Automatic control technology has been one of the fastest-growing and most influential technologies in the 20th century. It continues to be one of the most important high technologies in the 21st century.
Today, technology, production, military operations, management, and daily life are all closely tied to automatic control technology.
Automatic control technology is the technical application of cybernetics.
Through an automatic control system equipped with specific control functions, certain control tasks can be completed to guarantee that a particular process is carried out as intended or to reach a specific target.
Principle analysis
From a control perspective, there are two types of automatic control systems: closed loop and open loop.
Closed-loop control
Closed-loop control is a type of negative feedback control system. This principle is analogous to human and animal behavior. The system consists of a sensor, which is equivalent to our senses; a control device, which is similar to the brain, nerves, and muscles; and an actuator, which is equivalent to our hands, legs, and muscles.
The sensor detects the output state information of the controlled object and converts it into a physical or electrical signal to the control device. The control device compares the current state of the controlled object (output amount) with the desired state (a given amount). Then, it generates a control signal, which drives the controlled object to move by the actuator, thereby bringing its motion state closer to the desired state.
Closed-loop (feedback) control methods are diverse and widely used in various fields and aspects. They are rapidly developing and finding new applications.
- Best control
- Adaptive Control
- Expert control (ie establishing control rules and procedures based on expert knowledge base)
- Fuzzy control
- Fault tolerant control
- Intelligent control
Open loop control
Open-loop control, also known as program control, involves sending signals to control objects in a predetermined procedure. Open-loop control includes time limit control, sequence control, and condition control based on the conditions generated by the signal.
Since the 1980s, programmable controllers using microelectronics have been extensively utilized in industrial control systems, such as elevators, multi-step machine tools, and waterworks. Complex systems or processes often require multiple control types and different control programs.
Technical application
With the rapid development of electronic computer technology and other high-tech industries, the level of automatic control technology has significantly increased, and its applications have become more extensive and significant.
In particular, in the fields of production process automation, factory automation, robotics, integrated management engineering, aerospace engineering, military technology, and others, automatic control technology plays a critical role.
