A new control system is described for the PUMA 560 industrial robotic manipulator based on transputer networks, where both the hardware and software designs are detailed. A Transputer Interface Board (TIB) establishing a transputer link to the 6503 microprocessors of the PUMA arm joints has been designed, built and tested successfully. In addition to hardware implementation, software testing for this new system had been accomplished. The new system can communicate with the PUMA lower level controller at a much shorter period (i.e. 1.75 ms) than the default 28 ms. Genetic Algorithms are used to plan the PUMA robot minimum-time motion trajectory, which is not possible by the traditional exhaustive search method. Real-time experiments have been carried out based on the new PUMA control platform, and show a very good match with simulations. Controlled by the new system, PUMA perfoms better when it is interfaced with the shorter time period.
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