ecp

6. Experiments/ Labs
This chapter outlines experiments which identify the plant parameters, implement a variety of control
schemes, and demonstrate many important control principles. The versatility of this software / hardware
system allows for a much broader range of experimental uses than will be described here and the user is
encouraged to explore whatever topics and methodologies may be of interest – subject of course to
your school and laboratory guidelines and the safety notations of this manual. The safety portion of this
manual, Section 2.4, must be read and understood by any user prior to operating this equipment.
The instructions in this chapter begin at a high level of detail so that they may be followed without a great
deal of familiarity with the PC system interface and become more abbreviated in details of system
operation as the chapter progresses. To become more familiar with these operations, it is strongly
recommended that the user read Chapter 2 in its entirety prior to undertaking the operations described
here. Remember here, as always, it is recommended to save data and control configuration files
regularly to avoid undue work loss should a system fault occur.

There are four labs for SD352 Control Systems course. Labs section and experiment titles are given
below:

Section 6.1- Lab No.1 - System Identification

Section 6.2 – Lab No.2 – Rigid Body PD & PID Control

Section 6.4 – Lab No.3 - Collocated PD Control With 2 DOF Plant

Section 6.5 – Lab No.4 - Noncollocated PD Plus Notch Filter Control

For more information please visit the following lab page at:

http://www.eng.uwaterloo.ca/~tnaqvi/courses/syde352.html

6.1 System Identification – SD352 Lab No.1

This section gives a procedure for identifying the plant parameters applicable to Eq's (5.1-1 through
5.1-8). The approach will be to indirectly measure the mass, spring, and damping parameters by
making measurements of the plant while set up in a pair of classical spring-mass configurations.

Procedure:
1. Clamp the second mass to put the mechanism in the configuration shown in Figure
6.1-1a using a shim (e.g. 1/4 inch nut) between the stop tab and stop bumper so as
not to engage the limit switch (see Section 2.2). Verify that the medium stiffness
spring (nominally 400 N/m (2.25 lb/in.)) is connecting the first and second mass
carriages.
2. Secure four 500g masses on the first and second mass carriages.

© 1991-1999 Educational Control Products. All rights reserved.

ecp Chapter 6. Experiment / Labs 81

3. With the controller powered up, enter the Control Algorithm box via the Set -up menu (Continious System)
and set Ts = 0.00442. Enter the Command menu, go to Trajectory and select Step,
Set-up. Select Open Loop Step and input a step size of 0 (zero), a duration of 3000
ms and 1 repetition. Exit to the background screen by consecutively selecting OK.
This puts the controller in a mode for acquiring 6 sec of data on command but
without driving the actuator. This procedure may be repeated and the duration
adjusted to vary the data acquisition period.

We only have 2 carriage plant

a) Setup To Begin Plant

Identification Procedure

b) Second Setup In Plant

Identification Procedure

c) Third Setup In Plant

Identification Procedure

Das hpot s et up s how n f o r M odel 2 1 0a. Fo r Model 21 0,

at t ac hment is c ent ered abou t the r ight han d si de of
t h e s ec o nd m ass c ar r age. See Figu r e 2. 2- 2 b.

d) Transfer Function
Configuration

Figure 6.1-1 Configurations For Plant Identification

(Model 210a shown. Four 500 g. weights on each active carriage.)

Duration: Number of sample period (2 servo cycles by default)

1 rep collects 678 samples
© 1991-1999 Educational Control Products. All rights reserved.
 ecp Chapter 6. Experiment / Labs 82

4. Go to Set up Data Acquisition in the Data menu and select Encoder #1 and Encoder #2
as data to acquire and specify data sampling every 2 (two) servo cycles (i.e. every 2
Ts's). Select OK to exit. Select Zero Position from the Utility menu to zero the
encoder positions.
5. Select Execute from the Command menu. Prepare to manually displace the first mass
carriage approximately 2.5 cm. Exercise caution in displacing the carriage so as not
to engage the travel limit switch. With the first mass displaced approximately 2.5 cm
in either direction, select Run from the Execute box and release the mass
approximately 1 second later. The mass will oscillate and attenuate while encoder
data is collected to record this response. Select OK after data is uploaded.
6. Select Set-up Plot from the Plotting menu and choose Encoder #1 Position then select
Plot Data from the Plotting menu. You will see the first mass time response.

7. Choose several consecutive cycles (say ~5) in the amplitude range between 5500
and 1000 counts (This is representative of oscillation amplitudes during later closed
loop control maneuvers. Much smaller amplitude responses become dominated by
nonlinear friction effects and do not reflect the salient system dynamics). Divide the
number of cycles by the time taken to complete them being sure to take beginning
and end times from the same phase of the respective cycles.1 Convert the resulting
frequency in Hz to radians/sec. This damped frequency, ωd, approximates the
natural frequency, ωn, according to:

ωdm11
ωnm11 = ˜ ωdm11 (f or s mall ζm1)
2 (6.1-1)
1- ζm11

where the "m11" subscript denotes mass #1, trial #1. (Close the graph window by
clicking on the left button in the upper right hand corner of the graph. This will
collapse the graph to icon form where it may later be brought back up by double-
clicking on it.)
8. Remove the four masses from the first mass carriage and repeat Steps 5 through 7 to
obtain ωnm12 for the unloaded carriage. If necessary, repeat Step 3 to reduce the
execution (data sampling only in this case) duration.
9. Measure the initial cycle amplitude Xo and the last cycle amplitude Xn for the n
cycles measured in Step 8. Using relationships associated with the logarithmic
decrement:

1 You may “zoom” the plot via Axis Scaling for more precise measurement in various areas. For an even greater
precision, the data may be examined in tabular numerical form – see Export Raw Data, Section 2.1.7.3.

© 1991-1999 Educational Control Products. All rights reserved.

 ecp Chapter 6. Experiment / Labs 83

ζm 12
2
= 1 ln X o
2πn X n → ζm 12 ˜ 1 ln X o
2πn X n
(for small ζm1 2 ) (6.1-2)
1- ζm1 2
find the damping ratio ζm12 and show that for this small value the approximations of
Eq's (6.1-1, -2) are valid.
10. Repeat Steps 5 through 9 for the second mass carriage. Here in Step 6 you will
need to remove Encoder #1 position and add Encoder #2 position to the plot set-up.
Hence obtain ωnm21 , ωnm22 and ζm22. How does this damping ratio compare with
that for the first mass? Be sure to save this plotted data as it will be used in the next
experiment.
11. Connect the mass carriage extension bracket and dashpot to the second mass as
shown in Figure 6.1-2c. Open the damping (air flow) adjustment knob 2.0 turns
from the fully closed position. Repeat Steps 5, 6, and 9 with four 500 g masses on
the second carriage and using only amplitudes > = 500 counts in your damping ratio
calculation. Hence obtain ζd where the "d" subscript denotes "dashpot".
12. Each brass weight has a mass of 500 ± 10 g. (You may weigh the pieces if a more
precise value is desired.) Calling the mass of the four weights combined mw, use the
following relationships to solve for the unloaded carriage mass mc2, and spring
constant k.1
k/(m w+mc2) = (ωnm21 )2 (6.1-3)
k/m c2 = (ωnm22 )2 (6.1-4)
Find the damping coefficient cm2 by equating the first order terms in the equation
form:
s 2 + 2ζ ωn s + ωn2 = s 2 + c/m s + k/m (6.1-5)
Repeat the above for the first mass carriage, spring and damping mc1, cm1 and k
respectively.2 3
Calculate the damping coefficient of the dashpot, cd.
13. Detatch the dashpot from the second mass carriage,
replace the medium stiffness spring with a high stiffness spring (800 N/m nominally),
and repeat with masses Steps 5 and 6 to obtain the resulting natural frequency ωm23.
Repeat this frequency measurement using the least stiff spring (nominally 200 N/m) to
obtain ωm24. Calling the value of stiffness obtained in Step 12 above k med stiffness,

1 Note that the calculated masses m and m will include the reflected inertias of all connected elements – e.g. motor
c1 c2
pinion and armature.
2 Step 12 may be done later, away from the laboratory, if necessary.
3 The resulting value for k should be very close to that measured when considering the second mass case. You may
use the average of the two for your identified k value.

© 1991-1999 Educational Control Products. All rights reserved.