Mike DonnellyA Linear Variable Differential Transformer (LVDT) and analog signal conditioning circuit are used for a position sensing system....
Robotics, Sensors, and Motion Control
Understand motion control systems, from simple analog PID to sampled data algorithms, switching power circuits, complex sensors, actuators and mechanisms. Work with colleagues to integrate stepper motors, solenoids, hydraulics and LVDTs, and to assess system-level performance and stability.
Application Area Featured Designs
Mike DonnellyThis design shows a stepper motor's ability to control a load angle, not by using a rotation angle sensor for feedback, but rather...
Mike DonnellyThis example shows a VCA driven motion control loop that is acting through an equivalent model of a flexible mechanical structure....
DarrellPIDF feedback control theory for FRC motor speed control
See blog for detailed information
Application Area Groups
Sensor Modeling and Signal Conditioning Circuit Design for Mechatronic Systems
Featured Article | Mike Donnelly | 27 August 2016PartQuest Explore provides a great design platform for sensor signal conditioning circuits, as well as for verifying sensor systems in the context of their external applications. A key feature PartQuest Explore that makes this possible is the ability to create a “just right” model of the sensor itself. This can be a detailed physics-based model that captures both the internal behavior and the electrical interface characteristics of the sensor, to accurately represent its interaction with the signal conditioning circuit.
Controlling Motors with the Talon SRX
Featured Article | Darrell | 1 February 2017Do you struggle to understand how to use the Talon SRX controller effectively? What is PID and PIDF? How does feedback control work? What is feed-forward control? How are values of P, I, D, & F determined? How is the new Talon SRX "motion profile" feature supposed to be used?
If these are your questions, this blog is for you.
Motion Control Design: Frequency Response Modeling of a Flexible Structure
Featured Article | Mike Donnelly | 5 November 2018A versatile and effective modeling capability is available in our HyperLynx product family. It uses complex-pole fitting to extract simulation-ready models from measured frequency response data. This can be useful in a wide range of engineering design applications, from system level transfer function (signal flow) analysis, to modeling component interactions in a circuit simulation. The following example illustrates both of these aspects in a practical application: Design of a motion control loop that includes a flexible structure.