A manufacturing-job apparatus includes a control module, a holding module, and a job module. The holding module is configured to hold a job object. The job module is configured to execute a job for the job object. The control module includes a communication unit and a common interface. The communication unit is configured to communicate with each of the holding module and the job module. The common interface is configured to supply motive power to both of the holding module and the job module.

An input module for an industrial controller includes configurable execution windows. The execution windows are defined by a first parameter and a second parameter stored within the input module. A third parameter defines a status bit which is compared against the execution window to set a window output signal within the input module. The execution window may define a range between the first and second parameters against which the status bit is compared. Alternately, the first and second parameters may define setpoints against which the status bit is compared. At one of the setpoints, the window output signal is set and at the other of the setpoints, the window output signal is reset.

Apparatus and methods for adaptively retooling robots include programmable adapters for detachably connecting at least one robotic peripheral to a robot, providing peripheral information associated with the robotic peripheral, and causing the robot to adaptively reconfigure based on the peripheral information.

An input module for an industrial controller is configurable to simplify setup and commissioning. The input module includes input terminals configurable, for example, as a counter input. Still other input terminals may be configured to trigger events as a function of the input signals present at the terminals. Time signals corresponding to transitions in state of the input terminals, triggering of events, or operation of the counters may be recorded. The input module is further configurable to transmit data back to the processor or to transmit data directly to another module in the industrial control network.

A method for setting device identification includes: a main control circuit sending a first identification to a first device coupled to the main control circuit to set the first identification on the first device. The main control circuit sends a second identification to a second device coupled to the main control circuit to set the second identification on the second device. The first identification is different from the second identification when the kind of the first device is the same as that of the second device, and the first identification is the same as or different from the second identification when the kind of the first device is different from that of the second device. A main control circuit and a robot for performing the setting method are also provided.

An output module for an industrial controller configurable to simplify setup and commissioning is disclosed. The output module includes configurable PWM outputs that may be scheduled to start at different times within the PWM period, that may be configured to generate a fixed number of PWM pulses, and that may have an extendable PWM period. The output terminals are configurable to enter a first state upon generation of a fault and further configurable to enter a second state after a configurable time delay following the fault being generated. The output module may receive inputs signals directly from another module and set output signals at the terminals responsive to these signals.

Embodiments are directed towards automatically identifying, configuring, monitoring, controlling, managing, and maintaining a machine, via collection computers in communication with the machine components. The components include ID Tags that store identification data, such as a component type and a unique identifier. Interrogation of the ID Tags enables the automatic identification and configuration of the machine. Data provided by the sensors, during usage of the machine, enables the remote monitoring and managing of the usage, as well as maintaining of the machine. Machine maintenance includes automatically predicting and scheduling the replacement of various components. Embodiments provide suggestions for suppliers of replacement components, as well as suggestions for alternative components that may be better optimized for the configuration and usage of the machine. Heuristics and crowd-generated data, via machine user social networks, inform predictive analyses employed to automatically identify, configure, manage, operate, and maintain the machine.

The invention relates to a method (100) for a configuration of a modular industrial robot (10), the method (100) comprising: obtaining (101) a module specification about a current structure of the robot (10), the module specification being specific for a number of modules (20) of the robot (10); configuring (102) identifiers for the modules (20) using the module specification, the identifiers being used for addressing the modules (20) via a industrial communication network (30); triggering (103) responses of the modules (20) depending on the configured identifiers; receiving (104) each of the responses via an additional communication network (40); identifying (105) each of the modules (20) from which the responses originate, a module identity of a respective identified module (20) being assigned to the response originating from it; and verifying (106) the configured identifiers using the module identities.