Machine control unit
View Patent ↗A unit can include a power supply interface; a processor board power interface operatively coupled to the power supply interface where the processor board power interface operatively couples to and supplies power to a processor board; a serial interface that operatively couples to the processor board; a microcontroller operatively coupled to the serial interface; memory operatively coupled to the microcontroller; a motor control interface operatively coupled to the microcontroller; an optically isolated digital input interface operatively coupled to the microcontroller; a digital output interface operatively coupled to the microcontroller; and instructions stored in the memory and executable by the microcontroller to instruct the unit to receive digital input via the optically isolated digital input interface from a machine and to output motor control signals via the motor control interface to at least one motor of the machine.
1. A unit comprising:
a power supply interface;
a processor board power interface operatively coupled to the power supply interface wherein the processor board power interface operatively couples to and supplies power to a processor board;
a serial interface that operatively couples to the processor board;
a microcontroller operatively coupled to the serial interface;
memory operatively coupled to the microcontroller;
a motor control interface operatively coupled to the microcontroller wherein the motor control interface outputs motor control signal pulses;
inputs operatively coupled to the microcontroller, wherein the inputs comprise at least an optically isolated digital input interface operatively coupled to the microcontroller;
a digital output interface operatively coupled to the microcontroller; and
instructions stored in the memory and executable by the microcontroller to instruct the unit to receive digital input via the optically isolated digital input interface from a machine, to receive position optical sensor input of a component of the machine via at least one of the inputs, to output motor control signal pulses via the motor control interface to at least one stepper motor of the machine to position the component of the machine based at least in part on the received position optical sensor input, to receive inspection camera input of a product processed by the machine via at least one of the inputs and to output motor control signal pulses via the motor control interface to at least one stepper motor of the machine to position a portion of the machine based at least in part on the inspection camera input.
2. The unit of claim 1 wherein the serial interface comprises a Hardware Attached on Top (HAT) specification serial interface.
3. The unit of claim 1 wherein the microcontroller comprises a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) microcontroller.
4. The unit of claim 1 comprising a battery.
5. The unit of claim 4 comprising power loss detection circuitry.
6. The unit of claim 1 wherein the processor board power interface comprises a single board computer (SBC) processor board power interface.
7. The unit of claim 1 wherein the serial interface comprises a single board computer (SBC) serial interface.
8. The unit of claim 1 comprising a thermocouple interface.
9. The unit of claim 1 comprising a real-time clock.
10. The unit of claim 1 wherein the inputs comprise an analog input.
11. A system comprising:
a board that comprises a processor; and
a unit that comprises
a power supply interface,
a board power interface operatively coupled to the power supply interface and operatively coupled to the board,
a serial interface operatively coupled to the processor of the board,
a microcontroller operatively coupled to the serial interface,
memory operatively coupled to the microcontroller,
a motor control interface operatively coupled to the microcontroller wherein the motor control interface outputs motor control signal pulses,
inputs operatively coupled to the microcontroller, wherein the inputs comprise at least an optically isolated digital input interface operatively coupled to the microcontroller,
a digital output interface operatively coupled to the microcontroller, and
instructions stored in the memory and executable by the microcontroller to instruct the unit to receive digital input via the optically isolated digital input interface from a machine, to receive position optical sensor input of a component of the machine via at least one of the inputs, and to output motor control signal pulses via the motor control interface to at least one stepper motor of the machine to position a component of the machine based at least in part on the received position optical sensor input, to receive inspection camera input of a product processed by the machine via at least one of the inputs, and to output motor control signal pulses via the motor control interface to at least one stepper motor of the machine to position a portion of the machine based at least in part on the received inspection camera input.
12. The system of claim 11 wherein the board comprises a single board computer (SBC).
13. The system of claim 11 wherein the processor comprises multiple cores.
14. The system of claim 11 wherein the microcontroller comprises a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) microcontroller.
15. The system of claim 11 comprising a graphics processing unit (GPU).
16. The system of claim 15 wherein the graphics processing unit (GPU) comprises multiple cores.
17. The system of claim 11 comprising a graphics processing unit (GPU) and an inspection camera interface operatively coupled to the graphics processing unit (GPU), wherein the inspection camera input is based at least in part on processing of inspection camera image data received via the inspection camera interface.
18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the output motor control signal pulses via the motor control interface to at least one stepper motor of the machine to position a portion of the machine based at least in part on the received inspection camera input positions the portion of the machine for rejection of the product.