[time-nuts] Control Systems (was: uC ADC resolution)

Attila Kinali attila at kinali.ch
Sun Jun 11 12:28:02 EDT 2017


Hi,

On Sat, 10 Jun 2017 13:10:39 -0700
Chris Albertson <albertson.chris at gmail.com> wrote:

> How many output bits are required?  Most uPs have quite a few digital
> output pins.  Each pin could drive a heater resister.  Values of the
> resisters organized by power of two.   Again note the title (poor mans...)
>  resisters cost almost zero.  Even of driver transistors are needed you'd
> get change back from a dollar bill.

You are asking a lot of question regarding control systems.
But, there are no easy answers there. Especially if you want
to build it cheap. The cheaper you want to be the more you
need to know and understand the problem.

I suggest you reading an introductory text into control systems
like e.g. "Feedback Control of Dynamic Systems", by Franklin, Powell,
Emami-Naeini. That should answer 90% of your questions, if not more.
If you want to go into details of digital control systems, a book
like the one by Landau/Zito "Digital Control Systems" will fill the
gaps.

If you have never heard anything about Laplace and z-Transformation,
then I highly suggest reading the first few chapters of "Linear Systems
and Signals" by Lathi (and keep it as a reference), before you start
with any control theory book.

There is really no easy way around learning this stuff if you want
to build a control system that does more than just "barely work".
You don't need to apply all the fancy methodology, people have developed
over the years, in most cases. But even just getting a simple PI-loop
working correctly without oscillation requires a few calculations.

			Attila Kinali
-- 
It is upon moral qualities that a society is ultimately founded. All 
the prosperity and technological sophistication in the world is of no 
use without that foundation.
                 -- Miss Matheson, The Diamond Age, Neil Stephenson


More information about the time-nuts mailing list