With the rapid advancement of technology, industrial robots have become an indispensable part of modern manufacturing. They not only replace human labor in performing high-intensity, repetitive tasks but also significantly enhance production efficiency and ensure product quality. In this process, the embedded core board serves as the "brain" of the industrial robot, playing a crucial role in its operation.
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An embedded core board, also known as a System-On-Module(SOM), is a high-integrated module that combines a CPU, memory (DDR), storage (eMMC or NAND FLASH), power management (PMIC), and other essential components into a single package. These core boards typically connect to a baseboard using board-to-board connectors, stamp hole welding, gold fingers, or COM Express formats. The core board usually exposes all or most of the CPU’s functional pins, allowing users to focus only on designing the peripheral circuits for functional interfaces, which reduces hardware development difficulty and saves development time.
On the software side, the embedded core board (referred to as the core board hereafter) typically comes pre-configured with embedded operating systems such as Linux (Build Root), Ubuntu, Android, and WinCE. In addition to supporting various interface drivers, it includes the adaptation of Uboot, file systems, and QT graphical user interface for development. This results in a complete operating system with a graphical interface, which greatly facilitates secondary development for users. The core board provides powerful computing capabilities, a rich array of interface resources, and a stable operating environment, making it key to enabling the intelligence and automation of industrial robots.
The robot controller is the heart of the robot, controlling its motion, position, posture, trajectory, and operational sequences within its workspace. Each joint of the robot needs to be synchronized and coordinated in real time to achieve these complex movements, which is supported by servo drivers. The I/O module links digital input signals with the system's control signals, enabling precise control of the robot system. Finally, a stable power supply system ensures the robot operates safely. Therefore, the main controller of the robot must be equipped with a high-performance CPU, an embedded real-time operating system, support for EtherCAT industrial buses, and a variety of functional interfaces. Given these requirements, the Ebyte ECK30 industrial-grade core board has been selected as the main control platform for the robot controller.
The Ebyte ECK30-T13IA series core board is carefully designed based on Allwinner’s T113-i processor. It is a low-cost, low-power, high-performance, and highly reliable industrial-grade embedded core board with full domestic manufacturing. The T113-i processor consists of a dual-core ARM Cortex-A7, RISC-V, and HiFi4 DSP, providing users with efficient computing power. It also offers a variety of digital I/O functions, including support for one display at 1920×1080@60fps, one digital camera at 1920×1080@30fps, one gigabit Ethernet port, three SDIO, two USB, six UART, and two CAN ports. Additionally, it provides analog video, analog audio, and ADC functions, offering rich analog I/O capabilities.
With the core board, precise control of the robot's joint servos is achievable, ensuring that the robot follows preset paths for complex multi-axis coordinated movements. The integrated vision system, utilizing high-definition cameras and image processing algorithms, allows the robot to recognize objects, detect defects, and guide operations. Furthermore, the core board handles data acquisition and monitoring, tracking parameters such as temperature and current in real time, providing fault warnings and preventive maintenance. In terms of network communication, the core board supports remote control and cloud service connectivity, making it easier for users to manage and update the robot's software. Finally, it includes safety features such as emergency stop mechanisms and area protection to ensure the safety of operators.