With PID tuning, you can adjust the PID’s on your PID controlled heater to make it more precise. An operator can conduct this by changing PID values (K-factor, I-Factor, D-factor).
PID tuning software lets you see how changing your parameters affects your PID values. You can also save these values and use them later with PID Tuning!
Before we talk about PID tuning software, let’s shed some light on some vital factors of PID technology first.
What is A PID Controller?
PID controllers are PID control algorithms that provide proportional, integral and derivative control over a process. Many PID controller implementations exist in the industry today, but the PID algorithm is universal for all PID controllers. The abbreviation of PID is; Proportional-Integral-Derivative feedback.
How Do PID Controllers Work?
PID controllers work by taking control actions based on the PID controller’s Proportional PID gain (P), Integral PID gain (I), and Derivative PID gain (D) values. An operator can tune these PID gains mathematically and can tune to control a given process type and loop dynamics.
PIDs monitor the difference between the setpoint and the process variable and calculate PID controller output to achieve a PID controlled system. You can tune PID controllers for different processes as well. However, understanding the impact of PID tuning is critical to PIDT.
How Do PID Controllers Affect PID Feedback Oscillation?
PID controllers can oscillate in a closed-loop feedback system if you do not tune the PID gains properly. The PID feedback oscillation can cause PID controlled systems to experience PID oscillation, PID surge, or PID hunt. Tuners are used to tune PID controllers in real-time so that PIDT is avoided on PID controlled systems.
Eight Things You Need To Know About PID Tuning Software Solutions Before Choosing One
There are a lot of PID tuning software options out there, and some PID Tuners offer more features than PIDC. Here are eight things you should know before choosing PIDC.
1) PID Tuning vs PID Controller Tuning
A PID controller is a feedback control system with three separate constant parameters – Proportional gain (P), Integral gain (I), and Derivative gain (D). PID tuning software lets you change PID controller parameters to improve your PID control loop. It offers PID tuning based on the Cambam algorithm for PID controller tuning.
2) PID Tuning Pros and Cons
Here are some benefits of using PID controllers:
- PID controllers are simple, reliable, and versatile
- An operator can control PID tuning very precisely for better energy usage
Some cons of PID control loops include: PID tuning is susceptible to noise in the system. Electrical noise or vibration can trigger the PID controller into oscillation. Moreover, PID controllers often require manual PID Controller Tuning (PIDT).
PIDT is a bit more complicated. It requires you to change PID controller parameters in real-time, not just save them for later use. Another con is the PID algorithm itself is not meant to be fast.
Overall, PIDs are good at maintaining a set point as long as it isn’t varying too much. But if your process has steep dynamics, PIDs are the wrong choice. PIDC offers PIDT for PID control loops that are experiencing oscillation.
3) PID Tuners Can Give You Better PID Values
It is a PID tuner that you can use to tune PID controllers and PIDT. It offers an easy-to-use interface that shows your process variable, PID controller output, PID setpoint, PID tuning parameters, and the raw value of all PID variables in real-time.
PIDC also includes a PIDT Graph, which shows you how PID tuning affects the PID controller’s behaviour in real-time!
4) PID Tuners Can Help You Avoid Oscillation
PID tuner lets you tune PID controller parameters and PIDT to avoid PID feedback oscillation. They use PID algorithms like Cambam or Ziegler-Nichols to “hunt” for PID values that cause the process to oscillate (or fail).
5) PID Tuner vs PID Controller Calculator
The tuning solution can tune your PID controller’s Proportional PID gain (P), Integral PID gain (I) and Derivative PID gain (D) parameters or PIDT to avoid PID feedback oscillation on PID controlled systems.
On the other hand, a PID calculator gives you a suggested set of values for your PID controller, but no tuning is done automatically. You can manually tune your PID controller values using PID calculators and then save them to PID tuners for PIDT.
6) PID Tuning vs PID Controller Calculation
PID controller calculation only recommends values that you should use for your controller. The tuning process calculates PID parameters based on the user’s input and tunes PID controllers in real-time to avoid oscillation. With PIDC PIDT, PID controller, you can automatically tune the parameters to avoid PID feedback oscillation.
7) PID Tuning vs PID Controller Expert Mode
The controller expert mode lets an operator manually change PID controller values to tune PID controlled systems. PID tuners let operators choose from a large library of PID values or enter their own PID values for PIDT.
8) PID Controller Simulation vs Real-Time PID Tuning
The controller simulation lets you change the setpoint and observe changes in output PID values. PIDC lets you choose between automatic tuning or manual tuning for your PID controller and automatically (or manually) tunes PID controllers and PIDT in real-time.
These are some of the most vital things you should know about PID tuning technology before investing in PID tuning software for your facility.
If you have more questions about PID technology or PID tuning software, contact the team of Pi Control Solutions. You can also feel free to browse the website https://www.picontrolsolutions.com/.
