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Traditionally, the joints of robotic arms require a control chip. By using ST’s integrated drive and control solution, the driving chip and MCU solutions can all be placed on one board, achieving miniaturization and lightweight design for robotic arm joints.
On November 10, the 2022 International Integrated Circuit Exhibition and Seminar (IIC Shenzhen), hosted by the international technology media group AspenCore, was grandly opened at the Great China International Exchange Square in Shenzhen. During the concurrent “International Industry 4.0 Technology and Application Forum,” Mr. Feng Guozhu, Strategic Marketing Manager of STMicroelectronics, shared a presentation titled “STMicroelectronics’ Industrial Automation and Robotics Solutions.”
Factory automation is a complex system that requires the coordinated operation of hardware and software. Feng Guozhu straightforwardly shared the basic framework of a typical factory automation system, as can be seen:
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At the top are the PLC and HMI solutions; PLC stands for Programmable Logic Controller, and HMI stands for Human-Machine Interface. This device is used to manage the entire automation system and receive input from field personnel or backend management computers. -
Below the PLC is the distribution layer. ST has some solutions to support Ethernet IP, Profinet, or EtherCAT field buses and expansion modules. ST’s main IO module solutions can also connect with these field buses. -
The next stage is the drive layer: ST has several solutions, such as inverters, servo drives, stepper motor drivers for different types of motors, IO link hubs, and IO link digital inputs or outputs for external sensors or actuators.
“So, ST’s product line in the industrial sector is very comprehensive, providing a complete solution for everyone,” said Feng Guozhu.
ST’s PLC Solutions
This is a fully integrated PLC. The first advantage is that it provides an all-in-one PLC, stepping down from industrial power supply from 5V to 3.3V, while also offering some input and output solutions.
Additionally, ST has high-side and low-side drivers. The low-side driver has 4-channel digital isolators and 8-channel high-side outputs, which are built-in isolators that can achieve an overall 8-channel integrated solution. If you use digital drives, you can use such products.
At the same time, ST also provides some digital signal input solutions that can directly convert 8 channels of 24V signals into DBL, thus solving the need for external discrete components. The demand for such products is also increasing, and many OC manufacturers will use such smaller products in their modules.
ST’s IO-Link Integrated Solutions
According to reports, ST’s IO-Link integrated solutions are increasingly applied in industrial sites with process specifications, supporting smart solutions for the last 20 meters of sensor and actuator driving and feedback, which can replace existing 4 to 20 mA/0 to 10V or ordinary digital IO solutions.
The advantage of IO-Link is that it can provide both power and bidirectional transmission of digital signals, which has led to its rapid growth in the current market. Factories can utilize it for signal conversion, remote detection, remote diagnostics, and other functions.
Feng Guozhu stated: “ST can provide solutions for the entire industrial chain, offering turnkey solutions, including software, hardware, and schematics. We have IO-Link master stations, digital input and output, and IOS; all solutions can be provided.”
Soft Protocol IO-Link Master Station Solutions
If the above solutions are hard protocol solutions, the following introduces soft protocol solutions.
The soft protocol IO-Link master station solution is a complete product-level reference design that collaborates with the IO-Link protocol stack provider TMG and its agent Hongke.
ST uses an MCU such as the STM32H743 or 753, which has 8 serial ports to connect 8 L6360, allowing one MCU to support 8 IO-Link channels.
This master station protocol stack needs to negotiate with master station protocol stack manufacturers, such as TMG, TE CONCEPT, and Asiaxin, regarding the purchasing methods and prices of the master station protocol stack, after which you can manage the relevant software code and integrate it with some field buses into the product. If factories are interested in this solution, they can contact ST for related resources in the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain to assist customers in completing project development and design.
Three Specific Cases
At the end of the presentation, Feng Guozhu introduced some of ST’s industrial servo and robotic arm solutions.
The first case is a servo drive solution within industrial robotic arms, which can use the STM3274 to drive servos, with the STM3274 packaged together with some drivers, achieving a single-chip MCU plus driver solution. Traditionally, the joints of robotic arms require a control chip. By using ST’s integrated drive and control solution, the driving chip and MCU solutions can all be placed on one board, achieving miniaturization and lightweight design for robotic arm joints.
“Currently, ST has collaborated with its third-party partners to realize the R&D, design, and production process of such miniaturized and lightweight servo robotic arms. If you need solutions, you can reach out to us; if you want to purchase servo solutions for robotic arms, you can also contact us. We can provide resources throughout the entire industrial chain,” Feng Guozhu stated.
The second case is a detailed block diagram of a system based on automated guided vehicles (AGVs), which typically have at least 4 servo motors. Therefore, it can utilize the aforementioned ST dual-in-one servo driver module solution.
In addition to robotic arms and motor drives used in industrial applications, there is a critical project called functional safety, which is very important, known as the STO safety judgment. ST also provides STO solutions for functional safety servo drives.
This is a redundant dual-channel safety torque-off solution. ST can support dual digital inputs and control the shutdown output signals and output power. If a factory’s system needs to meet functional safety testing requirements, this solution is necessary.
