ASEE 2014 Zone I Conference, April 3-5, 2014, University of Bridgeport, Bridgpeort, CT, USA.

Comparison of Control System Using PLC & PID

Sk Hasan Hafizul Haque, H. M. Imran Hassan, S. M. Abul Hossain
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA
Power Division of MEMR, Bangladesh Power Development Board, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Additional Chief Engineer (Electrical), Bashundhara Group, Mongla, Bangladesh
shaque@my.bridgeport.edu, iimran_eee@yahoo.com, ihtkhulna@gmail.com

Abstract— A control system is an interconnection of generate a set of coefficients associated with a desired
components forming a system configuration that will provide a controller's characteristics. A MATLAB program is used to
desired system response. Due to the increasing complexity of the activate the PID controller, calculate and plot the time
system under control and the interest in achieving optimum response of the control system. When the MATLAB program
performance, the importance of control system engineering has
is run, it plots the time response of the system. Industries need
grown in the past decade. This paper proposes the development
of a robust soft-hardware interfacing based advance control a sophisticated, smooth and easy handling controller. When
where linearize the input-output data is obtained. A production requirements changed so did the control system.
proportional–integral–derivative controller (PID controller) is a This becomes very expensive when the change is frequent.
generic control loop control Feedback mechanism widely used in Since relays are mechanical devices they also have a limited
industrial control system. A PID controller attempts to correct life time which required strict adhesion to maintenance
the error between a measured process variable and a desired set- schedules. Troubleshooting was also quite tedious when so
point by calculating and then outputting a corrective action that many relays are involved. These relays would be individually
can adjust the process accordingly. PID controller is designed wired together in a manner that would yield the desired
using MATLAB functions to generate a set of coefficients
outcome. The present challenge to control engineers is the
associated with a desired controller's characteristics. A
MATLAB program is used to activate the PID controller, modeling and control of modern, complex, interrelated
calculate and plot the time response of the control system. systems such as traffic control systems, chemical process and
Although, PID based controller have particularly been robotic systems. Perhaps the most characteristic quality of
successfully applied in modern control engineering in the last control engineering is the opportunity to control machines and
decade, this paper deals with the feasibility of employing industrial and economic process for the benefit of society.
advanced control technique of Programmable Logic Controllers PLC provides above all the term we need. PLCs are used in
(PLC) to linearize the input-output characteristics of control almost every aspect of industry to expand and enhance
system. In machining, packaging, material handling, automated production [1]. Where older automated systems would use
assembly or countless other industries applications the PLC is
hundreds or thousands of electromechanical relays, a single
more efficient considering money and time than any other
control. The effectiveness of proposed control system of water PLC can be programmed as an efficient replacement [2, 3, 4].
tank liquid level control is amply demonstrated by the It uses a programmable memory to store instructions and
significantly low error in discrete response testing. execute functions including on/off control, timing, counting,
sequencing, arithmetic, and data handling [5]. The
Keywords— PLC Controller, PID Controller, Level Control, functionality of the PLCs has evolved over the years to
Water level. include capabilities beyond typical relay control. Sophisticated
motion control, process control, distributive control systems,
I. INTRODUCTION
and complex networking have now been added to the PLC’s
A feedback control system often uses a function of a functions [6]. Therefore, PLCs provide many advantages over
prescribed relationship between the output and reference input conventional relay type of control, including increased
to control the process. Often the difference between the output reliability, more flexibility, lower cost, communication
of the process under control and the reference input is capability, faster response time and convenience to
amplified and used to control the process so that the difference troubleshoot [7]. The importance of PLC is easy programming
is continually reduced. The feedback concept has been the with ladder diagram [8] for control and the Industrial
foundation for control system analysis and design. applications are the main motivation of this thesis.
Mathematical modeling of liquid level system treats of step
response analyses of dynamic system. MATLAB is
extensively used step response analysis and Routh’s stability II. PID IN CONTROL SYSTEM
criteria for the stability for higher order closed loop systems. A PID controller is a generic control loop control
A PID controller is designed using MATLAB functions to Feedback mechanism widely used in industrial control system.
A PID controller attempts to correct the error between a
measured process variable and a desired set-point by
calculating and then outputting a corrective action that can
adjust the process accordingly. The PID controller calculation
involves three separate parameters; the proportional, the
integral and derivative values. The proportional value
determines the reaction to the current error, the integral
determines the reaction based on the sum of recent errors and
the derivative determines the reaction to the rate at which the
error has been changing [9]. By "tuning" the three constants in
the PID controller algorithm the PID can provide control
action designed for specific process requirements. The
response of the controller can be described in terms of the
responsiveness of the controller to an error, the degree to Figure 3: Pictorial view Experimental kit of PID (mod. G30B/EV).
which the controller overshoots the set-point and the degree of
system oscillation. In PID control action is defined by,
III. PLC IN CONTROL SYSTEM
t A Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) is a device that
Kp de(t ) was invented to replace the necessary sequential relay circuits
u (t ) = K p * e(t ) + ∫ e(t )dt + K p * Td for machine control. The basic elements of a PLC include
Ti 0 dt input modules, a central processing unit (CPU), output
modules and a programming device.
In Laplace transform quantities,

U (s) 1
= K p (1 + + Td * s)
E ( s) Ti * s
Td
d
dt
e Kp
u
u

Ti Figure 4: Basic elements of PLC controller [1]

∫
Figure 1: Proportional- Integral-Derivative controller schematic diagram. The PLC works by looking at its inputs and depending upon
their state, turning on/off its outputs. The user enters a
program, usually via software, that gives the desired results.
Error The Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) has become an
Set-Point +
Kp(1+1/(Ti*s)+Td*s) Output essential aspect of any automated manufacturing process.
_ PLC’s are a very useful control solution for a variety of
exhibit and interactive applications. These general purpose
control devices can accept a number of inputs from such
devices as pushbuttons, motion detectors, joysticks, etc. They
Feed-back can have multiple relay, analog and serial outputs to control
lights, motors, sound effects, etc. In between the inputs and
outputs is a control program that determines which outputs are
Figure 2: Block diagram of Proportional- Integral-Derivative control action. activated when certain combinations of inputs are received.
Ladder logic is the main programming method used for PLCs.
A PID controller attempts to correct the error between a Ladder logic has been developed to mimic relay logic. The
measured process variable and a desired set-point by decision to use the relay logic diagrams was a strategic one.
calculating and then outputting a corrective action that can By selecting ladder logic as the main programming method,
adjust the process accordingly. The response of the controller the amount of retraining needed for engineers and trades
can be described in terms of the responsiveness of the people was greatly reduced [10].
controller to an error, the degree to which the controller
overshoots the set-point and the degree of system oscillation.
 After then proportional-integral-derivative control action is
performed and gets the comparably less error then the above
controller. Different types of control actions like proportional,
proportional-derivative, proportional-integral control
demonstrate different result. The output of these different
control is not desireable. A high proportional gain results in a
large change in the output for a given change in the error. If
the proportional gain is too high, the system can become
unstable tuning. In contrast, a small gain results in a small
output response to a large input error, and a less responsive
controller. Magnitude of the overshoot produced by the
integral component and improves the combined controller-
process stability. However, differentiation of a signal
amplifies noise and thus this term in the controller is highly
Figure 5: Pictorial view of K7M-DR20UE PLC & wiring. sensitive to noise in the error term, and can cause a process to
become unstable if the noise and the derivative gain are
The whole implementation process is done in K7M-DR20UE sufficiently large. The contribution from the integral term is
and complied with MASTER-K120S (KGL-WIN for proportional to both the magnitude of the error and the
Windows Version 3.64). MASTER-K120S series is extremely duration of the error. Summing the instantaneous error over
compact, to fit a wide range of applications and have excellent time gives the accumulated offset that should have been
features. Using the graphical user interface a ladder diagram corrected previously. The accumulated error is then multiplied
has developed that can interface the CPU of the PLC. The by the integral gain and added to the controller output. In the
input-output ports of the CPU of the PLC set the input-output derivative contoller the output is the derivate of the input
port of a panel and connect the external relay which operates function and so it has a high influence on the signals which
on 24V dc. The control loop is a continuous cycle of the PLC rapidly vary. While the process evolves, the derivative action
reading inputs, solving the ladder logic, and then changing the decades and integrative one takes its place to reduce the
outputs. After the inputs values are stored in memory the regulations error to zero in respect to the steady state value.
ladder logic will be scanned using the stored values not the The PI controller put together the proportional and integrative
current values. This is done to prevent logic problems when actions, in order to exploit the advantages of both regulations
inputs change during the ladder logic scan. When the ladder and reduce the oscillations. In PI controller the error is remain
logic scan is complete the outputs will be scanned (the output about unity, so the oscillations remain. To remove the
values will be changed). After this the system goes back to do oscillations the derivative action is added together with
a sanity check, and the loop continues indefinitely. So the proportional-integrative one: the effectiveness of the
working condition will be more desirable. derivative action depends largely on the controlled variable.
IV. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS OF PID & PLC
Figure below shows the Set-point versus level, Set-point
At first different types of control actions like versus feed-back and Set-point versus error curves of different
proportional, proportional-derivative, and proportional- control action for water lavel control.
integral control action are performed but not get the desired
output.

Figure 7: Set-point Vs Level of Proportional Controller.

Figure 6: Water tank liquid level control with PID.

Figure 8: Set-point Vs Feed-back of Proportional Controller.
Figure 12: Set-point versus error of PD Controller.

Figure 9: Set-point Vs Error of Proportional Controller.

Figure 13: Set-point versus level of PI Controller.

Figure 10: Set-point versus level of PD Controller. Figure 14: Set-point versus feed-back of PI Controller.

Figure 11: Set-point versus feed-back of PD Controller. Figure 15: Set-point versus error of PI Controller.
 The same experiment is done using both PID & PLC. By The experimental output curve is given below.
"tuning" the three constants in the PID controller algorithm the
PID can provide control action designed for specific process
requirements. In water level control water level height and
change of height in different time is recorded.

Figure 19: Time versus level of PLC.

Figure 16: Time versus water level of PID Controller.

Figure 20: Time versus level change of PLC.

Figure 17: Time versus water level change of PID Controller.

The actual comparison can understand from time vs error
output curve of PID and PLC. After performing the PID
To done this experiment using PLC MK_S 120S type of PLC
control action it shows some error but the PLC control system
is chosen and devolving a ladder diagram, next interfacing
gives better performance.
with the XPO PLC TRAINER and connected with water level
kit.

Figure 21: Time versus error of PID.

Figure 18: Soft-hardware interfacing with PLC for water level control.
 the PLC controller parameters have to be set in the ladder
diagram and can be adjusted in real-time. We have taken
experimental values of PLC which is superior to other
controller because of its discrete low error response
characteristics.

REFERENCES

[1] Liping Guo, “Design Projects in a Programmable Logic Controller

(PLC) Course in Electrical Engineering Technology”, the Technology
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manufacturing for EE students and other engineering majors”,
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[6] Saygin, C., Kahraman, F., “A Web-based programmable logic
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International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, Vol. 24,
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for controlling and monitoring for a particular motor/machine, Conference & Exposition, 2002.
[8] Automating Manufacturing Systems with PLCs by Hugh Jack (Version
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VI. CONCLUSION
The development of a robust soft-hardware interfacing
based advance control technique which gives linear input
output curve is depicted in this paper. Different control actions
are performed and chose the better one Programmable Logic
Controller which gives reliable control. For speed position
control, the test results showed that with the PID controller
added, the steady state error is minimized. Actual system
outputs also agreed with theoretical results, indicating the
accuracy of the system transfer functions. At the present time