When Cascade Control Isn’t the Right Solution
Sometimes looking for the right answer can be difficult especially within the realm of process control. While it can be easy to identify solutions that satisfy some requirements it
The Pros and Cons of Cascade Control
As shared previously Cascade Control is an advanced application of Single Loop Control. Through the use of a secondary and faster PID control loop, practitioners can improve a given
Overview of Cascade Control
While Cascade Control is generally considered an advanced control strategy, it is only marginally more complex to implement than Single Loop Control. More often than not it is applied
How to Perform a Step Test
Tuning PID controllers is a multi-step process. While it is important to understand each step in the process, performing the bump test and collecting dynamic data is the most crucial
Data Collection Speed is Key to the Accurate Interpretation of Process Dynamics
If you’re old enough to remember silent movies, then you know what it’s like to see the characters seemingly jiggle around the screen. Black spots would randomly appear as the
Using Percent Time in Normal to Uncover Tuning Issues
Even Simple Metrics Such as Percent Time in Normal Reveal Issues that Negatively Affect Performance and Signal the Need for Controller Tuning It’s easy to get tripped up if a shoelace
Using the Oscillation Metric to Uncover Tuning Issues
There’s a wealth of information available in most every data historian. The data can be used to evaluate the performance of a plant’s regulatory control systems in general and to
Common Industrial Applications of PID Control with Filter
Other Questions. Sometimes controller design feels like a choice between the lesser of not two but three evils. P-Only Control is simple and provides a fast response, but the resulting Offset
Common Industrial Applications of PID Control
A previous post about the Derivative Term focused on its weaknesses. As noted, the primary challenge associated with the use of Derivative and PID Control is the volatility of the
How Can I Correct for Noise Using External Filters?
Choices, choices. In the realm of process control practitioners are regularly forced to choose between competing options. Consider a PID control loop: Should it be tuned for faster disturbance rejection