Low Cost PID Controller for Student Digital Control Laboratory Based on Arduino or STM32 Modules

In the teaching process, it is important that students do not carry out exercises only by computer simulations, but also that they carry out research in real time. In times of distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, it would be necessary to find a solution so that the students can perform such exercises individually at home. Therefore, it has become necessary to develop cheap and simple modules of digital controllers along with analog objects with adjustable order and time constants. This paper describes a low-cost proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller for teaching students control techniques and analog control objects in real time. The PID controller is based on the cheap and widely available microcontroller modules Arduino or STM32. The advantage of this solution is that the algorithm of the digital PID controller is calculated every constant period of time. Both the solutions presented in the paper have been successfully tested by students in practice during remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Automated summary

In the teaching process, it is important for students to conduct real-time research rather than rely solely on computer simulations. However, during distance learning in the COVID-19 pandemic, finding a solution for students to individually perform such exercises at home becomes necessary. This paper presents a low-cost proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller based on Arduino or STM32 microcontroller modules, which allows students to learn control techniques and analog control objects in real time. The digital PID controller algorithm is calculated at regular intervals, making it an effective solution for remote learning during the pandemic.