Machine motion control system for testing electronic components

1. Technical Field

The disclosure generally relates to machine motion control, and more particularly relates to a machine motion control system.

2. Description of the Related Art

In the manufacturing process, notebooks, mobile phones and other electronic devices require different tests to be performed on corresponding test machines or moving parts on the test machines, such as surface pressure tests, torsion tests and pull tests, to test their mechanical strength before release. Generally, an axis control card is used to control a servo device, such as a motor, to test the electronic devices on the test machine and/or the moving part and obtain different test parameters.

However, in use, one control card can only control a corresponding test machine or a moving part to test the electronic devices thereon, which cannot meet large-scale test requirements. Moreover, the axis control cards are expensive and have complex structure, which may increase test costs.

Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.

Many aspects of an exemplary machine motion control system can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the exemplary machine motion control system. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements of an embodiment.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a machine motion control system including a main controller, a control card, and two test machines, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a circuit view of the main controller, the control card and the test machines of the machine motion control system of one embodiment shown in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a machine motion control system 100 including a main controller 10 , a control card 20 , and two test machines 30 , according to an exemplary embodiment. The machine motion control system 100 can be used to strength test an electronic device, such as a notebook, or a mobile phone. The main controller 10 can be a computer and is electrically connected to the control card 20 . Each of the test machines 30 may a semi-automation test equipment for supporting and testing the electronic device.

Each of the test machines 30 includes a plurality of driving modules 32 for driving a plurality of moving parts 33 of the test machine 30 , the moving parts 33 being capable of securing electronic devices for test. The control card 20 is electrically connected to the main controller 10 and the driving modules 32 to control the driving modules 32 , as to further control movement of the moving parts 33 and the test machine 30 .

Also referring to FIG. 2 , the control card 20 can be an axis control card and includes a main control module 22 , two signal processing modules 23 and 24 , and two switches S 0 and S 1 . The main control module 22 includes a main microcontroller U 1 . The main microcontroller U 1 can be an AT89S52 microcontroller and includes a power pin VCC, two groups of signal transmission pins P 0 . 0 -P 0 . 7 and P 1 . 0 -P 1 . 7 , an activating signal transmitting pin TXD, a finished signal receiving pin RXD, two selecting pins P 2 . 0 and P 2 . 1 , two signal control pins P 2 . 2 and P 2 . 3 , and two signal feedback pins P 2 . 4 and P 2 . 5 .

The power pin VCC may be electrically connected to a power source (not shown), such as a 5V battery. The selecting pin P 2 . 0 and P 2 . 1 are electrically connected to the two switches S 0 and S 1 , respectively. In this exemplary embodiment, when the switch S 0 or the switch S 1 is operated, the voltage level of the corresponding selecting pin P 2 . 0 or P 2 . 1 is accordingly converted to a low voltage level (e.g., logic 0), and the main microcontroller U 1 selectably switches the signal transmission paths according to the voltage level of the selecting pin P 2 . 0 or P 2 . 1 . For example, when the switch S 0 is operated, the voltage level of the corresponding selecting pin P 2 . 0 is accordingly converted to the low voltage level, the voltage levels of the signal transmission pins P 0 . 0 -P 0 . 7 are at the low voltage level and are enabled, and the voltage level of the signal transmission pins P 1 . 0 -P 1 . 7 are at a high voltage level (e.g., logic 1) and are disabled. Thus, command signals and movement instructions of the main microcontroller U 1 are transmitted to the signal processing module 23 from the signal transmission pins P 0 . 0 -P 0 . 7 .

The signal processing module 23 and 24 are electrically connected to the main microcontroller U 1 of the main control module 22 . In detail, the signal processing module 23 is electrically connected to the signal transmission pins P 0 . 0 -P 0 . 7 of the main microcontroller U 1 , and the signal processing module 24 is electrically connected to the signal transmission pins P 1 . 0 -P 1 . 7 of the main microcontroller U 1 . Thus, the signal processing modules 23 and 24 are capable of receiving the command signals and the movement instructions from the main control module 22 , and processing the command signal and movement instructions.

In this exemplary embodiment, the signal processing module 23 is used as an example. The signal processing module 23 includes a group of pull-up resistors (not shown), a signal processing integrated circuit (IC) U 2 , and a signal amplifying IC U 3 electrically connected to the signal processing IC U 2 . The pull-up resistors are electrically connected between the power pin VCC and the signal transmission pins P 0 . 0 -P 0 . 7 to pull up the voltage and obtain expected logic levels of the signal transmission pins P 0 . 0 -P 0 . 7 .

The signal processing IC U 2 can be a SN74LS245N IC and includes a group of data input pins B 0 -B 7 , a group of data output pins A 0 -A 7 , and two enabled pins OE and DIR. The data input pins B 0 -B 7 are electrically connected to the signal transmission pins P 0 . 0 -P 0 . 7 , respectively, of the main microcontroller U 1 . For example, the data input pin B 0 is electrically connected to the signal transmission pin P 0 . 0 , the data input pin B 1 is electrically connected to the signal transmission pin P 0 . 1 , the data input pin B 6 is electrically connected to the signal transmission pin P 0 . 6 . The enabled pins OE and DIR are low level effective pins and are electrically connected to the signal control pin P 2 . 2 . Thus, when the signal control pin P 2 . 2 outputs a low voltage signal to the enabled pins OE and DIR, the signal processing IC U 2 is enabled. The command signals and the movement instructions from the main microcontroller U 1 are transmitted to the signal processing IC U 2 through the data input pins B 0 -B 7 , and are output to the signal amplifying IC U 3 through the data output pins A 0 -A 7 after signal processing. When the signal control pin P 2 . 2 outputs a voltage signal having a high voltage level to the enabled pins OE and DIR, the signal processing IC U 2 is disabled to receive and transmit the command signals and the movement instructions.

The signal amplifying IC U 3 can be an ULN2803A IC and includes a group of signal amplifying input pins IN 0 -IN 7 and a group of signal amplifying output pins OUT 0 -OUT 7 . The signal amplifying input pins IN 0 -IN 7 are electrically connected to the data output pins A 0 -A 7 , respectively, and the signal amplifying output pins OUT 0 -OUT 7 are electrically connected to the corresponding driving modules 32 , respectively. The signal amplifying IC U 3 is capable of amplifying the command signals and the movement instructions from the main microcontroller U 1 , and transmitting the amplified signals to the driving modules 32 through the signal amplifying output pins OUT 0 -OUT 7 .

Each driving module 32 includes a delay 321 , a solenoid valve 322 , and a cylinder 323 electrically connected to a moving part 33 . The delay 321 , the solenoid valve 322 and the cylinder 323 are electrically connected in series. The delays 321 are electrically connected to the signal amplifying output pins OUT 0 -OUT 7 , respectively, of the signal amplifying IC U 3 to delay the amplified signal therefrom. The solenoid valve 322 is used as a switch and is controlled by an electric current through its solenoid coil. The solenoid valve 322 receives the signals from the delay 321 to control the movement of the cylinder 323 . The cylinder 323 is capable of driving the moving parts 33 on the test machine 30 for the strength testing of the electronic device.

Each test machine 30 further includes a detection module 34 . The detection modules 34 are electrically connected to the solenoid valve 322 of the last driving modules 32 which are electrically connected to the signal amplifying output pins OUT 7 of the signal amplifying IC U 3 . The two detection modules 34 are electrically connected to the signal feedback pins P 2 . 4 and P 2 . 5 , respectively, of the main microcontroller U 1 to determine whether the solenoid valves 322 of the last driving modules 32 have received the command signals or not, and transmit corresponding results to the main control module 22 .

The main controller 10 includes an activating signal receiving port 11 and a finished signal transmitting port 12 . The activating signal receiving port 11 is electrically connected to the activating signal transmitting pin TXD, receiving an activating signal. The finished signal transmitting port 12 is electrically connected to the finished signal receiving pin RXD to transmit a finished signal.

Further referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the switch S 0 is used as an example to illustrate operation of the machine motion control system 100 . The switch S 0 is operated, the voltage level of the selecting pin P 2 . 0 is at a low voltage level, the voltage levels of the signal transmission pins P 0 . 0 -P 0 . 7 are at the low voltage level and are enabled, and the voltage level of the signal transmission pins P 1 . 0 -P 1 . 7 are at the high voltage level and are disabled. When the signal control pin P 2 . 2 outputs at the low voltage level voltage to the enabled pins OE and DIR, the signal processing IC U 2 is enabled. The command signal from the main microcontroller U 1 is transmitted to the signal processing IC U 2 through the data input pins B 0 -B 7 , and is output to the signal amplifying IC U 3 through the data output pins A 0 -A 7 after signal processing. The command signal is amplified by the signal amplifying IC U 3 and is then transmitted to the driving modules 32 .

The detection module 34 determines whether the solenoid valve 322 of the driving module 32 electrically connected to the signal amplifying output pins OUT 7 has received the command signal from the signal amplifying IC U 3 . If the solenoid valve 322 receives the command signal, the detection module 34 generates and transmits a corresponding detecting result to the main control module 22 , and the main microcontroller U 1 sends an activating signal to the main controller 10 through the activating signal transmitting pin TXD. The main controller 10 then starts its application programs to generate a movement instruction including speed, frequency, time and other parameters. The movement instruction is transmitted to the solenoid valve 322 through the main microcontroller U 1 and the signal processing module 23 , so the solenoid valve 322 controls the movement of the cylinder 323 according to the movement instruction, enabling the moving parts 33 for the strength testing of the electronic device.

When the strength testing is completed, the main controller 10 sends a finished signal to the main control module 22 through the finished signal transmitting circuit 12 , the voltage levels of the signal transmission pins P 0 . 0 -P 0 . 7 are converted to the low voltage level and are disabled. Thus, the signal processing module 23 stops working. Similarly, when the switch S 1 is operated, the corresponding solenoid valve 322 controls the cylinder 323 according to the movement instruction to drive the corresponding moving parts 33 for the strength testing of the electronic device. Thus, the two test machines 30 can alternately work under the control of the movement instructions.

In addition, the signal amplifying ICs U 3 can be omitted, so the signal processing ICs U 2 are electrically connected to the driving modules 32 .

In summary, in the machine motion control system 100 of the exemplary embodiment, the control card 20 can control the movements of the two test machines 30 and the moving parts 33 on the test machines 30 in real time, and any test machine 30 ca be operated and controlled independently, so motion control system 100 can meet the test requirements. Moreover, the machine motion control system 100 has a simple circuit structure and reduces the test costs.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the exemplary disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the exemplary disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of exemplary disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.