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Robotics Glossary

PID Control

Conceptual

PID Control is the most widely used feedback control algorithm in robotics and automation. It continuously calculates an error between a desired setpoint and a measured process variable, then applies a correction based on proportional, integral, and derivative terms.

The PID Equation

u(t) = Kp·e(t) + Ki·∫e(t)dt + Kd·de(t)/dt

Where:

  • u(t) = control output
  • e(t) = error (setpoint - measured value)
  • Kp = proportional gain
  • Ki = integral gain
  • Kd = derivative gain

The Three Terms

Proportional (P)

Reacts to the current error. Larger error → larger correction.

  • Effect: Reduces rise time, but can’t eliminate steady-state error alone
  • Too high: Oscillation, instability
  • Too low: Slow response

Integral (I)

Reacts to accumulated error over time. Eliminates steady-state error.

  • Effect: Drives error to zero over time
  • Too high: Overshoot, slow oscillations (integral windup)
  • Too low: Steady-state error persists

Derivative (D)

Reacts to rate of change of error. Predicts future error.

  • Effect: Reduces overshoot, dampens oscillations
  • Too high: Amplifies noise, jerky response
  • Too low: More overshoot

Visual Intuition

                Setpoint
                   │
Error = ──────────►├◄────── Measured Value
                   │
                   ▼
          ┌────────────────┐
          │   PID Control  │
          │                │
          │  P: "React"    │
          │  I: "Remember" │
          │  D: "Predict"  │
          └───────┬────────┘
                  │
                  ▼
            Control Output
            (motor speed, valve position, etc.)

Tuning Methods

Ziegler-Nichols Method

  1. Set Ki = Kd = 0
  2. Increase Kp until system oscillates at constant amplitude
  3. Note the critical gain (Ku) and oscillation period (Tu)
  4. Calculate gains from lookup table
Control TypeKpKiKd
P0.5·Ku00
PI0.45·Ku1.2·Kp/Tu0
PID0.6·Ku2·Kp/TuKp·Tu/8

Note: Ziegler-Nichols tuning yields aggressive response with ~25% overshoot. Often requires refinement for production use.

Manual Tuning

  1. Start with Kp only, increase until fast response with some overshoot
  2. Add Kd to reduce overshoot
  3. Add Ki to eliminate steady-state error
  4. Fine-tune all three

Code Example

class PIDController:
    def __init__(self, kp, ki, kd, setpoint=0):
        self.kp = kp
        self.ki = ki
        self.kd = kd
        self.setpoint = setpoint
        self.integral = 0
        self.prev_error = 0


    def update(self, measured, dt):
        error = self.setpoint - measured


        # Proportional
        p_term = self.kp * error


        # Integral (with anti-windup)
        self.integral += error * dt
        self.integral = max(-100, min(100, self.integral))
        i_term = self.ki * self.integral


        # Derivative
        derivative = (error - self.prev_error) / dt
        d_term = self.kd * derivative
        self.prev_error = error


        return p_term + i_term + d_term


# Usage: motor speed control
pid = PIDController(kp=2.0, ki=0.5, kd=0.1, setpoint=100)
current_speed = 0
dt = 0.01  # 10ms loop


for _ in range(1000):
    output = pid.update(current_speed, dt)
    # Apply output to motor...

Common Issues

Integral Windup

When the actuator saturates, the integral term keeps growing. Common anti-windup strategies:

  • Clamping: Limit integral term to bounds (simple, shown in code example)
  • Back-calculation: Adjust integral based on saturation feedback (better for frequent saturation)
  • Conditional integration: Freeze integration when saturated

Derivative Noise

High-frequency noise gets amplified by the D term. Solution: low-pass filter on derivative or measured value.

Setpoint Kick

Sudden setpoint changes cause large derivative spikes. Solution: apply D term only to measured value, not error.

Applications in Robotics

ApplicationTypical Tuning Priority
Motor positionHigh P, moderate D, low I
TemperatureHigh I, low P and D
Drone altitudeBalanced P, I, D
Line followingHigh P, moderate D
Balancing robotHigh P and D, low I

Limitations

PID works well for linear, single-input/single-output (SISO) systems. For complex robots, consider:

  • Model Predictive Control (MPC) — handles constraints and multi-variable systems
  • LQR — optimal control for linear systems
  • Adaptive control — adjusts gains based on system changes
  • Neural network controllers — learns complex nonlinear dynamics

Sources