• An Automotive Example

3.2 Input Signals of a Mechatronic System Transducer/Sensor Input • Analog-to-Digital Converters

3.3 Output Signals of a Mechatronic System Digital-to-Analog Converters • Actuator Output

3.4 Signal Conditioning Sampling Rate • Filtering • Data Acquisition Boards

3.5 Microprocessor Control PID Control • Programmable Logic Controllers • Microprocessors

3.6 Microprocessor Numerical Control Fixed-Point Mathematics • Calibrations

3.7 Microprocessor Input–Output Contro Polling and Interrupts • Input and Output Transmission • HC12 Microcontroller Input–Output Subsystems • Microcontroller Network Systems

3.8 Software Control Systems Engineering • Software Engineering

• Software Design

3.9 Testing and Instrumentation Verification and Validation • Debuggers

3.10 Summary

3.1 Introduction

The purpose of this chapter is to introduce a number of topics dealing with a mechatronic system. This starts with an overview of mechatronic systems and a look at the input and output signals of a mechatronic system. The special features of microprocessor input and output are next. Software, an often-neglected portion of a mechatronic system, is briefly covered with an emphasis on software engineering concepts. The chapter concludes with a short discussion of testing and instrumentation.

The Mechatronic System

Figure 3.1 shows a typical mechatronic system with mechanical, electrical, and computer components. The process of system data acquisition begins with the measurement of a physical value by a sensor. The sensor is able to generate some form of signal, generally an analog signal in the form of a voltage level or waveform. This analog signal is sent to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). Commonly using a process of successive approximation, the ADC maps the analog input signal to a digital output. This digital value is composed of a set of binary values called bits (often represented by 0s and 1s). The set of bits represents a decimal or hexadecimal number that can be used by the microcontroller. The micro-controller consists of a microprocessor plus memory and other attached devices. The program in the microprocessor uses this digital value along with other inputs and preloaded values called calibrations to determine output commands. Like the input to the microprocessor, these outputs are in digital form and can be represented by a set of bits. A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) is then often used to convert the digital value into an analog signal. The analog signal is used by an actuator to control a physical device or affect the physical environment. The sensor then takes new measurements and the process repeated, thus completing a feedback control loop. Timing for this entire operation is synchronized by the use of a clock.

A Home/Office Example

An example of a mechatronic system is the common heating/cooling system for homes and offices. Simple systems use a bimetal thermostat with contact points controlling a mercury switch that turns on and off the furnace or air conditioner. A modern environmental control system uses these same basic components along with other components and computer program control. A temperature sensor monitors the physical environment and produces a voltage level as demonstrated in Fig. 3.2 (though generally not nearly such a smooth function). After conversion by the ADC, the microcontroller uses the digitized temperature

FIGURE 3.1 Microprocessor control system.

FIGURE 3.2 Voltage levels.

data along with a 24-hour clock and the user requested temperatures to produce a digital control signal. This signal directs the actuator, usually a simple electrical switch in this example. The switch, in turn, controls a motor to turn the heating or cooling unit on or off. New measurements are then taken and the cycle is repeated. While not a mechatronic product on the order of a camcorder, it is a mechatronic system because of its combination of mechanical, electrical, and computer components. This system may also incorporate some additional features. If the temperature being sensed is quite high, say 80°C, it is possible that a fire exists. It is then not a good idea to turn on the blower fan and feed the fire more oxygen. Instead the system should set off an alarm or use a data communication device to alert the fire department. Because of this type of computer control, the system is “smart,” at least relative to the older mercury-switch controlled systems.

An Automotive Example

A second example is the Antilock Braking System (ABS) found in many vehicles. The entire purpose of this type of system is to prevent a wheel from locking up and thus having the driver loose directional control of the vehicle due to skidding. In this case, sensors attached to each wheel determine the rotational speed of the wheels. These data, probably in a waveform or time-varied electrical voltage, is sent to the microcontroller along with the data from sensors reporting inputs such as brake pedal position, vehicle speed, and yaw. After conversion by the ADC or input capture routine into a digital value, the program in the microprocessor then determines the necessary action. This is where the aspect of human computer interface (HCI) or human machine interface (HMI) comes into play by taking account of the “feel” of the system to the user. System calibration can adjust the response to the driver while, of course, stopping the vehicle by controlling the brakes with the actuators. There are two important things to note in this example. The first is that, in the end, the vehicle is being stopped because of hydraulic forces pressing the brake pad against a drum or rotor—a purely mechanical function. The other is that the ABS, while an “intelligent product,” is not a stand-alone device. It is part of a larger system, the vehicle, with multiple microcontrollers working together through the data network of the vehicle.