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Design and implementation of a new torque controller via FPGA for 6-DOF articulated robots

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Abstract

This study aims to design a force/torque position-based proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller based on kinematics of 6-degree-of-freedom (DOF) HIWIN RA605 articulated robot and a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) implementation in high-speed. This novel force/torque controller is appropriate for collaborating with humans or grinding, winding tasks, or any jobs that require force/torque accuracy, and it can even reduce the harm caused by robot-human or robot-robot collisions. A digital algorithm for 6-DOF controller is developed using Verilog HDL and validated with an FPGA to implement several tasks (e.g., encoder counters, digital filter, analog generator, PID controller, and communication) to drive alternating current (AC) servo motors. Digital filter is a crucial algorithm implemented inside the FPGA to minimize the error from encoder signals. A proposed force/torque controller works with an analog voltage rather than a pulse-width modulation as some prior controllers accomplished. The process time by FPGA is 160 ns. The total time response of the control system including hardware response is 82 µs. In this study, the position error at the end effector is around 0.19 mm.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the Minister of Science and Technology under 109-2221-E-009-163, 109-2622-8-009-018-TE1, 110-2622-8-009 -011 -TE1, 110-2223-E-A49-001- and 109-2622-E-009-027-. And the authors would like to acknowledge chip fabrication support provided by Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute (TSRI), Taiwan, R. O. C.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan

    Tan-Phat Phan

  2. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan

    Zih-Wei Huang

  3. Department of Electrical Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan

    Paul C.-P. Chao

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  1. Tan-Phat Phan
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  2. Paul C.-P. Chao
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  3. Zih-Wei Huang
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Correspondence to Paul C.-P. Chao.

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Phan, TP., Chao, P.CP. & Huang, ZW. Design and implementation of a new torque controller via FPGA for 6-DOF articulated robots. Microsyst Technol 28, 2259–2276 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-022-05292-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-022-05292-x

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