Difficulties in Using an Analog Module to Control Position Settings for a Robot Arm

In robotics, precise control is a requirement if the robot is to work correctly. According to Trossen Robotics, choosing sensors is the most important part of a robotic system. For robotic arms, this means precise control of a welding arc or a manipulator hand, or picking up a part to transfer. Various sensors are used to accomplish positioning control. Some sensors are better than others, in terms of position accuracy.
  1. Repeatability

    • One of the chief problems is repeatability. This refers to the arm returning to the exact same spot, time after time. An analog sensor has known repeatability issues. Suppose a resistive sensor has a 1 percent error tolerance. For analog devices measuring degrees, this is considered accurate. If 1 percent deviation translates into 3.6 degrees of deviation (360 times .01), the arm after positioning may be off by 4 or more inches. The key understanding is that angles are like a slice of a pie. The further away from the point, the wider the divergence, and the wider the error.

    Analog To Digital Conversion

    • All computers and programmable controllers are digital. To convert from an analog output to a digital input, complex circuitry is needed. In the process of converting, part of the signal is lost. The end result is that the controller issues commands based on an incomplete input. The servos, in turn, are controlled by erroneous input. The arm may behave erratically because of the problems converting from analog to digital.

    Environment Issues

    • Analog modules are prone to environmental changes. If the humidity is high, the output readings may be slightly different than if the humidity is low. For a robot that has to operate in differing temperatures and humidity, this leads to errors in arm positioning. For an industrial robot, the sensors have to be sealed against dust, corrosive environments and heat.

    Durability Issues

    • Analog modules, by and large, are not as durable as digital sensors. They have moving parts, and moving mechanical parts eventually wear out. For this and the other aforementioned reasons, design engineers almost exclusively use digital sensors, or sensors that have no moving parts.

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