Technical Information

TI 039-200

EXACT Tuning with 762, 760, and 740 Series Controllers

LOCATE 1 VERIFY 1

LOCATE 2 VERIFY 2

LOCATE 3 VERIFY 3 ADAPT SETTLE

760 SERIES CONTROLLER

ERROR

TIME

EXACT tuning provides an innovative means of controlling a process more efficiently than conventional methods of control. It also provides a means of managing processes that are otherwise difficult to control.

Introduction
EXACT (EXpert Adaptive Controller Tuning) tuning with its pretune and selftune algorithms:

Allows faster process startup. Optimizes controller tuning in the presence of noise, variable dynamics, process nonlinearities, deadtime, setpoint changes, and load variations. Maintains tuning to current operating conditions. Gives skilled personnel the freedom to do other tasks. Reduces loop operating expenses through more efficient control.

TI 039-200 August 1995

EXACT Tuning with 762, 760, and 740 Series Controllers

Innovative Application of Artificial Intelligence

For years, automatic controllers have been manually tuned using pattern recognition. With this approach, the closed loop is upset, and the resulting pattern of the response is observed. This actual pattern is then compared with the desired pattern. Through experience and knowledge of the process, the control engineer is able to adjust the values of Proportional Band, Integral, and Derivative actions to get an approximation of the desired response pattern. The EXACT tuning procedures closely follow the thinking process of an expert control engineer, and do it better, faster, and more often.

E1

E1 Load Change

Error

Error

Set Point Change E3 Time E2 Overshoot = E2/E1 Damping = (E3-E2)/(E1-E2)

Period (T) E3 Time E2

+ -

+ -

Figure 1. Pattern Recognition Characteristics The development of EXACT tuning is a distillation of the many knowledge-based rules based on the observations of tuning experts. The fundamental rules were selected and tested to assure general applicability. Each step in the process was broken down into its basic components, and the whole was reassembled and programmed into the memory of the controller. The results are EXACT tuning, which permits the controller to use current process data to continually calculate and implement optimum tuning parameters. With EXACT tuning, the process is checked five times a second for the need to either institute or change the corrective action. Thus, the process is always controlled for maximum efficiency.

EXACT Tuning with 762, 760, and 740 Series Controllers

TI 039-200 August 1995

Pattern Recognition
The pattern to be recognized is error versus time. The distinctive features are the presence or absence of peaks, the time between peaks, and the steady-state error. The information is represented using the terms overshoot, damping, and period (see Figure 1). The EXACT pattern recognition approach is unique. It uses direct-performance feedback (by monitoring the process variable) to determine the action required. Also, its algorithm does not need a mathematical model of the process.1, 2, 3 The selftune PID algorithm monitors the closed-loop recovery following a disturbance to set point or load. It automatically calculates P, I, and D to minimize process recovery time, subject to user-specified damping and overshoot constraints. For most processes, damping and overshoot are not independent. The period of the loop must be included to define the shape. The period is nondimensionalized by using the controller I and D to produce ratios similar to those proposed by Ziegler-Nichols 4 and Shinskey 5. The ratios I/period and D/period define the lag and lead angles of the controller. The result is that P, I, and D values are obtained based upon the period of oscillation, and constrained by the allowed damping and overshoot parameters (see Figure 5).

Initiation and Operation

Figure 2 represents a state diagram of the EXACT selftune algorithm. The current status of the control process can be read on the two-line display on the face of the controller. If corrective action is being undertaken, the display can either list why a specific corrective step is being implemented, or which specific corrective step was just completed. Typically, the set point and measurement are close to each other and the algorithm is in the QUIET state (where the difference between set point and measurement is too small to activate the selftune algorithm). However, when a disturbance appears in the process that causes the value of the error to exceed twice the noise band, the algorithm wakes up and begins to watch the error in anticipation of a peak height. While it is waiting for the first peak, the state is LOCATE 1. Once a peak occurs, the algorithm stores the magnitude and starts a timer to record the period.

1. Rohrs, C. E., Valavani, L., Athans, M., and Stein, G., Robustness of Adaptive Control Algorithms in the Presence of Unmodeled Dynamics, MIT Industrial Liaison Program, Publication No. 01-016, 1983. 2. Fjeld, M. and Wilhelm, R. G., Jr., Self-Tuning Regulators - The Software Way, Control Engineering, October 1981, P. 99. 3. Clarke, D. W., The Application of Self-Tuning Control, Trans Inst MC Vol. 5. No. 2, April-June 1983, P. 59. 4. Ziegler, J. G. and Nichols, N. B., Optimum Settings for Automatic Controllers, Trans ASME, November 1942. 5. Shinskey, F. G., Process Control Systems, McGraw-Hill, NY, NY, 2nd Edition, 1979, pp. 96-99.

TI 039-200 August 1995

EXACT Tuning with 762, 760, and 740 Series Controllers

Third peak found Verify 3

Third peak not found

Locate 3

Third peak not found

Verify 2

Second peak not found Adapt

Locate 2

Second peak not found

Verify 1

First peak not found

Locate 1

Quiet

Settle

Figure 2. Self-Tuning Algorithm State Diagram Up to this point, the controller is operating as a fixed parameter PID controller, but it has observed the loop response to a disturbance. The algorithm uses the response information to calculate new values of P, I, and D (during ADAPT). The first step in calculating new P, I, and D values is to use the period information to directly set I and D. The interaction between P, I, and D forces this algorithm to be slightly more sophisticated: P must be adjusted to compensate for the I and D changes. Ziegler-Nichols developed a tuning procedure that involved adjusting I and D until I/period equals 0.5 and D/period equals 0.12. It has been found that much better tuning and quicker convergence result when the desired ratios of I/period and D/period are changed by the algorithm. A dominant deadtime process needs smaller ratio values, and a dominant lag process uses larger ratio values. If the response is overdamped and distinct peaks are not found, I and D are adjusted using the damping and overshoot parameters. Before searching for the Peak 2, the algorithm verifies that the first is a true peak (during VERIFY 1). If a new extreme value occurs during this verification, it then becomes the first peak and the timer is reinitialized. Once Peak 1 occurs and is verified, the algorithm uses the same method to locate and verify Peaks 2 and 3. The peak information is then expressed in the previously defined terms of overshoot, damping, I/period, and D/period. Validity is determined for this information based upon both the peak heights relative to the nominal noise band, and the peak times as compared with the times of a nominal damped sinusoid.
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EXACT Tuning with 762, 760, and 740 Series Controllers

TI 039-200 August 1995

The final step in computing P, I, and D compares the observed damping and overshoot to the maximum allowed values set by the user. If distinct peaks have occurred and both damping and overshoot are less than the maximum allowed values, P is decreased. The amount of decrease depends upon the difference between the maximum allowed and actual value of either the damping or the overshoot parameter. Since damping and overshoot are not independent, the algorithm uses the difference that has the smallest value. If distinct peaks are not detected, P, I, and D are all decreased by an amount that depends upon the maximum allowed damping or overshoot. Since it is very common to find the control loop response overdamped without three peaks, the algorithm must also deal with this situation. Overdamping is handled by first recognizing the response as overdamped, then aborting the search for Peak 2 or 3 and assigning pseudo peak values instead. The pseudo peaks allow new tuning parameters to be calculated using the same procedure as would be used if three peaks were located. When the loop is properly tuned, the values of P, I, and D are essentially unchanged from disturbance to disturbance. However, if the disturbance changes shape or the process changes, EXACT will determine new values. The self-tuning cycle is complete when the newly calculated P, I, and D values are implemented into the controller. The algorithm then goes through a settling state that allows a smooth transition into locating a new first peak, if necessary. The SETTLE state is only used to assure that the next peak found is a true peak. However, switching the controller from MANUAL to AUTO or initially activating the self-tuning feature forces the algorithm into the SETTLE state.

Ease In Using EXACT Tuning

In addition to having a broad-based applications capability, the success of a self-tuning controller also depends on how easy it is to configure into the controller. The EXACT algorithm has 18 numerical parameters, of which eight are user-adjustable. The values of the remaining ten are determined by the process itself, and are continually updated. The controller is shipped with factory-set (standard) values for the adjustable parameters, and the user is free to change them. The standard values represent safe, general-purpose values. If any of the user-adjustable parameters is obviously wrong for the process, it should be changed. However, EXACT tuning can be implemented without changing any of the factoryset parameter values. The selftune algorithm will determine, implement, and constantly refine the P, I, and D values. And even if the control characteristics of the process are not known, the optimum values of six key parameters can be calculated by the pretune algorithm.

TI 039-200 August 1995

EXACT Tuning with 762, 760, and 740 Series Controllers

User-Adjustable Parameters
Any, or all, of the user-adjustable parameters can remain at the factory-set values, can be changed to new values by the user, or (in the case of the six key parameters) can have their values optimized by the pretune function.

Initial Values of P, I, and D (PF, IF, and DF)

Values of PF, IF, and DF are the PID values that the controller uses if EXACT tuning is either not configured or not implemented. They also are the starting values for P, I, and D, which are then constantly updated by the selftune algorithm. If the user has no (or very little) knowledge of the PID values for his process, he can start with the factory-set values. The controller quickly modifies unreasonable initial values.

Noise Band (NB)

Virtually every process measurement has the potential of being noisy because of the intrinsic nature of measurement technology (headmeter in a flow loop, etc.) or measurement location (next to a positive displacement pump, etc.). It is called noise because it contains no information useful for loop tuning. The selftune algorithm must know the magnitude of this noise (percent peak-to-peak) to prevent an attempt to extract tuning information when none is present. Self-tuning begins whenever the error exceeds twice the noise band. The noise band is also used by the selftune algorithm to decide if an observed peak may be noise.

Maximum Wait Time (WMAX)

The algorithm requires an estimate of the time scale of the process. This parameter represents the maximum time that the algorithm waits for the second peak (see Figure 3). It should be set larger than half the maximum period of oscillation T (refer to Figure 4) and smaller than eight times the minimum period of oscillation T, T/2 <WMAX< 8T.

ERROR

WMAX TIME

Figure 3. Maximum Wait Time (WMAX)

EXACT Tuning with 762, 760, and 740 Series Controllers

TI 039-200 August 1995

ERROR

T/2 < WMAX < 8T T

TIME

Figure 4. Period of Oscillation (T)

Derivative Factor (DFCT)

The derivative factor allows the derivative influence to be changed by multiplying D by this factor. Setting this factor to 0.0 transforms the controller into a PI controller. Derivative action is not helpful in the presence of large process dead time or high measurement noise. Setting DFCT to 1.0 produces normal derivative action. For processes requiring a large amount of derivative action (e.g., a double integral process), DFCT can be increased to 4.0.

Change Limit (CLM)

The user may want to limit the maximum and minimum EXACT-calculated values of P and I. The value of this parameter is the factor that PF and IF are both multiplied and divided by to set these limits. For example, if PF equals 100 and CLM equals 4, P calculated by EXACT will be limited to values between 25 and 400%.

Output Cycling Limit (LIM)

EXACT monitors the controller output when it is at a higher frequency than that which the loop can respond to. If the average peak-to-peak amplitude exceeds LIM for over three minutes, the controller is detuned by increasing P and reducing D. This feature is useful for processes which have very little dead time and require a high controller gain. The value of LIM should be reduced for this type of process.

Maximum Allowed Damping (DMP) and Overshoot (OVR)

Since neither damping nor overshoot can generally be set independently, they are used as a combination and represent the maximum allowable values (see Figure 5). The controller uses the limit that is closest to being exceeded. Generally, the best control is obtained using the damping limit.

TI 039-200 August 1995

EXACT Tuning with 762, 760, and 740 Series Controllers

ERROR

DMP = 0.6 0VR = 0.5

DMP = 0.3 0VR = 0.5

DMP = 0.1 0VR = 0.0

TIME

Figure 5. Effect of Various Combinations of Damping and Overshoot

Pretune (PTUN) Feature

If the control characteristics of the process are not known, optimum values for six key parameters (PF, IF, DF, NB, WMAX, and DFCT) can be calculated by the pretune algorithm. Before implementing this feature, the controller must be in MANUAL, with the measurement steady and near the set point. The factory-set (or user-adjusted) values of these six parameters are the starting values. The mechanism of the pretune function is to introduce a small process upset, and the resultant process reaction curve provides the data for the algorithm to calculate optimum values of the six parameters. The process upset is provided by a parameter called BUMP. After the procedure is finished, these optimum values are entered into the memory of the controller. In this way, the selftune algorithm starts with more correct values of P, I, and D, and thus, the measurement is stabilized faster. (Pretune-calculated values of PF, IF, and DF are the initial values of P, I, and D.) A typical process reaction curve (see Figure 6) identifies the effective process dead time and the process sensitivity. The dead time estimate is used to determine integral time (IF), derivative time (DF), and the maximum wait time (WMAX). The proportional band (PF) is calculated from both the sensitivity of the process reaction curve and the dead time. The nominal noise band (NB) is determined by observing the measurement and estimating the peak-to-peak amplitude that is of higher frequency content than the closed loop can remove. If the noise content is high, the derivative factor (DFCT) is reduced since derivative is not effective in a high noise environment.

EXACT Tuning with 762, 760, and 740 Series Controllers

TI 039-200 August 1995

Process Sensitivity

Measurement

Time Td = Effective Dead Time

Figure 6. Typical Response to Step Change in Output The four main phases of pretune are shown in Figure 7. As they occur, they are identified in the display of the controller. The process upset occurs with a step change in controller output at point 1. The algorithm waits for steady state during 2 (the messages PTUN = SMALL 1 and PTUN = WAIT 2 will be displayed), calculates the control parameters, and returns the controller output to its starting value at point 3 (PTUN = PID 3). If the process is an integrating type or has high gain, point 3 is reached when the measurement changes by 10% of its span or the bump size, whichever is larger. Finally, the noise band and derivative factor are calculated during 4 (PTUN = NB 4). When the process is completed, the message PTUN = FINISH will appear.

Value of Exact Tuning to User

When the operation of the controller is being supervised by EXACT tuning, the process is continually being monitored, 24 hours a day, for any possible improvement in the control parameters. If any change is indicated, EXACT tuning will immediately start the corrective action and implement the required change. This will result in the more efficient production of a better quality product.

Measurement

3 2 1 4

Time

Figure 7. Pretune States

TI 039-200 August 1995

EXACT Tuning with 762, 760, and 740 Series Controllers

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EXACT Tuning with 762, 760, and 740 Series Controllers

TI 039-200 August 1995

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TI 039-200 August 1995

EXACT Tuning with 762, 760, and 740 Series Controllers

Foxboro and EXACT are registered trademarks of The Foxboro Company. Copyright 1985 - 1995 by The Foxboro Company All rights reserved

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