COMPUTER-SIMULATION OF A SOFTWARE SERVO CONTROLLER

Modem robots have stringent specifications attached to their quality o f performance. Fast robots have highly complicated dynamics owing to p arameter variations as a result of changing configurations whose remed y demands complex control schemes. Software servo control is one such proposal where a high speed computer system monitors the robot in real time by processing complex algorithms. Linearizing simplifications to produce cost effective on-line computer control is unsatisfactory. Th e present proposal has a distinct nuance. It replaces the ''pensive co mputer by a low cost microprocessor where the memory is loaded with pr ecalculated ''experience'' database. Control signals are issued to the system by rapid interpolations on the stored database and hence no li nearizing approximations are needed. The scheme considers feedbacks ba sed on position, velocity and acceleration whose gains are microproces sor controlled for optimum performance under important eventualities l ike configuration changes, load torque disturbances, etc. Simulation r esults document encouraging performance-robustness with such desirable qualities like high speed of response, low overshoot and great energy saving.