Integral Control and Anti-Windup Experiments

Abstract

Integral control is one of the methods for reducing steady-state error in a feedback control system. This method is frequently used in manufacturing and industrial control processes. It is an important topic in the control engineering curriculum. In this paper, we describe a laboratory station developed for the investigation of integral control. Microcontrollers were used for the implementation of the integral controllers. Five experiments were developed for that laboratory station. These experiments emphasized on the understanding of integral control, elucidating the integrator windup problems, and introducing methods for overcoming such problems. These experiments offer hands-on experience to students and will increase their insights into integral control and anti-windup methods. These experiments can be readily incorporated into laboratory courses on feedback control systems or microcontroller applications.