FPGA Implementation of Self-Tuning Regulators

The paper presents an hardware realization of a self-tuning control system implemented on a development board, Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) based, able to adapt the control rules for an uncertain and disturbance affected plant. In the paper the on-line estimation of the plant parameters is realized by applying the “Recursive Least Squares with exponential forgetting” method and the control law is designed by using the “Pole Placement” procedure. These algorithms require a greater computational load, justifying therefore the FPGA utilization, especially in the case of high speed variation of the plant parameters. In order to test the FPGA hardware implementation of Self-Tuning regulators the process is implemented on DSPACE and the parameter variations are produced via an Human Machine Interface (HMI) console. Besides, thanks to the reprogrammability of FPGAs, these devices allow the use of such adaptive control systems in hazardous area.Copyright © 2009 by ASME