Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems book by Tim Wescott

[Mook Johnson]

Hey Tim and others that have this book.

Looks like I'll be asked to do more an more controls projects and my last
"class" was over 15 years ago. I'm looking for a good book on embedded
control theory that is more on the practical side. (I.E. lots of real world
examples)

Would this book fit the bill for this use? It is nice to have contact with
the books author as well.

thanks.

 

[Tim Wescott]

Hey Tim and others that have this book.

Looks like I'll be asked to do more an more controls projects and my last
"class" was over 15 years ago. I'm looking for a good book on embedded
control theory that is more on the practical side. (I.E. lots of real world
examples)

Would this book fit the bill for this use? It is nice to have contact with
the books author as well.

thanks.

Well, I certainly think so!

If you are an experienced embedded systems programmer and have done no or
little control systems, and if you need to pick it up for your job then
you are squarely in the center of my target readership.

The book is lighter on examples than I would like -- right now it's kind
of like meatloaf without much oatmeal. However, I recently taught a
course using it as a textbook. I'm going to be taking all of the homework
problems that I assigned for that course and posting them on the book's
site, along with worked answers. I expect this will enhance the book
considerably (and should it ever go to a second edition, you can expect
that those examples will either be worked into the text or put at the end
of each chapter as questions to be worked through).

--
Tim Wescott
Control systems and communications consulting
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Need to learn how to apply control theory in your embedded system?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" by Tim Wescott
Elsevier/Newnes, http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

 

[Fred Bloggs]

Well, I certainly think so!

If you are an experienced embedded systems programmer and have done no or
little control systems, and if you need to pick it up for your job then
you are squarely in the center of my target readership.

The book is lighter on examples than I would like -- right now it's kind
of like meatloaf without much oatmeal. However, I recently taught a
course using it as a textbook. I'm going to be taking all of the homework
problems that I assigned for that course and posting them on the book's
site, along with worked answers. I expect this will enhance the book
considerably (and should it ever go to a second edition, you can expect
that those examples will either be worked into the text or put at the end
of each chapter as questions to be worked through).

When are those problem sets going to appear on your site? I want to see
them. Never mind...I don't want to see them. I suppose the first thing
to get straight is your idea of the typical embedded systems programmer.
That is what I *really* want to know. What is his/her background and
level of intellect?

 

[Tim Wescott]

When are those problem sets going to appear on your site? I want to see
them. Never mind...I don't want to see them. I suppose the first thing
to get straight is your idea of the typical embedded systems programmer.
That is what I *really* want to know. What is his/her background and
level of intellect?

If you know a lot of embedded systems programmers you know that there is
no one 'typical' educational background. I think a motivated reader who
has done well in a calculus course at some time in their lives, and who
has done some embedded programming, would be able to get through the book.
Having some familiarity with one or more of differential equations,
practical DSP, practical closed-loop control (i.e. having coded up a PID
and flailed around with parameters until it worked) would be helpful. Me
getting those dang examples posted would be helpful, too.

Barring even more unscheduled work falling on my shoulders, I expect to
start posting these in early August, perhaps earlier if I finish my edits
to my presentation for the Embedded Systems Conference in Boston before
the deadline.

--
Tim Wescott
Control systems and communications consulting
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Need to learn how to apply control theory in your embedded system?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" by Tim Wescott
Elsevier/Newnes, http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

 

[Jim Thompson]

Well, I certainly think so!

If you are an experienced embedded systems programmer and have done no or
little control systems, and if you need to pick it up for your job then
you are squarely in the center of my target readership.

Last year, after some 40 years since my school-book-learning control
systems, I got a project shoved at me with a nasty control loop
immersed in it. I ordered Tim's book over-nighted and was quickly
back in business... and the chip worked great!

The book is lighter on examples than I would like -- right now it's kind
of like meatloaf without much oatmeal.

But I prefer using left-over cooked rice myself ;-)

However, I recently taught a
course using it as a textbook. I'm going to be taking all of the homework
problems that I assigned for that course and posting them on the book's
site, along with worked answers. I expect this will enhance the book
considerably (and should it ever go to a second edition, you can expect
that those examples will either be worked into the text or put at the end
of each chapter as questions to be worked through).

...Jim Thompson

 

[Mook Johnson]

If you know a lot of embedded systems programmers you know that there is
no one 'typical' educational background. I think a motivated reader who
has done well in a calculus course at some time in their lives, and who
has done some embedded programming, would be able to get through the book.
Having some familiarity with one or more of differential equations,
practical DSP, practical closed-loop control (i.e. having coded up a PID
and flailed around with parameters until it worked) would be helpful. Me
getting those dang examples posted would be helpful, too.

Barring even more unscheduled work falling on my shoulders, I expect to
start posting these in early August, perhaps earlier if I finish my edits
to my presentation for the Embedded Systems Conference in Boston before
the deadline.

Thanks, I'll pick up a copy.

From the sounds of it I am in your target group and need to get a PID for a
motor control application going.

It has two loops. an internal Id and Iq current control loop and an outer
loop is a RPM control loop. I want the motor to run at a commanded RPM
regardless of the load. The load will vary wildly with high frequency
torque ripples (similar to a drill press motor loads at the end of the cut)
and would like the speed loop to be fast enough the keep the RPM in a
reasonable band (say +/-20%) during the transient events as long as the
peeks torque loads don't exceed the capabilities of the motor.

I think I'll pick up a copy and try it out. Your worked problems would be
appreciated and August is right on time for this.

I'll be posting more specific questions as I get more acquainted with the
process.

thanks

 

[Tim Wescott]

Last year, after some 40 years since my school-book-learning control
systems, I got a project shoved at me with a nasty control loop
immersed in it. I ordered Tim's book over-nighted and was quickly
back in business... and the chip worked great!


But I prefer using left-over cooked rice myself ;-)


...Jim Thompson

I vaguely remember an exchange about the book back then.

Was it an analog loop, or were you closing it digitally? I wouldn't
expect my book to be the best possible one for practical analog control,
but I could see it being the best _extant_ one.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" gives you just what it says.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

 

[Jim Thompson]

Jim Thompson wrote: [snip]

Last year, after some 40 years since my school-book-learning control
systems, I got a project shoved at me with a nasty control loop
immersed in it. I ordered Tim's book over-nighted and was quickly
back in business... and the chip worked great!


But I prefer using left-over cooked rice myself ;-)


...Jim Thompson

I vaguely remember an exchange about the book back then.

Was it an analog loop, or were you closing it digitally? I wouldn't
expect my book to be the best possible one for practical analog control,
but I could see it being the best _extant_ one.

Analog loop. But your "tuning" method revived all the memory cells
;-)

...Jim Thompson

 

[Jasen Betts]

Thanks, I'll pick up a copy.

From the sounds of it I am in your target group and need to get a PID for a
motor control application going.

It has two loops. an internal Id and Iq current control loop and an outer
loop is a RPM control loop. I want the motor to run at a commanded RPM
regardless of the load. The load will vary wildly with high frequency
torque ripples (similar to a drill press motor loads at the end of the cut)
and would like the speed loop to be fast enough the keep the RPM in a
reasonable band (say +/-20%) during the transient events as long as the
peeks torque loads don't exceed the capabilities of the motor.

can't just add a flyheel tothe system?

Bye.
Jasen