obtained, an output shaft of a servo is controlled to move in a preset rotational direction, a current angle of the output shaft of the servo is obtained when it detects that the output shaft of the servo has rotated to an end point and has a stalling, and then a preset end point angle is updated as the current angle of the output shaft of the servo, so as to take the current angle of the output shaft of the servo as the new end point angle, thereby realizing the calibration of the end point angle of the output shaft of the servo. In this manner, the entire calibration process requires no manual intervention.

Abstract: An apparatus for communicating with a radiation therapy device comprises a first plurality of omnidirectional radio antennas 212, 214 mounted upon a rotor 202, and a second plurality of omnidirectional radio antennas 216, 218 positioned at respective fixed locations off the rotor. The first plurality of antennas 212, 214 may be substantially equally spaced around the axis of rotation of the rotor 202. The first plurality of antennas 212, 214 and the second plurality of antennas 216, 218 are positioned so as to allow line-of-sight radio communication between at least one of the first plurality of antennas and at least one of the second plurality of antennas at all angles of rotation of the rotor 202.

Abstract: A linear actuator comprises a reversible electric motor (2) which, via a transmission, is capable of driving a spindle (4) having a spindle nut (5) secured against rotation and comprises a power supply and a controller. The actuator moreover comprises a memory unit for collecting at least one set of data from the operation, indicating how long and how hard the actuator has worked. It is hereby possible to obtain an overview of the mechanical state of the actuator and thereby prevent unfortunate occurrences and accidents as a consequence of wear-out of the actuator.

Abstract: A motor control device includes a measurement unit, a speed control unit, a correction unit, a drive unit, and a disturbance suppressing unit. During a time period before a measurement value of speed of one of a motor and a driven object which is driven by the motor measured by the measurement unit becomes greater than zero the correction unit corrects a manipulated variable such that a reduced correction amount which is from zero percent to less than 100 percent of a correction amount determined by the disturbance suppressing unit, is added to the manipulated variable determined by the speed control unit corresponding to a target speed of the one of the motor and the driven object.

Abstract: A motor control device of the present invention includes a correction input unit, a measurement unit, a first signal processing unit, and a second signal processing unit. The correction input unit corrects a control input signal outputted from a controller, and inputs a corrected control input signal into a motor. The measurement unit measures a physical quantity resulting from rotation of the motor corresponding to a control output. The first signal processing unit inputs a measurement signal representing the physical quantity inputted from the measurement unit into an inverse model 1/G of a transfer function G of a controlled object, and filters an output of the inverse model 1/G through a first low-pass filter. The second signal processing unit obtains a corrected control input signal to be inputted into the motor by the correction input unit, and filters the control input signal through a second low-pass filter.

Abstract: A calibration method for servo is provided, wherein a motor of the servo is activated at a low-speed mode to drive a moved member of the servo moving to a first limit position and a second limit positions. During the movement of the moved member, a motor control power of the motor is monitored continuously to determine whether the motor control power exceeds a threshold value. When the moved member reaches the first or the second limit position, the motor control power is raised to exceed the threshold value and a motor coordinate value corresponding to the first or second limit position is determined simultaneously. Finally, a conservation relation for determining the actual coordinate by the motor value can be derived according to the values of actual coordinate of the first and second limit positions, and the values of the corresponding motor coordinate.

Abstract: A linear actuator includes a spindle nut, where the spindle nut and the spindle between a first and a second point, indicating the length of stroke, can move axially in proportion to each other, depending on whether the spindle or the spindle nut is being driven around via the transmission, and where the position is determined with incremental position sensors, such as at least two Hall sensors or Reed-switches. For determining the position an initiating procedure, where the nut/spindle is moved from a first point on the spindle/nut to a second point on the spindle nut is carried out, and that the number of pulses from the incremental position sensors appearing by it are registered as a measurement for the length of stroke, and the position is subsequently determined in relation to that. It is noted that the control is active before, during and after the operation of the motor.

Abstract: Linear actuator comprising a housing with a reversible DC-motor, which through a transmission can displace an activation element between two end positions, where an further switch located in the longitudinal direction of the spindle is activated and deactivated when the spindle nut passes during its travel on the spindle and provides information for a calculation model which continuously calculates the position of the spindle nut on the spindle so that the calculation model in the positions where the further switch is activated by the spindle nut is calibrated to show an absolute position which is entered as a reference point in the control.

Abstract: A calibration method for servo is provided, wherein a motor of the servo is activated at a low-speed mode to drive a moved member of the servo moving to a first limit position and a second limit positions. During the movement of the moved member, a motor control power of the motor is monitored continuously to determine whether the motor control power exceeds a threshold value. When the moved member reaches the first or the second limit position, the motor control power is raised to exceed the threshold value and a motor coordinate value corresponding to the first or second limit position is determined simultaneously. Finally, a conservation relation for determining the actual coordinate by the motor value can be derived according to the values of actual coordinate of the first and second limit positions, and the values of the corresponding motor coordinate.

Abstract: A method of sensing contact between a first member (606, 908) and a second (608, 910) member in a computer numerical control machine, wherein the position of at least one of the first member and the second member is controlled by one or more servo mechanisms, the method including the steps of: causing at least one of the first member and the second member to be driven towards the other; monitoring an error signal in one of the servo mechanisms; and detecting when the error signal exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: [Problems] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a driving apparatus which can be reduced in the number of complete parts in comparison with the conventional driving apparatus. [Means for Solving Problems] An automatic focus camera unit 10, comprises; a piezoelectric element 13a; a driving shaft 13b to be driven by the piezoelectric element 13a; a moving unit 13c to be moved with respect to the driving shaft 13b by a friction force caused by the driving shaft 13b; a microcomputer unit 24 for controlling power supply to the piezoelectric element 13a, and in which the microcomputer unit 24 assumes a preprocessing mode of calculating an amount of adjustment for a power supply time in accordance with a moving direction of the moving unit 13c, and a movement controlling mode of adjusting the supply time and controlling power supply based on the moving direction and the amount of adjustment.

Abstract: An equipment for controlling an industrial robot, which robot has a plurality of rotation and/or translation axles (ax 1-6), comprising a motor (15) at each of said axles for generating desired movements of the arms and/or the wrist, of which the robot is constituted, a sensor at each of the axles for measuring axle angle and/or axle position, a servo (9) for each of the axles for controlling the motors based on measurement values from the sensors, and a path generator (8) for generating at least one reference (&phgr;ref, &phgr;ref, &tgr;ffw) for each of the servos (9).

Abstract: A scanner determines whether a target is a bar code symbol and, if so, whether that symbol is one-dimensional or two-dimensional. For two-dimensional symbols, the scanner aligns a scanning pattern with the symbol and expands the scanning pattern to reach only to the top and bottom edges of the symbol, not beyond. The scanner also has a microprocessor-control scanning engine that uses a coil to drive a scanning element and pick up feed back signals from the scanning element. A pulse-width-modulated regulator also provides fast and efficient operation for driving the coil. The scanning engine can also be designed to generate a pattern that precesses across the target, and a powerful interface to the scanning engine allows decoding and control logic to work efficiently with and independently of the scan engine.

Abstract: A motor control circuit for an autofocus unit which microsteps a stepping motor to turn a rotor and drive a focus lens, which circuit has a memory which stores data on current values of a plurality of phases at rotation-stopping positions of the rotor, a drive circuit which energizes the phases based on the current data output by the memory, and an address generator which reads out the current data of the memory, the address generator generating an address which makes an inclination of a path of a rotational angle with respect to a time axis smoother at a switching point of direction of rotation of the rotor, whereby the wobbling of the focus lens becomes gentler and the vibration and audio noise can be reduced.

Abstract: A lightweight hand-held scanning device for repetitively scanning a laser light source having a laser light generating means and at least one high speed scanning motor controlled by a resonant motor circuit which automatically controls the frequency and amplitude of oscillation of a high speed scanning motor. The frequency and amplitude control is accomplished by using a single feedback signal obtained from the windings of the motor which indicates resonance and which also measures the amplitude of oscillation. The feedback signal obtained is a second harmonic of the driving current. The circuit can be utilized to tune and maintain the motor in a resonant oscillating mode. By controlling both the frequency and amplitude of oscillation the high speed scanning motor can maintain a consistent scanning speed and use less power.

Abstract: A numerical control method is provided, which is capable of compensating for a response delay of a servo system to command pulses to thereby make it possible to repetitively effect reciprocal movement of a controlling object at a high speed over the entirety between target positions inclusive of these positions, without the need of increasing a time period for execution of a desired operation.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sector scanner includes first and second magnetizable stators spaced on a longitudinal axis. First and second rotors are provided in the gaps between the end faces of the first and second stators, respectively. The rotors have tapered surfaces spaced from the end faces of the stators to form gaps therebetween. The gaps between the first rotor and the end face of the first stator decrease as the rotor rotates in a first direction. The gaps between the second rotor and the end faces of the second stator decrease as the rotors rotate in a second direction opposite the first direction. An ultrasonic transducer is connected to the rotors and arranged to be rotatable with the rotors. A servo-control system is provided to cause the rotor/transducer assembly to rotate according to a prescribed reference signal.The ultrasonic sector scanner has a cover assembly in which a flexible membrane is provided with ribs which engage grooves in the wall of the housing.

Abstract: A controller is described for limiting the rate and acceleration of a device positioned by at least one actuator which responds to a sequence of position commands separated by time intervals incorporating a subtractor for taking the difference of two consecutive position commands to provide a difference signal in vector form, means for determining the magnitude of the difference signal, a comparator for comparing the magnitude of the difference signal with a predetermined value, a switch for coupling the desired position command to the actuator at times the magnitude of the difference signal is less than or equal to the predetermined value, two dividers, two multipliers, an adder and normalizer for providing a new position command between the past command and the desired position command at times the magnitude of the difference signal exceeds the predetermined value.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for accurately moving a body in accordance with a predetermined motion. An embodiment of the invention relates to an optical scanning system in which the movement of an intermittently tilting mirror is required to be extremely linear. The positions of the mirror at predetermined points are compared with the required positions and correction signals generated for use on subsequent movement cycles. Because of the high speed of movement of the mirror, it is preferred to make only one comparison per movement cycle and it may be necessary for a number of comparisons to be made for any one predetermined point until a satisfactory correction is achieved.

Abstract: The rotor of a brushless DC motor is monitored continuously, and successive positions thereof are encoded in the form of digital counts. The count is continuously converted to analog form, and is compared with an analog reference signal, to determine the position error, and hence the speed error, or the motor relative to the desired constant speed reference. The error differential is suitably converted back to digital form to provide the motor power/drive amplifiers with sufficient electrical drive for the degree of correction which must be made. The digital position count from the counter is also coupled to a memory, which maintains in storage representations of position, and torque characteristics of the motor. Hence, based on these stored quantities and upon the actual motor parameters as exemplified by the present position, the memory issues control signals, that is timing and directional commands for correction of the motor speed.

Abstract: A reciprocating drive system moves a body of defined inertia, such as a carriage supporting electrostatic spraying means, at full speed between two points at which the direction of movement is reversed. The drive system includes an electric motor with polyphase stator windings and a squirrel cage rotor. Transducers responsive to the arrival of the moving body at the aforementioned points produce output signals controlling a phase switching system which reverses the direction of rotation of the motor. Reversal of the motor torque reverses the direction of movement of the moving body within a given travel and within a given time interval to full speed in the opposite direction. A stator current limiter provides positive coupling in an operative condition and no coupling in an inoperative condition with the motor running at full speed. The motor is selected so that the inertia of its rotor closely matches that of the moving body.

Abstract: This invention relates to the hydraulic control field wherein an electronic controller provides the necessary electrical elements for controlling the movement of an actuator shaft from one pre-selected position to another pre-selected position at a pre-selected velocity and provided with an automatic timing control circuit to sustain the movement or a manual operation to selectively move the actuator. The pre-selected positions and velocities are adjustable over the full range of actuator movement and velocity limit of the hydraulics.

Abstract: An industrial robot for spray painting workpieces carried by a conveyor is provided with a control to allow the programmed robot sequence to proceed synchronously with conveyor movement so long as the conveyor maintains a normal speed. When, however, the conveyor stops, the control maintains robot operation until the spray gun is moved to a safe stopping place to avoid excessive paint application to a portion of a workpiece. Upon conveyor start-up, the robot remains stationary until the workpiece approaches normal speed and moves into a position synchronous with the robot position.

Abstract: This invention relates to a driving signal control circuit, in which at least four detecting points (or detectors) are arranged for detecting the position of the working table, which is repeatedly reciprocated between the detecting points.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a radar sector scan apparatus which reves its direction of scan without causing large current spikes in the scan-producing motor. This result is achieved by switching off the motor before the instant at which the scan direction is reversed and letting the momentum of the antenna (attached to the motor shaft) continue the scan. Spring and bumper means are provided for slowing, stopping, and then reversing the scan while the motor is off. A switching arrangement is provided which switches off and switches on the motor at the appropriate times to effect smooth scanning and scan reversal. The invention also includes automatic start up logic.

Abstract: An analogue control device with at least one electric stroke control emitter for the abutment-free stroke limitation of machine tools, especially honing machines, with which either a tool carrier or the workpiece connected to the machine tool carries out a reciprocatory stroke of adjustable length. As stroke control emitter there is provided a simple resistor which is adjustable in conformity with the machining movement and which is passed through by electric current, while pre-set values of the current or of the voltage generated by the current on the resistor are employed for limiting the stroke. The device also includes a warming-up or conditioning control which makes it possible automatically to carry out a predetermined number of working strokes with changed stroke length, the number and/or stroke length being adjustable.

Abstract: Two extreme points of a range within which a movable body is reciprocated, are set by two position setting means provided with variable resistors. The voltage at the sliding contact of a variable resistor coupled to the movable body is always compared with the voltages preset by the respective position setting means. The two signals produced as a result of the two comparisons are applied to a control circuit, the output of which causes the motor to drive the movable body to rotate in the forward or reverse direction in accordance with the two signals. Thus, the movable body automatically performs a reciprocal motion between the two preset extremes.

Abstract: A wire bonding system is disclosed wherein a patterned substrate to be bonded is composed of at least two materials having different emission rates of infra-red rays, and a point to be bonded on the patterned substrate is positioned so as to coincide with a predetermined reference position. The present invention includes a servo-mechanism, which moves the patterned substrate, and a detecting element which scans the surface of the patterned substrate in a linear direction and detects the infra-red rays radiated therefrom. A pattern figure is obtained by using the differences in the emission rate of the infra-red rays caused by the material of the pattern. A signal which indicates the pattern figure is compared with another signal which indicates the reference position, and a control signal, corresponding to the difference between the point on the pattern to be bonded and the reference position, is obtained.

Abstract: A spectrophotometer including a wavelength stepper motor driving a wavelength scanning mechanism and a chart stepper motor driving a chart recorder, both motors being operative in response to driving pulses received from a system clock. The upper limit of a wavelength scan interval is established by manually adjusting the wavelength scanning mechanism to the desired limit. The length of a desired scan interval is selected by the operator and loaded into a counter which decrements in response to the driving pulse input to the wavelength motor. The counter generates an output signal after a predetermined count which clocks a switching circuit for reversing, inhibiting, or otherwise controlling the wavelength and chart motors. Other inputs to the switching circuit provide for either serial or overlay chart recording and for either continuous or manually controlled scanning.