POSITION CONTROL SYSTEM

1. INTRODUCTION

In this experiment, it will be shown how the motor can be used to make a simple automatic
position control system. The general form of the block diagram of such a system is given in
Fig.1.

output
input + error MOTOR & shaft
TRANSDUCER AMPLIFIER
GEARING
-

TRANSDUCER
Figure 1

In such a system the input and output "transducers" must measure input and output shaft
angles and produce a signal proportional to shaft positions. The difference between input and
output positions called "error signal" is used to drive the motor. Experiment will be performed
on the set MS 150 consists of following units.

1.1 THE COMPONENTS OF THE MODULAR SERVO SYSTEM MS 150

1.1.1. Power Supply Unit (PS150E)

This unit supplies a 24V dc 2A unregulated supply to the Servo Amplifier that controls the
motor. There are two sets of sockets on the front panel to provide ±15V, stabilised dc
supplies to operate the smaller amplifiers and provide reference voltages (see fig.3 for layout).

1.1.2. Motor Unit (MT150F)

This unit is made up of three parts :

a) A dc series-wound split-field motor which has an extended shaft, and onto which can be
fixed the magnetic brake or inertia disc.
b) Integrated within the unit is a dc tacho-generator with output on the top of the unit.
c) There is a low-speed shaft driven by a 30:1 reduction gearbox. A special push-on coupling
can link the output potentiometer to this shaft.
Power is obtained from the Servo Amplifier by an 8-way socket.

1.1.3. Servo Amplifier (SA150D)

Contained in this unit are transistors which drive the motor either direction. Two types of
connection are possible to have armature controlled and field controlled motors. To avoid
overloading the motor, there is a motor current meter with 2A overload indication (see fig.5).

1.1.4. Attenuator Unit (AU150B)

This unit contains two variable 10kΩ potentiometers. The proportion of the resistance being
selected is indicated by a dial graduated from 0 to 10 (see fig.5 for layout).
1.1.5. Input and Output Potentiometers (IP150H & OP150K)

These are rotary potentiometers, used in experiments on position control. The input
potentiometer has ±150° of motion while the output potentiometer has no mechanical stops
and so can not be damaged by continuous rotation. The input potentiometer is used to set up a
reference voltage and the output potentiometer is connected to the motor low-speed shaft to
obtain an output voltage proportional to the motion (see fig.3 for layout).

1.1.6. Pre-Amplifier (PA150C)

This provides the correct signals to drive the servo amplifiers in SA150D. A positive signal
applied to either input causes the upper output (3) to go positive, the other output (4) staying
near zero. A negative input causes the lower output (4) to go positive, the upper one staying
near zero. Thus bi-directional motor drive is obtained when these outputs are linked to the
SA150D inputs (see fig.5 for layout).

1.1.7. Operational Amplifier (OU150A)

This provides inverting voltage gain and a means of summing two or three signals, as well as
facilities for introducing compensation networks (see fig.3 for layout).

1.1.8. Load Unit (LU150L)

An aluminium disc can be mounted on the motor shaft and when rotated between the poles of
the magnet of the load unit, the eddy currents generated have the effect of a brake. The
strength of the magnetic brake can be controlled by the position of the magnet.

2. PRELIMINARY WORK

2.1. A robot arm is a good example of position control. A feedback control system for a single
joint of a robot arm is given in Fig.2. In this diagram θc is the desired angle of the robot arm,
and θL is the actual angle of the arm.

Compensator Motor
E θ Gears θ
θc 1 a 1 Ia 1 1 m L
KP + K Ds Kτ n
+ n + sLm+ Rm Js + B s
- -

K
m
Figure 2

a) Find the plant transfer function θL(s)/Ea(s).

b) Find the closed loop system transfer function θL(s)/θc(s).
c) Find the ranges of compensator gains KP and KD such that the closed loop system is stable
for the following values of variables : n=1/30, Lm=2, Rm=11, Kτ=18, J=2, B=1, Km=0.5.
d) Determine the steady state errors due to unit step, unit ramp and unit parabolic inputs in
terms of KP and KD (n=1/30, Lm=2, Rm=11, Kτ=18, J=2, B=1, Km=0.5).
2.2. Measurements conducted on a servomechanism show the system response to be

y(t) = 1 + 0.2e −60t − 1.2e −10t

when subjected to a unit step input.
a) Obtain the expression for the closed loop transfer function.
b) Find the undamped natural frequency and damping ratio of the system. According to
damping ratio what would you expect about the unit step response of this system?
c) Determine the delay time td, rise time tr, percentage overshoot PO and settling time ts
according to 2% criterion. Do not use the formula for ts.

3. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

3.1. Error Channel Investigation

Set up as in Fig.3 but do not yet connect the two amplifier input leads.

+15V COM -15V

+15V +15V
4 5 COM
Zero Set COM
-15V
-15V
1 6
error
2 6 V
o
3 -A 6
+24V
AVO
OPERATIONAL UNIT OU150A AC1
AC2

POWER SUPPLY UNIT PS150E

2
1
1 2
3
3

COM
COM
OUTPUT POT UNIT OP150K
Figure 3
INPUT POT UNIT IP150H

scale reading amplifier output input pot amplifier output(volts) amplifier output (volts)
(degrees) (volts) (degrees) when output pot at 0° when output pot at -60°
0 0
30 30
60 60
90 90
120 120
140 140
-30 -30
-120 -120
Table 1 Table 2
Be sure that the feedback selector on the operational unit is set to 100KΩ resistor. Connect the
voltmeter to the output of the Operational Amplifier, switch on and adjust the zero set to as
near zero as possible. Then connect the two sliders into the operational unit inputs.

Measure the potential between each slider (input an output potentiometers) and common,
rotating the cursor till the reading is zero. If this does not correspond with the 0° on the
angular scale, then record the angle value and taking this value as 0° , readjust the
measurements you will make according to this data.

Measure the amplifier output and record it in Table 1. Repeat to measure output voltage for
equal values on the angular scales and fill in the Table 1.

Set the output potentiometer to zero and rotate the cursor of the input potentiometer over its
range, tabulate your results in Table 2. Repeat your readings setting the output potentiometer
to -60°.

3.2. Manual Position Control System

In this part, using the same set up in Fig.3, one student should slowly turn the knob on the
input potentiometer and set it at any value in the range ±15V. Let the other student watch only
the voltmeter connected to the output Vo and by turning the shaft of the other rotary
potentiometer read the zero value on voltmeter. Notice the positions of input and output
potentiometers.

Try suddenly changing the position of input cursor, while attempting to keep the error at zero.

3.3. Motor Driven Open Loop Position Control System

Keep the experimental set as in Fig.3 and make the connections shown in Fig.4.
Decide a position you wish the output potentiometer shaft to turn to and stop. Then starting
with the attenuator slider at the fully counter clockwise position, gradually rotate it till the
motor just rotates. As the cursor nears the required angle, reduce the input signal so that the
cursor comes to rest nearly at the required point.

Repeat using increasingly large input signals adjusted by attenuator.

3.4. Closed Loop Automatic Position Control System

This time we shall utilise the error signal output Vo of the Operational Amplifier to drive the
output potentiometer via the Pre-Amp and motor. Set up as in Fig.5. With the gain
(attenuator) set to zero adjust the Pre-Amplifier zero so that the motor does not rotate.
Now set the input potentiometer to 0° and increase the attenuator setting. The output shaft
should rotate to an angle nearly equal to 0°. If the output cursor stops before arriving at the set
position, increase the gain and get the correct alignment. Repeating same procedure for
different input values fill in the Table 3.
 +24V
3
5 5 A 6
4 6 4 6
3 7 3 7 F F
2 8 2 8
1 4
9 9
1 1 7
0 10 0 10
1 2 3 4 5 6 A A
2 5
8
F
ATTENUATOR UNIT AU150B
+15V COM -15V

SERVO AMPLIFIER UNIT SA150D

Figure 4

COM
+15V COM -15V +24V
3
A 6

5 5 +15V -15V
4 6 4 6 F F
7 7 ZERO
3 3
1 4
8 8 COM
2 2 7
9 9 1 TRIM
1 1 3
0 10 0 10 I/P's O/P's A A
1 2 3 4 5 6 2 2 5
8
4 F
PRESET +15V COM -15V
ATTENUATOR UNIT AU150B
PRE-AMP UNIT PA 150C

SERVO AMPLIFIER UNIT SA150D

+15V COM -15V

-15V +15V
+15V COM -15V
1 2
4 5 3
1 2
3
COM
OUTPUT POT UNIT OP150K
6
COM
1
INPUT POT UNIT IP150H 6
2
-A 6
3

OPERATIONAL UNIT OU150A Figure 5

Output Cursor Position in Degrees

Required Actual Misalignment
0
30
60
90
120
140

Table 3
4. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

4.1. Considering the results in Table 1, what can you say about the linearity of
potentiometers.

4.2. Plot the amplifier output voltage (error) versus input potentiometer position for both
conditions in Table 2. What do you notice about the two graphs? Calculate the value of error
factor Ke in volts/degree.

4.3. Write down your observations on what happened in part 3.2. What sort of control system
would this be (open or closed loop)? Why?

4.4. Write down your observations on what happened in part 3.3. Why is this an open loop
system?

4.5. Compare the open loop and closed loop systems. Discuss the advantages and
disadvantages of these systems giving reasons.

4.6. Give two examples of position control in real life.

4.7. Comment on the experiment and the results.