5
HOW TO DESIGN A FEEDBACK CONTROL SYSTEM
Feedback control systems allow a person or a machine to specify something a machine must do. For example, a surgeon can use a robotically controlled instrument to perform precision surgery, or a radio receiver can adjust its gain so the listener hears the desired volume despite the received signal level varying by decades of magnitude. Or on the manufacturing floor, a cutting wheel can be controlled to make precise cuts even though the characteristics of the blade change as it wears. Another use for control systems is self-calibration of electronic systems. In these applications an accurate sensor is used to compensate for manufacturing variations, temperature variations, and aging of system components. This not only reduces manufacturing costs, but also insures a long product lifetime.
The above examples show that control systems, or servos, 1 save human effort, reduce manufacturing costs, and increase product quality, and they all include electronics, so control systems should unquestionably be a part of your skill set. Anyone who has designed, debugged, and then watched a servo in operation will tell you that it was fascinating and enjoyable. Developing a servo often involves theory, circuitry, firmware, heat transfer, and mechanical parts. The best servo designers put on their safety glasses and then bend things, break things, and sometimes get firsthand experience with the fire extinguisher!
Analysis and design of sophisticated servo ...
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