A programmable logic controller (PLC) executes a ladder diagram (LD) using input and output modules. An LD also has PID controller function blocks. It contains as many PID function blocks as the number of process parameters to be controlled. Adding more process parameters slows down PLC scan time. Process parameters are measured as analog signals. The analog input module in the PLC converts these analog signals into digital signals and forwards them to the PID controller as inputs. In this research work, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA)-based multiple PID controller is proposed to retain PLC scan time at a lower value. Concurrent execution of multiple PID controllers was assured by assigning separate FPGA hardware resources for every PID controller. Digital input to the PID controller is routed by the novel idea of analog to digital conversion (ADC), performed using a digital to analog converter (DAC), comparator, and FPGA. ADC combined with dedicated PID controller logic in an FPGA for every closed-loop control system confirms concurrent execution of multiple PID controllers. The time required to execute two closed-loop controls was identified as 18.96000004 ms. This design can be used either with or without a PLC.

• Klíčová slova
• PI control, analog to digital conversion, data acquisition, field programmable gate arrays, programmable logic controller, scan time,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

The paper is focused on the identification, control design, and experimental verification of a two-input two-output hot-air laboratory apparatus representing a small-scale version of appliances widely used in the industry. A decentralized multivariable controller design is proposed, satisfying control-loop decoupling and measurable disturbance rejection. The proposed inverted or equivalent noninverted decoupling controllers serve for the rejection of cross-interactions in controlled loops, whereas open-loop antidisturbance members satisfy the absolute invariance to the disturbances. Explicit controller-structure design formulae are derived, and their equivalence to other decoupling schemes is proven. Three tuning rules are used to set primary controller parameters, which are further discretized. All the control responses are simulated in the Matlab/Simulink environment. In the experimental part, two data-acquisition, communication, and control interfaces are set up. Namely, a programmable logic controller and a computer equipped with the peripheral component interconnect card commonly used in industrial practice are implemented. A simple supervisory control and data acquisition human-machine interface via the Control Web environment is developed. The laboratory experiments prove better temperature control performance measured by integral criteria by 35.3%, less energy consumption by up to 6%, and control effort of mechanical actuator parts by up to 17.1% for our method compared to the coupled or disturbance-ignoring design in practice. It was also observed that the use of a programmable logic controller gives better performance measures for both temperature and air-flow control.

• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH