Patent Description:
As described in Patent Literature <NUM> (International Publication No. <CIT>), a component mounting machine is disclosed in which a mounting head that exchangeably holds multiple suction nozzles is detachably (exchangeably) attached to a head holding section of the component mounting machine. In this case, the mounting head is provided with various electrical components such as a servo motor serving as a driving source, an electromagnetic valve that turns on/off the supply of negative pressure to a suction nozzle, and a pressure sensor that detects the negative pressure to be supplied, and wirings for the electrical components are connected to the component mounting machine side via a connector.

For example, the power supply to the mounting head is turned off in advance so that an operator can remove the mounting head from the component mounting machine when the operator exchanges a suction nozzle. This is because, when the mounting head is removed while power is supplied to the mounting head, a high voltage may be generated in the circuit on the power supply side to damage the electronic component.

However, when the power supply to the mounting head is turned off in advance, it takes time before the power supply to the mounting head is resumed after the exchange of the suction nozzle and rebooting is completed, so that it takes time before production can be resumed.

In addition, the mounting head is not necessarily removed from the component mounting machine for operation when an operator exchanges the suction nozzle, and the operation may be performed in a state in which the mounting head is attached to the component mounting machine. In this case, when the mounting head is not removed from the component mounting machine, the suction nozzle can be safely exchanged even in a case where the power supply to the mounting head remains on, so that production can be resumed immediately after the exchange.

However, since the component mounting machine side does not know in advance whether the operator removes the mounting head from the component mounting machine when exchanging the suction nozzle, the operator always turns off the power supply to the mounting head when exchanging the suction nozzle. Therefore, it is necessary to resume the power supply to the mounting head after the suction nozzle is exchanged and to perform rebooting, because the power supply to the mounting head is turned off even though the power supply to the mounting head does not actually have to be turned off when the operator exchanges the suction nozzle in a state in which the mounting head is attached to the component mounting machine, and it takes time before production can be resumed.

In order to solve the above-described problem, there is provided a component mounting machine that picks up a component supplied from a component supply device and mounts the component on a circuit board, the component mounting machine including: a control device configured to control a component pickup and mounting operation of the component mounting machine; and multiple devices configured to execute the component pickup and mounting operation, in which at least one device out of the multiple devices is attachably and detachably attached to the component mounting machine and the attachable and detachable device is provided with an FPGA that operates each function of the attachable and detachable device by communicating with the control device, and the FPGA has a clock gating function of reducing an electric current flowing into the attachable and detachable device by stopping processing on a function that is not used, out of individual functions of the attachable and detachable device, when the attachable and detachable device is in a state capable of being removed by an operator.

This configuration is a technical idea which focuses on the fact that the attachable and detachable device is provided with the FPGA operating each function of the attachable and detachable device by communicating with the control device of the component mounting machine, and which efficiently utilizes the clock gating function provided in the FPGA to solve the above-described problem. Specifically, the FPGA provided in the attachable and detachable device uses the clock gating function to reduce an electric current flowing into the attachable and detachable device by stopping processing on a function that is not used, out of individual functions of the attachable and detachable device, when the attachable and detachable device is in a state capable of being removed by the operator. In this case, since the electric current flowing into the attachable and detachable device is reduced by the clock gating function although induced voltage is generated in the circuit on the power supply side when the attachable and detachable device is actually removed by the operator, the induced voltage generated in the circuit on the power supply side when the attachable and detachable device is removed by the operator is decreased, so that it is possible to prevent the electronic component from being damaged. Accordingly, in a case where the attachable and detachable device is a mounting head, when the operator exchanges the suction nozzle in a state in which the mounting head is attached to the component mounting machine, production can be promptly resumed without performing rebooting after the exchange.

Hereinafter, two first and second embodiments disclosed in the present specification will be described.

First, a first embodiment will be described with reference to <FIG>. A component mounting machine includes control device <NUM> that controls a component pickup and mounting operation, and multiple devices that are used to execute the component pickup and mounting operation. Here, as the multiple devices that are used to execute the component pickup and mounting operation, for example, component supply device <NUM>, such as a tape feeder and a tray feeder, that supplies a component, mounting head <NUM> that attachably and detachably (exchangeably) holds a suction nozzle (not shown) which picks up the component supplied from component supply device <NUM>, head moving device <NUM> that moves mounting head <NUM> in an XY direction, conveyor <NUM> that carries in/out a circuit board, component bottom-surface imaging camera <NUM> that images the component picked up by the suction nozzle from the bottom surface side thereof, and illumination device <NUM> that illuminates the bottom surface of the component which is an imaging target when the imaging of component bottom-surface imaging camera <NUM> are provided. In addition, although not shown, for example, a clamping device that clamps the circuit board carried in by conveyor <NUM>, and a nozzle changer that stores a suction nozzle for exchange are provided.

Control device <NUM> of the component mounting machine is formed of a computer (CPU) as a main component, and controls the operations of the above-described multiple devices to execute the component pickup and mounting operation.

Mounting head <NUM> is provided with various electrical components such as at least one servo motor <NUM> serving as a driving source, electromagnetic valve <NUM> that turns on/off the supply of negative pressure to the suction nozzle, and pressure sensor <NUM> that detects the negative pressure to be supplied, and is also provided with mark imaging camera <NUM> that images a reference mark of the circuit board from above, LED illumination device <NUM> that illuminates an imaging target thereof, and the like. Wirings for various electrical components provided in mounting head <NUM> are connected to the side of control device <NUM> of the component mounting machine via a connector (not shown).

Mounting head <NUM>, which is a device attachably and detachably attached to the component mounting machine, is provided with Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) <NUM> that operates each function (each electrical component) of mounting head <NUM> by communicating with control device <NUM> of the component mounting machine. FPGA <NUM> is an array (gate array IC) of multiple logic circuits that are programmable (rewritable) in the field, and has clock gating function <NUM>. Clock gating function <NUM> reduces an electric current flowing into mounting head <NUM> by stopping processing on a function that is not used, out of individual functions of mounting head <NUM>, when mounting head <NUM> is in a state capable of being removed (the suction nozzle can be exchanged) by the operator.

Here, whether mounting head <NUM> is in the state capable of being removed (the suction nozzle can be exchanged) by the operator is determined by any of the following three determination methods <NUM> to <NUM>.

Control device <NUM> of the component mounting machine determines that mounting head <NUM> can be removed (the suction nozzle can be exchanged) by the operator, when the component mounting machine has stopped the component pickup and mounting operation (production), and causes FPGA <NUM> to operate clock gating function <NUM> by outputting a stop signal to FPGA <NUM>. Whether the component mounting machine has stopped the component pickup and mounting operation (production) can be determined by control device <NUM> of the component mounting machine.

A detecting section (not shown) that detects opening of a front cover of the component mounting machine is provided, and control device <NUM> of the component mounting machine determines that mounting head <NUM> can be removed (the suction nozzle can be exchanged) by the operator, when the detecting section has detected the opening of the front cover, and causes FPGA <NUM> to operate clock gating function <NUM> by outputting a stop signal to FPGA <NUM>. It is considered that the operator has to open the front cover of the component mounting machine in order to remove mounting head <NUM> from the component mounting machine.

Control device <NUM> of the component mounting machine determines that mounting head <NUM> can be removed (the suction nozzle can be exchanged) by the operator, when the operator has input an operation signal for performing operation such as the exchange of the suction nozzle with respect to mounting head <NUM> by operating an input device such as an operation panel (not shown), and causes FPGA <NUM> to operate clock gating function <NUM> by outputting a stop signal to FPGA <NUM>.

In the first embodiment, since only processing on servo motor <NUM> is continued and the functions except for servo motor <NUM> are not used, out of individual functions of mounting head <NUM>, when mounting head <NUM> is in a state capable of being removed (the suction nozzle can be exchanged) by the operator, the processing on the functions that are not used is stopped. In this case, examples of the functions that are not used include a function of controlling mark imaging camera <NUM>, a function of controlling the LED driver of LED illumination device <NUM>, a function of controlling the IO input of pressure sensor <NUM>, and a function of controlling the IO output of electromagnetic valve <NUM>.

In the first embodiment described above, when mounting head <NUM> is in a state capable of being removed by the operator, FPGA <NUM> provided in mounting head <NUM> that is attachably and detachably attached to the component mounting machine continues only processing on servo motor <NUM>, and uses clock gating function <NUM> to reduce the electric current flowing into mounting head <NUM> by stopping processing on the function that is not used, out of individual functions of mounting head <NUM>. In this case, since the electric current flowing into mounting head <NUM> is reduced by clock gating function <NUM> although induced voltage is generated in the circuit on the power supply side when mounting head <NUM> is actually removed by the operator, the induced voltage generated in the circuit on the power supply side when mounting head <NUM> is removed by the operator is decreased, so that it is possible to prevent the electronic component from being damaged. Accordingly, when the operator exchanges the suction nozzle in a state in which the mounting head <NUM> is attached to the component mounting machine, production can be promptly resumed without performing rebooting of FPGA <NUM> after the exchange.

A second embodiment will be described with reference to <FIG>. It should be noted that the same reference numerals are assigned and the description thereof will be omitted and simplified for substantially the same portions as those in the above-described first embodiment, and description will be made mainly for different portions.

In the second embodiment shown in <FIG>, mounting head <NUM> is provided with component side-surface imaging camera <NUM> that images a component picked up by the suction nozzle from the side-surface side thereof, and LED illumination device <NUM> that illuminates a side surface of the component which is an imaging target when the imaging of component side-surface imaging camera <NUM>, in addition to mark imaging camera <NUM> and LED illumination device <NUM>.

Also in the second embodiment, when mounting head <NUM> is in a state capable of being removed (the suction nozzle can be exchanged) by the operator, processing on a function that is not used, out of individual functions of mounting head <NUM>, is stopped so that an electric current flowing into mounting head <NUM> is reduced. In this case, the functions that are not used out of individual functions of mounting head <NUM> include a function of controlling component side-surface imaging camera <NUM> and a function of controlling the LED driver of LED illumination device <NUM>, in addition to each function described in the first embodiment. The other configuration is the same as the configuration of the first embodiment. Also in the second embodiment described above, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described first and second embodiments, and in a case where even a device other than mounting head <NUM> is attachable to and detachable from the component mounting machine and is provided with an FPGA that operates each function of the attachable and detachable device by communicating with control device <NUM> of the component mounting machine, the present invention can be applied and carried out for the attachable and detachable device.

In addition, it goes without saying that the present invention may be implemented by various changes, for example, the configuration of the component mounting machine or the configuration of mounting head <NUM> may be appropriately changed.

Claim 1:
A component mounting machine that is configured to pick up a component supplied from a component supply device (<NUM>) and mount the component on a circuit board, the component mounting machine comprising:
a control device (<NUM>) configured to control a component pickup and mounting operation of the component mounting machine; and
multiple devices configured to execute the component pickup and mounting operation, wherein at least one device out of the multiple devices is attachably and detachably attached to the component mounting machine;
characterized in that
the attachable and detachable device (<NUM>) is provided with an FPGA (<NUM>) that is configured to operate each function of the attachable and detachable device (<NUM>) by communicating with the control device (<NUM>), and the FPGA (<NUM>) has a clock gating function (<NUM>) of reducing an electric current flowing into the attachable and detachable device (<NUM>) by stopping processing on a function that is not used, out of individual functions of the attachable and detachable device (<NUM>), when the attachable and detachable device (<NUM>) is in a state capable of being removed by an operator.