Robotic controller on VME bus

An attempt to transfer the Robotic Arm Control System (RACS) to the UNIX-based platform is described. The RACS features a practical computer architecture utilizing off-the-shelf parts. It may be used to implement any control method and is particularly well suited for complex schemes like reflex action position control. The control flow does not require all the input data to be present at one instant of time. Thus, the concept of distributed-sampling control may be used. The RACS is driven by a UNIX-based workstation through the industrial VME bus. The RACS controller is configured to work with the UNIX-based workstation SUN 3. It is shown that the RACS structure is flexible enough to work with another control system, while retaining its plant interfaces. This is mostly because the internal custom T-bus makes the plant and the sensor interfaces virtually one unit. Any host able to communicate in the T-bus protocol can drive the plant.<<ETX>>