How can you use MATLAB Simulink's PID Tuner app to tune control systems?

1 What is the PID Tuner app?

The PID Tuner app is a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows you to design and test PID controllers for your Simulink models. The app automatically analyzes your model, identifies the plant dynamics, and suggests initial PID gains that meet some basic performance criteria. You can then adjust the PID gains and the controller type (P, PI, or PID) using interactive sliders or input boxes, and see the effects on the closed-loop response and the root locus plot. The app also provides feedback on the robustness and performance of your controller, and lets you compare different tuning methods and controller settings.

2 How to launch the PID Tuner app?

To launch the PID Tuner app, you need to have a Simulink model that contains a PID Controller block or a PID Controller (2DOF) block. You can either use an existing model or create a new one from scratch. To create a new model, you can use the Simulink Library Browser to drag and drop the blocks you need, such as sources, sinks, linear or nonlinear plants, and PID controllers. Once you have your model ready, you can open the PID Tuner app by right-clicking on the PID Controller block and selecting PID Tuner from the context menu. Alternatively, you can select the block and click on the PID Tuner button in the Simulink toolstrip.

3 How to tune your PID controller?

When you open the PID Tuner app, it will automatically analyze your model and suggest initial PID gains that satisfy some default design requirements, such as rise time, settling time, and overshoot. You can see the suggested gains in the PID Parameters panel, and the corresponding closed-loop response in the Step Response plot. You can also see the root locus plot, which shows how the closed-loop poles vary with the controller gain. You can modify the PID gains and the controller type using the sliders or the input boxes in the PID Parameters panel, and observe how the plots change accordingly. You can also change the design requirements by clicking on the Design Requirements button, and specify your desired rise time, settling time, overshoot, and phase margin. The app will then update the suggested PID gains to meet your new requirements.

4 How to compare different tuning methods and controller settings?

The PID Tuner app allows you to compare different tuning methods and controller settings using the Compare Designs feature. You can access this feature by clicking on the Compare Designs button in the toolstrip. This will open a new window where you can see up to four different designs side by side, and compare their closed-loop responses, root locus plots, and performance metrics. You can also export the designs to your Simulink model or to your MATLAB workspace. To create a new design, you can click on the New Design button and select a tuning method from the drop-down menu. The app supports several tuning methods, such as Ziegler-Nichols, IMC, and AMIGO. You can also create a custom design by manually entering the PID gains and the controller type.

6 Here’s what else to consider

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