The development of low level communication interfaces for generic work cell control

Abstract

As the desire for factory automation increases, so has the need to integrate machinery within the factory. More specifically, this integration is gaining importance in the area of manufacturing work cells. Many ideas exist about what functions a cell controller should perform and how it should interact with its environment. The functions utilized by the cell controller many vary depending on the type of machinery but similar tasks are usually performed. The complexity of the cell controller increases due to the differences in functional capability caused by machine intelligence or vendors specifications.

The objective of this research was to create a framework which can be followed when developing low level machine specific cell control communications. The framework would assist the user in defining and structuring the information and functions associated with a particular device and operating environment. This framework will act as a guide in the creation of generic cell control communication functions. The purpose of the framework is to act as a guide in the development of low level base routines which interface to various classes of factory devices. It is impossible to create a completely generic base which will interact with every device. However, it is possible to develop this base following a structured format which facilitates generic work cell control.