With the new SARC firmware extension in the FSoE master series SCU, we offer a convenient option for solving complex safety-related tasks such as those required for Safe Robotic or AGV safety functions.
SARC stands for Safe Arithmetic Calculation and comprises a wide ranging library for safe calculations in float data format. These range from simple operations, such as addition or multiplication/division, through trigonometric and root functions, to matrix calculations. Thus, a wide range of safety-related tasks, such as the continuous monitoring of a winding speed as a function of the winding diameter, scanner field switching for AGVs related to their kinematics and position of the steering axes, up to more complicated calculations, such as safe TCP/Joint position and speed determination of a robot in a Cartesian coordinate system can be implemented. For the latter, matrix calculations for simple implementation of DH transformations as well as additional spatial monitoring functions have also been specifically included in the range of functions. In addition to the calculation functions, the SARC functions include conversion modules for converting position and velocity from integer to float format and vice versa. The result data are thus available as position and velocity of virtual axes for application to the safe drive monitoring functions integrated in the basic scope of the SCU series. For this purpose, input values (safe position / velocity, configurable constants, etc.) are converted into a "single precision float" value and normalized so that they can be further used for SARC.