Application of a floating point digital signal processor to the control of a laser tracking system

Laser tracking systems represent the most promising technique for dynamic position measurement of industrial robots. The Institute of Flexible Automation at the Vienna University of Technology a new tracking algorithm has been developed. It is shown that using the knowledge of the actual position of the robot, a considerable improvement in tracking behavior is possible. A signal processor-based hardware system is used for the computation of the tracking algorithm and the position of the robot´s end effector. Additionally, systematic errors that arise from unavoidable errors in the adjustment of mechanical parts, from errors of the sensors, and from dynamic errors can be compensated in real time. The application of a floating-point digital signal processor has made the proposed approach feasible. The features of the digital signal processor are exploited by an optimized software written in assembly code