Electrical Engineering Stack Exchange
Electrical Engineering Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [control-system]

A system that may be electronic circuits or even software that uses control theory (principally differential equations) to control an output by monitoring various aspects of the system under control and varying inputs all towards meeting a defined goal. Some famous examples are controlling a rockets thrust angle to ensure directional control.

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What is noise gain, really? And how is it determined in the general case?

UPDATE: This question triggered what might fairly be called a research obsession for me. I've gotten pretty close to the bottom of it I think, I've posted my findings as an answer below. There was a similar question here but it did not ask for nor…
scanny
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How to learn PID Control?

I want to learn PID (Proportional–Integral–Derivative) control mainly for temperature. I would like to learn preferably through an easy project to do. Could you please recommend something which would take a few weeks to learn? Edit: I want to…
Daniel Grillo
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Why only sine waves?

I have already read a few EE texts where a sine wave is often seen. Why is the sine wave often used as a test function for a circuit or a system? Why don't we use any other signal instead of sine? Do we use sine waves as test signal because of the…
LECS
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System Modeling for Control Systems

After taking classes in control theory as an undergraduate, I ended up not using them at all after I graduated. I've started to fix that by starting a hobby project in controls. My textbooks are pretty good references for the theory, but my biggest…
krapht
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Why are low-dropout (LDO) voltage regulators unstable?

LDO regulators based on P-type transistors seem to be the preferred form of linear voltage regulator today, but I keep hearing about how I have to choose the output capacitor(s) carefully to guarantee stability. The older high-dropout regulators…
Adam Haun
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How to use measured step response to tune control system

How does one use a measured step response to tune either a PID or convolution control scheme? Inspired by this answer*, I'm interested a more detailed explanation of how to implement a control system based on the measured step response. I would not…
tyblu
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Do working electrical engineers in circuit design ever use textbook formulas for rise time, peak time, settling time, etc

This is a very general question. In undergrad electrical engineering, students are usually taught about step response to LC (second order) circuits. This is usually when many parameters are introduced, some of which are rise time peak time…
Fraïssé
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PID algorithm: how to account for fast input value changes after a long delay

I am trying to implement a basic PID algorithm on an Arduino Leonardo to mix hot and cold tap water using servo-controlled valves. The goal is to hold the temperature as close to a setpoint as possible. Especially important is preventing the…
Ryan Griggs
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How to implement a self tuning PID-like Controller

I am trying to write a micro-controller program for controlling temperature in a system with the following characteristics: output can only be On or Off, with fixed cycle frequencies (~2-10 per hour) The plant is slow to respond (measurable changes…
MandoMando
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Motor fader PID control

I'm trying to control a motorized fader (linear slide potentiometer) using an Arduino. PID control gives good results for "jumping" to a specific target position, but tracking ramps is a problem, it's not smooth at all. The movement is very jerky,…
tttapa
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How do I size the output capacitor for a DC bench power supply?

I'm designing a DC bench power supply and have come to the matter of choosing the output capacitor. I've identified a number of related design criteria, but I'm finding my reasoning still going a bit in circles as I try to sequence these into a…
scanny
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Gain margin and Phase Margin Physical Meaning

I have been trying to understand the physical concept of Gain and Phase Margin. What I understand about this is that a relative comparison around the critical point \$(-1,0)\$, which when converted to magnitude and phase form turns out Magnitude =…
Fawaz
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How do power grid systems supply power to new loads coming online?

I know that in a power system there are no energy storage elements. Due to this, as soon as power is generated by the generators it is transmitted to the end user where the power is utilized. Say a power system is stable at the moment (energy…
Sandaru Akalanka
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Conditional stability

I'm learning about op-amps and feedback and how feedback affects their stability. I've been reading about gain and phase margin and their uses when I came across this: I don't quite understand how the system shown in the picture will be stable…
user968243
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PID Control Loops with large and unpredictable anomalies

Short Question Is there a common way to handle very large anomalies (order of magnitude) within an otherwise uniform control region? Background I am working on a control algorithm that drives a motor across a generally uniform control region. …
Adam Lewis
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