3.1.6 Open and Closed Loop Systems

PLTW ENGINEERING
Activity 3.1.6 Open and Closed Loop Systems
INTRODUCTION
Many devices function without ever verifying whether they are doing the job that they were
programmed to do. They might run for a specific period or perform one function and then stop. For
example, if you set the clothes dryer to run for 45 minutes, your clothes might be dry or they might not
be dry when the dryer stops. A clothes dryer is an open loop system because the process provides
no feedbackto the device. Newer clothes dryers have moisture sensors. The moisture sensors inform
the machine when the clothes are dry, at which point, the dryer can stop running. The feedback
provided by the sensor makes this a closed loop system.
In this activity you will design an open loop program to control a motor to oscillate. Then you will
design a closed loop system using feedback from an input to control the motor.
EQUIPMENT
● Computer with VEXcode software
● VEX® POE V5 Testbed
● 84-tooth gear
● 1" hex screw
● 2 – ½-inch standoffs
● Limit Switch
VEX® POE V5 Testbed

Part 1: Thrown for a Loop
1. Modify the testbed so that the right motor has a gear with an indicator standoff attached as
shown in the following figures.
a. Remove the wheel from the right motor.
b. Thread a 1-inch hex screw through a ½-inch standoff.
c. Insert this through the gear as shown in Figure 3 and thread a ½-inch standoff onto the
screw on the other side of the gear.
d. Install gear assembly on the right motor.
Figure 1. Install Indicator Standoffs Figure 2. Gear Assembly
Figure 3. Gear Assembly on Motor
e. Rotate the gear so that the indicator standoff is at a 12 o’clock position so you can
compare its starting and ending points.

2. Open your Lesson3_1_testbed_template, click File > Save As, and save as “A3_1_6_Part1”.

3. Write a program that will oscillate the motor 0.5 second each way 20 times. Add comments
in your program to explain the purpose of each step.

4. Download and run the program.
a. Observe and record the standoff starting position.
ANSWER: The standoff started on the left, and while running the program the standoff
switched from left to right.
b. Observe and record the standoff ending position.

ANSWER: the program left the standoff on the right
Describe any difference you observed in the starting and ending standoff positions.
ANSWER: making the standoff stop at the right time.

5. Save the code as a PDF or take a screen capture as directed by your teacher.
a. Where did the indicator standoff stop? Is this an open loop or closed loop system?
ANSWER The standoff stopped on the right side. This is a open loop.
b. Where do you think the gearbox would have come to rest had you set the program to
cycle 120 times?
ANSWER: Back to the original position.

6. Get your teacher’s approval before proceeding to the next step.

7. Disconnect your existing code from the event handler and connect it to a comment block
that identifies the type of loop.
Part 2: Looping Back Around

8. Modify the testbed so that the right
motor has a gear attached as shown in
Figure 5.
a. Remove the gear assembly from
the right motor.
b. Add a limit switch as shown in
Figure 4. In a subsequent step,
you may need to slightly alter the
position.
c. Install the gear assembly on the right motor.
d. Adjust the limit switch position so that the standoff activates the limit switch (listen for an
audible click to verify activation).
e. Rotate the gear so that the indicator standoff is against the limit switch.

Figure 5. Completed Assembly

9. In VEXcode, click File > Save As, “A3_1_6_Part2”.

10. Develop a program that oscillates the motor each way 20 times. One direction will use the
limit switch sensor input. The opposite direction will use a .5-second time limit.
a. Begin with the standoff resting against the limit switch.
b. Run the program and observe the ending position of the indicator standoff.
c. Add comments in your program to explain the purpose of each step.

11. Download and run the program.
a. Observe and record the standoff starting position.
ANSWER:the standoff position starting closely to the limit switch
b. Observe and record the standoff final position.

ANSWER:The standoff’s final position was where it originally started at

12. Save the code as a PDF or get a screen capture as directed by your teacher.
a. Where did the indicator standoff stop? Is this an open loop or closed loop system?
ANSWER: the indicator stopped the standoff around 20 turns resulting in this being a closed
loop system
b. Where do you think the gear assembly would have come to rest had you set the
program to cycle 120 times?
ANSWER:The gear would come to a rest at the position it originally started from because it
is an even amount of turns
c. What problems and inefficiencies might this process cause if it were used in an
assembly mechanism designed to run 24 hours per day for several days?
ANSWER: The problems we faced were trying to get the gear to make the limit switch click.

CONCLUSION
1. Describe an open loop system that has not already been given as an example. Could the
system benefit from feedback? Justify your answer.
ANSWER: an example of an open loop can be a cellphone

2. Describe a closed loop system that has not already been given as an example. Describe the
feedback used. Explain why this type of feedback is used.
ANSWER: Utilized feedback

3.1.6 Open and Closed Loop Systems

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PLTW ENGINEERING

Activity 3.1.6 Open and Closed Loop Systems

VEX® POE V5 Testbed

Figure 1. Install Indicator Standoffs Figure 2. Gear Assembly

Figure 3. Gear Assembly on Motor

b. Observe and record the standoff ending position.

Part 2: Looping Back Around

b. Observe and record the standoff final position.

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