JPH0654597A - Stepping motor controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to control a plurality of motors by using one pulse generator. CONSTITUTION:A stepping motor controller comprises a pulse generator 1, drivers 3a and 3b for generating a drive signal, which is specified by an output of the pulse generator 1, stepping motors 4a and 4b, which are driven by the drivers 3a and 3b, normal rotation limit sensors 5a and 5b, reverse rotation limit sensors 6a and 6b, and home-position sensor 7a and 7b provided in a mechanism unit driven by the stepping motor 4a and 4b, and a signal switching circuit 2 provided between these sensors and the drivers 3a and 3b. A normal rotation pulse signal (b) and a reverse rotation pulse signal (c) generated from the pulse generator 1 are changed by a switching signal (a) to the side of a stepping motor 4a or to the side of a stepping motor 4b. At the same time, a normal-rotation limit signal (d), reverse-rotation limit signal (e), and an origin signal (f) are also changeable in their supplying source. Consequently, a plurality of stepping motor is controlled by using one pulse generator 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a stepping motor controller, and more particularly to a stepping motor controller for pulse controlling a plurality of stepping motors.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 2, a conventional stepping motor controller receives a control signal g, a forward rotation limit signal d, a reverse rotation limit signal and an origin signal f from the outside, and outputs a forward rotation pulse signal b and a reverse rotation pulse. The pulse generator 1 that outputs the signal c, and the driver 3 that inputs the forward rotation pulse signal b and the reverse rotation pulse signal c output from the pulse generator 1 and outputs the drive signal to the stepping motor 4.
A forward rotation limit sensor 5 that outputs a forward rotation limit signal d, a reverse rotation limit sensor 6 that outputs a reverse rotation limit signal e, and an origin sensor 7 that outputs an origin signal f.

Next, the operation will be described. First, a control signal including control commands such as a rotation direction, a speed profile, and a rotation amount of the stepping motor 4 is supplied to the pulse generator 1 from a host controller (not shown).

With the control signal g, the pulse generator 1 outputs the number of pulses corresponding to the commanded rotation amount to the driver 3 as the forward rotation pulse signal b or the reverse rotation pulse signal c according to the commanded speed profile. .

The driver 3 converts the forward rotation pulse signal b or the reverse rotation pulse signal c into a drive signal, and the stepping motor 4 rotates in synchronization with the forward rotation pulse signal b or the reverse rotation pulse signal c.

On the other hand, the forward rotation limit sensor 5 attached to the forward rotation limit position and the reverse rotation limit sensor 6 attached to the reverse rotation limit position of the mechanism portion (not shown) operated by the rotation of the stepping motor 4 respectively. The forward rotation limit signal d and the reverse rotation limit signal c are output and supplied to the pulse generator 1.

When the pulse generator 1 receives the normal rotation limit signal d, the transmission of the normal rotation pulse signal b is stopped,
When the reverse rotation limit signal e is input, the transmission of the reverse rotation pulse signal d is stopped.

Further, when a home position return command is given to the pulse generator 1 by the control signal g, the home position sensor 7 attached to the home position of the mechanism portion driven by the stepping motor 4 operates to output the home position signal f. The stepping motor 1 is rotated until it is stopped and stopped when the origin signal f is output.

[0009]

In this conventional stepping motor controller, since it is necessary to connect the pulse generator 1 and the driver 3 shown in FIG. 2 in a one-to-one correspondence, a large number of stepping motors 4 are connected. In such an operating state, the number of pulse generators 1 is required, and the installation space for the pulse generators 1 must be increased.

The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a stepping motor controller that requires only one pulse generator even when a large number of stepping motors are connected, and thus can significantly suppress an increase in installation space.

[0011]

A stepping motor controller of the present invention includes a control signal for specifying the control contents of a stepping motor, a forward rotation limit position and a reverse rotation limit position of the stepping motor, and a forward rotation limit signal indicating an origin position. A pulse generator that inputs a reverse rotation limit signal and an origin signal from the outside and outputs a forward rotation pulse signal and a reverse rotation pulse signal that rotate the stepping motor forward and backward, and N drivers that drive N stepping motors. , N sets of forward rotation limit sensors, reverse rotation limit sensors and origin sensors for obtaining the forward rotation limit signal and the reverse rotation limit signal and the origin signal for each of the N stepping motors, and the forward rotation receiving the switching signal from the outside. Pulse signal and reverse pulse A signal is sent to a designated one of the N drivers, and the forward rotation limit signal, the reverse rotation limit signal, and the origin signal of a stepping motor driven by the designated one driver are sent to the pulse generator. And a signal switching circuit for switching the signal to be sent to.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 exemplifies a case where two stepping motors 4a and 4b are driven. In this embodiment, a control signal g is sent from an external host controller (not shown).
Pulse generator 1 for inputting the normal rotation pulse signal b and the reverse rotation pulse signal c, and two drivers 3a and 3b connected in a one-to-one correspondence with the two stepping motors 4a and 4b. And two forward rotation limit sensors 5a and 5b attached to the forward rotation limit position corresponding to the forward rotation limit of the stepping motor of the mechanism portion (not shown) driven by the stepping motors 4a and 4b, and the reverse rotation limit position of the mechanism portion. Two reverse limit sensors 6a and 6b attached to the motor, an origin sensor 7a and 7b attached to the origin of the mechanism, and a forward rotation pulse signal b and a reverse rotation pulse when the switching signal a supplied from the outside is off. The signal c is output to the driver 3a, and the signal is output to the mechanism unit that is coupled to the stepping motor 4a driven by the stepping motor 4a. Forward limit sensor 5, which is
a, the outputs of the reverse rotation limit sensor 6a and the origin sensor 7a are input to the pulse generator 1, and when the switching signal a is ON, the forward rotation pulse signal b and the reverse rotation pulse signal c are output to the driver 3b and driven by the stepping motor 4b. Forward rotation limit sensor 5 attached to the mechanical part
b, a signal switching circuit 2 for inputting the outputs of the reverse rotation limit sensor 6b and the origin limit sensor 7b to the pulse generator 1.
And a configuration including and.

Next, the operation of the embodiment of FIG. 1 will be described by taking the case of driving the stepping motor 4b as an example.

First, the host controller outputs a control signal g including data such as a rotation amount, a rotation direction and a speed profile for the stepping motor 4b to the pulse generator 1 and turns on the switching signal a supplied to the signal switching circuit 2. And

As a result, the output of the pulse generator 1 is output to the driver 3b via the signal switching circuit.

The stepping motor 4b, to which the drive signal is output from the driver 3b, rotates according to the designation of the rotation amount, rotation direction, speed profile, etc. set in the pulse generator 1 by the host controller.

When the stepping motor 4a is driven, the signal switching circuit 2 is switched for the stepping motor 4a and predetermined data is set in the pulse generator 2.

In this embodiment, the case where the number of stepping motors is two is taken as an example, but three or more stepping motors can be easily dealt with by changing the signal switching circuit 2. Further, like the stepping motor, it is obvious that other motors that can be driven by a pulse train input type driver, for example, a servo motor can be similarly applied.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention, a control signal switching circuit for controlling a plurality of stepping motors is provided between the pulse generator and the driver and the sensor in the stepping motor controller. Multiple stepping motors can be controlled by one pulse generator, and one pulse generator can be prepared regardless of the number of stepping motors, and the installation space can be minimized. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a stepping motor controller according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a conventional stepping motor controller.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 pulse generator 2 signal switching circuit 3,3a, 3b driver 4,4a, 4b stepping motor 5,5a, 5b forward rotation limit sensor 6,6a, 6b reverse rotation limit sensor 7,7a, 7b origin sensor a switching signal b positive Rotation pulse signal c Reverse rotation pulse signal d Forward rotation limit signal e Reverse rotation limit signal f Origin signal g Control signal

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A control signal for designating control contents of a stepping motor, a forward rotation limit position and a reverse rotation limit position of the stepping motor, and a forward rotation limit signal, a reverse rotation limit signal indicating an origin position, and an origin signal are externally input. A pulse generator that outputs a forward rotation pulse signal and a reverse rotation pulse signal that rotate the stepping motor forward and backward, N drivers that drive the N stepping motors, and the forward rotation for each of the N stepping motors. N sets of forward rotation limit sensor, reverse rotation limit sensor and origin sensor for acquiring limit signal, reverse rotation limit signal and origin signal, and the forward rotation pulse signal and reverse rotation pulse signal for the N drivers upon receiving a switching signal from the outside. To one designated driver of And a signal switching circuit that performs switching so as to send the forward rotation limit signal, the reverse rotation limit signal, and the origin signal of the stepping motor driven by the one designated driver to the pulse generator. And stepping motor controller.