Tag: control systems

PID control can be a frustrating subject for many students, even those with previous knowledge of calculus. At times it can seem like an impossibly abstract concept to master. Thankfully, there is a relatively simple way to make PID control more “real,” and that is hands-on experience with a real PID controller. I advise you…

Instrument technicians should not have to concern themselves over the programming details internal to digital PID controllers. Ideally, a digital PID controller should simply perform the task of executing PID control with all the necessary features (setpoint tracking, output limiting, etc.) without the end-user having to know anything about those details. However, in my years…

In order for any PID controller to be practical, it must be able to do more than just implement the PID equation. This section identifies and explains some of the basic features found on most (but not all!) modern PID controllers: Manual versus Automatic mode Output tracking Setpoint tracking Alarming PV characterization and damping Setpoint…

The vast majority of PID controllers in service today are digital in nature. Microprocessors executing PID algorithms provide many advantages over any form of analog PID control (pneumatic or electronic), not the least of which being the ability to network with personal computer workstations and other controllers over wired or wireless (radio) networks. 29.13.1 Stand-alone digital…

Although analog electronic process controllers are considered a newer technology than pneumatic process controllers, they are actually “more obsolete” than pneumatic controllers. Panel-mounted (inside a control room environment) analog electronic controllers were a great improvement over panel-mounted pneumatic controllers when they were first introduced to industry, but they were superseded by digital controller technology later…

A pneumatic controller receives a process variable (PV) signal as a variable air pressure, compares that signal against a desired setpoint (SP) value, and then mechanically generates another air pressure signal as the output, driving a final control element. Throughout this section I will make reference to a pneumatic controller mechanism of my own design. This mechanism…

For better or worse, there are no fewer than three different forms of PID equations implemented in modern PID controllers: the parallel, ideal, and series. Some controllers offer the choice of more than one equation, while others implement just one. It should be noted that more variations of PID equation exist than these three, but that these are the three…

A very helpful method for understanding the operation of proportional, integral, and derivative control terms is to analyze their respective responses to the same input conditions over time. This section is divided into subsections showing P, I, and D responses for several different input conditions, in the form of graphs. In each graph, the controller…

PID control can be a confusing concept to understand. Here, a brief summary of each term within PID (P. I, and D) is presented for your learning benefit. 29.8.1 Proportional control mode (P) Proportional – sometimes called gain or sensitivity – is a control action reproducing changes in input as changes in output. Proportional controller action responds to present changes in…

The final element of PID control is the “D” term, which stands for derivative. This is a calculus concept like integral, except most people consider it easier to understand. Simply put, derivative is the expression of a variable’s rate-of-change with respect to another variable. Finding the derivative of a function (differentiation) is the inverse operation of integration. With…

Imagine a liquid-level control system for a vessel, where the position of a level-sensing float sets the position of a potentiometer, which then sets the speed of a motor-actuated control valve. If the liquid level is above setpoint, the valve continually opens up; if below setpoint, the valve continually closes off: Unlike the proportional control system where valve position…

A fundamental limitation of proportional control has to do with its response to changes in setpoint and changes in process load. A “load” in a controlled process is any variable not controlled by the loop controller which nevertheless affects the process variable the controller is trying to regulate. In other words, a “load” is any factor…

Imagine a liquid-level control system for a vessel, where the position of a level-sensing float directly sets the stem position of a control valve. As the liquid level rises, the valve opens up proportionally: Despite its crude mechanical nature, this proportional control system would in fact help regulate the level of liquid inside the process vessel. If…

Once while working as an instrument technician in an aluminum foundry, a mechanic asked me what it was that I did. I began to explain my job, which was essentially to calibrate, maintain, troubleshoot, document, and modify (as needed) all automatic control systems in the facility. The mechanic seemed puzzled as I explained the task…

Negative feedback systems, in general, tend to cause much confusion for those first learning their fundamental principles and behaviors. The closed-cycle “loop” formed by the interaction of sensing element, controller, final control element, and process means essentially that everything affects everything else. This is especially problematic when the feedback control system in question contains a fault and…