Application of Power Line Communication (PLC) in the Industry 4.0 course for Master students

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a training based on Power Line Communication (PLC) in the Industry 4.0 course for Master Students. The training aim is to teach the students to drive a pick and place robot using a safe industrial control solution. The solution deploys a power line communication protocol stack to transmit data on the DC bus. This solution supports the safe operation for industrial system. Notably, we propose a CANopen Oriented layer over PLC physical layer to implement reliable motion control for the pick and place robot (type TBOT). When a fault happens (due to stuck motor drivers, etc.), the communication system must provide the guarding mode automatically (e.g., change path planning) to guarantee the operation. The approach brings forward a multi-motor synchronizing drive control with a distributed control system based on PLC network communication. Moreover, this paper presents some fault case studies and analysis. Afterward, the path planning algorithms are designed to control the stepper motors. The experimental results indicate the accuracy and stability of motion control in real-time.