Project
Pick-and-Place solutions form a crucial link in the SMT (surface mount technology) assembly of electronic products. These robots position various electronic components onto PCBs (printed circuit boards) with both high precision and high speed. Some can place more than 20 components per second, and it is amazing to see these machines perform. Now a global supplier of SMT solutions was seeking to provide a high performance system with a low total cost of ownership. Their soon-to-be-launched Segment Controller PC would be part of a new control platform suited for the next generation of SMT systems. The machine consists of multiple segments, each with its own machine control system, or segment controller, consisting of a ruggedized industrial system with an EtherCat (dual ethernet) interface to communicate with all motion and IO devices, and a FireWire interface to communicate with the onboard camera. Sensors and component tape rolls communicate over thecontroller area network (CAN).

Requirement
Since each new-generation pick-and-place machine consists of several controller systems, it is important to have smaller industrial systems that optimize enclosure size, yet without any sacrifice of expansion capability. The ideal controller system should be ultra-compact, but with flexible expansion for PCI and PCI Express interfaces for various add-card cards. Multi-core computing capability delivers improved performance for image processing and data transmission for the midrange pick-and-place market, where large-volume business is done. Integrating the Realtime OS with XPe runtime in a single system gives both motion and process control; this is the ideal solution for one-stop shopping. It offers high reliability, proven technology, ready platform, long availability of platform, and withstands a 55° C high environment temperature.  Advantech’s custom service for enclosure design, thermal design, NVRAM solution, and software API facilitated system integration and shortened the development cycle. Custom service items included the following:

• SUSI, integrated with the customized alarm board, makes possible full monitoring of system and chassis status, even when deeply embedded
• eSOS customization by customer and integration by Advantech
• Thermal adjustments to meet customer’s 0-55° C spec
• Chassis customization to house all USB ports
• Dual VGA option
• NVRAM solution
• Envelope type system that met all requirements

Implementation

• Customized chassis based on IPC-6025 with 8 more USB ports and with better heat dissipation meet 55° C spec
• PCE-5124 customized BIOS includes embedded Linux eSOS for OS self monitoring and self healing \
• PCE-5B05-02A1E
• PCI-1680U-AE (CAN controllers)
• NIC 10/100/1000M PCIEx4 2PORT(G)
• NVmem card customized by Advantech

System Diagram
 

System
Based on Advantech’s SBC PCE-5124 Intel® Q35 platform, the system provided a high performance solution. The BP PCE-5B05-02A1E provided flexible expansion of PCI/ PCIe x1. Ten USB ports on front and back provided for a variety of I/O expansion and also passed EMC class A tests. A customized NVmem card designed by Advantech which saved the last state of the software and segment hardware in order to initialize the machine to the correct state after restarting. This machine state controller makes use of a UPS unnecessary.
A customized heat dissipation design enabled this compact and full loading system to pass its blistering 55° C environment test. The customized solution and system integration provided a reliable, high performance system with UL/CE/FCC certifications.

Conclusion
Advantech provided a high performance, envelope type system that met all customer requirements. To fulfill the strict requirements of the environmental temp spec, chassis, NVmem spec, eSOS customization and integration, Advantech used its competence and knowhow to provide a total customized solution, and the customer got convenient, one-stop shopping. The customized solution and system integration provided high performance and good reliability in a system with UL/CE/FCC certification. Advantech’s worldwide network of service support provided an unexpected added benefit.