A method for controlling and/or monitoring a machine arrangement having at least one machine, in particular at least one robot, with the aid of a processor arrangement having a plurality of processors each with at least one core. The method includes selecting, in particular temporarily selecting, a first available and at least one further available core on the proviso that these cores are implemented, in particular arranged, on different processors of the processor arrangement, in particular during operation of the machine arrangement and/or on the basis of an updated directory and/or on the basis, in particular as a result, of an ascertained need for redundant processing of process signals; processing process signals redundantly with the aid of these selected cores; and controlling and/or monitoring the machine arrangement on the basis of this processing.

A plurality of safety monitoring units are set on a plurality of loops of a safety monitoring system. A default test program is executed by each of the safety monitoring units. A length of test time of performing the default test program of each safety monitoring unit is compared with a length of verification time to diagnose any abnormality of the safety monitoring unit. When the safety monitoring unit is diagnosed as being abnormal, an abnormality notification is issued, a power switch is immediately turned off to stop the operations of the robot.

A control system in which a plurality of controllers and a redundant controller are connected to a common network, the plurality of controllers are divided into a highly available controller and other normal controllers, the redundant controller obtains context data of the highly available controller to hold the context data in a memory, holds programs of the plurality of controllers in a non-volatile memory, and holds the program of the highly available controller in the memory, and an arithmetic unit substitutes processing of the highly available controller by using the context data and the program of the highly available controller held in advance in the memory when a failure occurs in the highly available controller.

A system for controlling a robot. The system includes: an interface that provides data DAT(t) captured by one or more sensors, wherein the data DAT(t) indicate a current state ZUS(t) of the robot, a first processor that is connected to the interface and that is set up to use a first algorithm to check, on the basis of the data DAT(t) and a prescribed state space Z, which indicates exclusively permitted states of the robot, whether it holds that: ZUS(t)Z, wherein in the event of: ZUS(t).Math.Z a first stop signal Sig1 is generated, a unit, connected to the first processor via a data link, for generating a second stop signal Sig2, which generates the second stop signal Sig2 when the unit receives the first stop signal Sig1 or when the unit establishes that the data link is interrupted, a second processor, connected to the interface and the first processor or only to the first processor, that is set up to use a second algorithm to check, on the basis of the data DAT(t) and a prescribed state space Z or a boundary for the state space Z, whether it holds that: ZUS(t)Z, wherein in the event of ZUS(t).Math.Z the second processor prompts an interruption unit to interrupt the data link between the first processor and the unit, and a control unit, connected to the unit, for controlling the robot, which control unit controls/regulates the robot into a prescribed safe state when the second stop signal Sig2 is present.

The present application provides a safety control system for an industrial robot and an industrial robot including the safety control system. In an embodiment, the safety control system includes a first safety controller connected to at least one core safety sensor outputting a core safety signal, to receive the core safety signal; and a second safety controller connected to at least one safety-related sensor outputting a safety-related signal, to receive the safety-related signal. In an embodiment, the first safety controller and the second safety controller are respectively connected to a safety actuating system.

The invention relates to a system for controlling a robot. The system includes: an interface that provides data DAT(t) captured by one or more sensors, wherein the data DAT(t) indicate a current state ZUS(t) of the robot, a first processor that is connected to the interface and that is set up to use a first algorithm to check, on the basis of the data DAT(t) and a prescribed state space Z, which indicates exclusively permitted states of the robot, whether it holds that: ZUS(t) Z, wherein in the event of: ZUS(t) .Math. Z a first stop signal Sig1 is generated, a unit, connected to the first processor via a data link, for generating a second stop signal Sig2, which generates the second stop signal Sig2 when the unit receives the first stop signal Sig1 or when the unit establishes that the data link is interrupted, a second processor, connected to the interface and the first processor or only to the first processor, that is set up to use a second algorithm to check, on the basis of the data DAT(t) and a prescribed state space Z or a boundary for the state space Z whether it holds that: ZUS(t) Z wherein in the event of ZUS(t) .Math. Z the second processor prompts an interruption unit to interrupt the data link between the first processor and the unit, and a control unit, connected to the unit, for controlling the robot, which control unit controls/regulates the robot into a prescribed safe state when the second stop signal Sig2 is present.

A control system in which a plurality of controllers and a redundant controller are connected to a common network, the plurality of controllers are divided into a highly available controller and other normal controllers, the redundant controller obtains context data of the highly available controller to hold the context data in a memory, holds programs of the plurality of controllers in a non-volatile memory, and holds the program of the highly available controller in the memory, and an arithmetic unit substitutes processing of the highly available controller by using the context data and the program of the highly available controller held in advance in the memory when a failure occurs in the highly available controller.

A method for controlling and/or monitoring a machine arrangement having at least one machine, in particular at least one robot, with the aid of a processor arrangement having a plurality of processors each with at least one core. The method includes selecting, in particular temporarily selecting, a first available and at least one further available core on the proviso that these cores are implemented, in particular arranged, on different processors of the processor arrangement, in particular during operation of the machine arrangement and/or on the basis of an updated directory and/or on the basis, in particular as a result, of an ascertained need for redundant processing of process signals; processing process signals redundantly with the aid of these selected cores; and controlling and/or monitoring the machine arrangement on the basis of this processing.