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\F2\CUNIMATION, INC.
\F3\CWEST COAST DIV.
\C188 SO. WHISMAN RD.
\CMOUNTAIN VIEW, CA. 94041









\F1\CCONTROL SYSTEM FOR STANDARD EXAMINATION STAGE


\CRFQ 7L-920-2





\JA proposal submitted to the Sundstrand Energy Systems division of the
Sundstrand Corporation, Rockford, Ill. This proposal is in response to 
letter number MS77-45-019L  dated September 20, 1977.\.






\COctober 7, 1977
\⊂'100;



\F1\CINTRODUCTION\F0

\J\
	Unimation has developed a computer controlled manipulator system which 
is based around the DEC LSI-11 computer.  We have utilized several standard
commercial LSI-11 bus compatible interface cards and our own manipulator 
interface to couple our 6 degree of freedom all electric motor powered manipulator
to this powerful 16bit microcomputer.  To actually operate the manipulator, we have 
developed a powerful manipulator control language named VAL.  This easy to use language
allows quickly trained operators to write motion programs for the manipulator and
to perform tasks involving manipulation, sensing, and interaction with external
conditions.   

	Unimation proposes to adapt our basic system to this SES application.  
This will involve construction of a new control unit in a new cabinet.  The 
computer will remain the same, but additional modules will be added to handle the
increased data inputs and outputs required.   The software will also be modified and
simplified to take advantage of the fewer degrees of manipulator freedom, and  to
speed up its performance to meet the operating requirements specified by HEDL.
In addition, other software features will be added to meet the
specific control, measurement, communication and display requirements.

	We feel  that the  specifications outlined  in  the HEDL  RFQ can  be  met
without  excessive  difficulty.   Our   quotation  covers   meeting   these
specifications, with the following definitions and conditions listed on  a
section by section basis.\.

\F1\CUNIMATION'S CONTROLLER FUNCTIONS


MACHINE CONTROL  
 
\J	 The Unimation SES controller will accept up to five 29bit BCD parallel words,  each
at 5 ms  intervals.  These words  will come from  the Sundstrand  resolver
decoder and will consist of up to 25 bits  of BCD data, 3 bits of joint  number,
and one bit strobe, all TTL compatible.  Two DEC DRV-11 parallel interface
cards in our unit will read these words.  Our LSI-11 and its software will
compute a joint velocity command  based on the current motion  instruction
being executed.  This  velocity command will  be linearly proportional  to
the position error at the current  point in the trajectory.  Two or  three
slope proportionality will  be used.   The breakpoints and  slope will  be
software adjustable at installation, but  will be fixed during  operation.
This  velocity  command  will be changed  within  5  ms.   of  reading   the
corresponding joint. No lead,  lag, integration or other compensation  will be done  in
the computer.  The controller will output up to 5 motor velocity  commands
through five  12  bit  resolution  digital  to  analog  converters(+-10vdc
range). Our computations will take into consideration maximum velocity and
acceleration limits, as well  as gripper position limits  as defined by  6
planes(interpreted to  mean  3  pairs  of  mutually  perpendicular  planes
intersecting the x,y,and z axes respectively).  Computation accuracy  will
be held  to 14  bits(binary) or  2 bits  less than  input data  resolution
whichever  is  less,  on  all  mid  trajectory  computations.   End  point
computation accuracy  will  be 16  bits (17bits for vertical  motion
axis)  or 1  bit  less than  input  data
resolution whichever is less.
	
	The trajectory generator will not execute a trajectory which  will
take the gripper into a restricted region.  The computer will also  accept
a single external switch  closure indicating a  mechanical limit has  been
reached.  Normally,  software  limits  would be  reached  first. While  the
manipulator is in motion, the computer will sample, at 25 ms intervals,  a
BCD or binary signal indicating the gripper load.  All machine motion will
be  stopped  should  this  signal  exceed  software  programmable  limits.
Sundstrand will provide  the sensors, and  the BCD or  Binary output  for
this gripper load limiting signal.\.


OPERATOR INTERFACE

\J	Our control system will be housed in one standard floor mounted cabinet.
One unit in this cabinet will be the manual control panel.  This panel will have
all the control capabilities listed in HEDL table 3.5.1, and all the displays 
outlined in HEDL table 3.5.2.  Where allowable, we will truncate the display
to simplify our design and facilitate reading.  Thus, although Sundstrand may
supply 25 bit BCD, the displays may show less than 6.5
decimal digits.   
The manual control panel will be directly connected to the computer through 
a parallel interface dedicated to this panel.  An additional interface card will
contain registers, etc. necessary for control of the displays and  for
buffering manual switch inputs. Where required, the computer will refresh these
displays at intervals of at least 2 seconds.  To implement the x,y,z displays,
all coordinate transformation, conversion and scaling will be done in software.
All required alarms will meet the specifications outlined by HEDL.  Where required,
the alarms will be directly connected to the alarm signal sources.

	Unimation will supply 
a commercially available RS-232C compatible CRT terminal/display with
a standard typewriter like keyboard to act as the Programmed Control interface.
This unit will be separate and will connect to the control system unit through a
standard cable and communications interface connector wired as in HEDL table 3.5.3.
This unit will connect directly to the LSI-11 computer through a DEC standard
DLV-11 serial line interface card. Baud rate will be jumper selectable as required.

	Control of the manipulator will be accomplished by either selecting manual
control panel mode and inputting data through switches, etc., or through the CRT
terminal, using a modified version of the Unimation VAL language.  The instructions
provided in this language will be sufficient to perform all the HEDL required
functions.  The CRT terminal will also be able to display all the required
status and system parameters as outlined in Table 3.5.2.  This will be done
in easy to read format on one page (full screen image) of the CRT.  This screen will
be updated when in repetitive status mode at intervals of at least 2 seconds.\.


I&C COMPONENTS

\J	The Unimation electronics will be made up of standard commercially available
components.  Circuits special to this system will be mounted on custom made
printed circuit boards or on wire-wrap panels as required.  
Our control system unit will contain all the  power supplies, controls, devices,
displays etc. as required.  We will not supply any high power level signals
to the manipulator drives.  All Sundstrand supplied signalsto our unit will be TTL level 
digital.\.


CABLING AND CONNECTORS

\J	Our unit will be internally cabled to meet HEDL specifications.  All 
interconnect cables of our unit to the manipulator or power amplifier unit
will be supplied by Sundstrand.  All input signal conditioning is the 
responsibility of Sundstrand or HEDL.  We will supply high level (+-10 vdc
analog signals and buffered TTL output signals which can be run a 
maximum of 25 feet.  This will be the maximum allowable distance between the
Sundstrand manipulator power supply and our controller unit.

	All cables and connectors will meet the HEDL Appendix A specifications,
or revised specifications as are mutually agreed upon.  Anticipated power consumption of the
entire Unimation supplied unit will not exceed 10 amps, 115vac.\.


OPERATOR CONTROL STATION

\J	We envision the operator control station as consisting of the control
system cabinet with its front mounted manual control panel at above desk top
height, and a desk or table supported one piece CRT terminal/display unit 
moveable for operator convenience in use while visually monitoring the ongoing
manipulator operations.
All manual control and display devices and their layout will be chosen with careful attention
to the human factors involved in interaction with the manual control panel.
Specific manual control panel switches, lights, displays, etc. have
not been selected.  Extra space will be provided on our panels and in our cabinet for Buyer's
future controls, displays and equipment.\.


REMOTE COMPUTER INTERFACE

\J	Gripper position in X,Y,Z, and gripper rotation plus machine status will be
made available at a series of bulkhead connectors mounted on the front of the
controller.  This data will be accurate to at least 4 BCD digits, and will be 
updated at intervals of a minimum of 2 seconds.  There will be no more than
a 50ms delay between measurement and signal availability.  A new data ready
type strobe bit will indicate new data on each of these parallel lines.  These
connectors will probably each have their own registers but be addressed by a single
standard parallel interface unit on the LSI-11 bus.   

	The moveable CRT terminal will be removeable by releasing its connector and
a remote computer may be connected to this same standard parallel port.  However,
any changes in baud rate must be done manually on the DEC standard DLV-11 interface card.\.


PROCESS I/O INTERFACE

\J	The interface we currently use for interfacing between the Unimation 
computer and our computer controlled manipulators has the ability to handle
up to 32 channels of high level(+-10vdc) analog signals, plus 8 analog signal
outputs, plus 16 binary output channels plus 16 binary input channels.  We
propose to use an interface similar to this standard one of ours  to meet the
requirements of this section.  Additional electronic hardware will be provided to
implement hardware motion interlocks to parallel software control interlocks
as required. Plug-in spare capability will be provided in the form of extra space for
user communications equipment.  The spare channels will not be supplied as part
of this quote- just the capability of installing them, and the necessary space(part
of the required 3 feet vertical rack space). 

	Calibration and fuctional check will be implemented by physically
disconnecting the data channel connectors and installing a Unimation supplied
connector which will connect each analog channel to a precision voltage source.
A software routine will individually check all analog channels, and record
these readings for later scaling and calibrating.  The accuracy of the reference
supply will be to within .025%.  This will allow calibration of 10 bit resolution
(one part in 1024)
analog signal channels with full scale voltages of +-10vdc.  Only one reference
supply is included. Thus, all channels must be externally conditioned and scaled
to have a +-10vdc voltage range.\.


DIGITAL PROCESSOR

\J	As mentioned earlier, a single Digital Equipment Corporation LSI-11 series digital
microprocessor model KD-11F will perform all the data handling, computations, and communications
processing relating to Unimation's control system unit.  An additional microprocessor
may also be part of the CRT terminal, but this will be an integral part of such
terminal and not individually identifiable. Numerous Digital Equipment Corporation standard interface cards will also be
used.  These will include their DLV-11, and DRV-11 cards. 

	A processor failure detection system consisting of a resettable one-shot which
is reset at intervals not exceeding 2 seconds when not executing manipulator motion
programs, and reset at intervals not exceeding 100ms. when executing motion programs
will trigger an annunciator in the event of computer failure. Manipulator halt
hardware is also included in this detection system.

	The timing and update rate of all computations has been calculated to
give the LSI-11 processor a minimum average 40% spare computation time.  This
average will be during any 2 minute period.

	Sufficient extra RAM memory will be provided to meet the 40% spare 
addressable memory requirements.  The as delivered system will use a maxumum of
12k memory.  The LSI-11 can address 28k.  Thus, memory up to
16k additional may be added as required by the user.\.


SOFTWARE

\J	A modified and abreviated version of the Unimation VAL language will
be supplied with our proposed system.  This language is coded in Assembly language 
and is modular in construction and implementation.  All calling sequences and
argument list construction is consistent and clear.  All source code is well
documented for ease of tracing and understanding.  Coding of new routines and
functions is easily done by a trained programmer familiar with DEC PDP-11 
assembly language, and capable of understanding the coordinate transformations and
other math routines utilized in the programs.   
The VAL language has been developed over a period of several years and is reliable,
bug free, easily implemented, well constructed, and clear in function and purpose.

	The source code for the operating system supplied will be delivered to the
end user under a  license agreement and a proprietary information, non-dislosure
agreement applying to each application of the software and to all applications of
software derived from the supplied source code. \.

	
DRAWINGS

\J	Unimation will supply all necessary drawings at the intervals required
and in the format required by HEDL to meet the specifications of Section
3.8 of HWS-9437.\.


REPORTS AND DOCUMENTATION

\J	Unimation will submit all the required plans and reports as required by
their part of section 3.9 of HWS-9437.\.


ACCEPTANCE TESTING

\J	This contract will include delivery of the first unit to Sundstrand and
demonstration of that unit at Sundstrand facilities as part of their Preliminary
Acceptance Test.  All additional units will be tested or demonstrated at Unimation facilities and
will be FOB Unimation plant.\.


WARRANTY

\J	All warranty requirements made by HEDL as part of this contract and
applying to our part of the I&C system will be accepted by and backed by Unimation.\.