FIRST YEAR LABORATORY EXPERIMENT 6

Experiment 6: STUDY OF A POSITION CONTROL SERVOMECHANISM

1. Objectives

This experiment provides the student with hands-on experience of the operation of a
small servomechanism. This system will be used for more complex work later in the
course. The parameters of the system will be evaluated by a series of tests. The setpoint
following operation of the servo will be studied qualitatively for different values of
forward-path gain, and quantitatively for one value of gain. Theoretical predictions will
be compared with measured responses.

2. Introduction

The hardware of a basic position control servomechanism is provided. It consists

essentially of a potentiometer-pair error detector, a preamplifier, a circuit capable of
connection as a series compensator, a voltage-to-voltage power amplifier, a DC motor
with integral tachogenerator, a gearbox, and a load. The actual arrangement is more
complicated than the front panel picture (Fig. 1) would suggest. In the arrangement
provided for this experiment the effects of motor armature inductance and non-linear
friction have been masked over the working range of the basic system. This has been
achieved by the use of high gain techniques in association with internal feedback. The
resultant system has been 'slowed down' electronically so that its performance over the
range of the given experimental work is essentially linear and second order when
switched to System 1 and third order when switched to System 2. Outside the range of
this work (e.g. when the forward path gain is increased well beyond the values required)
the system does begin to exhibit behaviour that cannot be explained on the basis of
second order transfer functions. This need not concern the students performing this
experiment, but these effects will be studied in later experiments.

With reference to Fig. 1, the position of a rotatable mass (also called the output position
θ o ) is to be controlled in accordance with the position of a command handwheel (also

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FIRST YEAR LABORATORY EXPERIMENT 6

called the input position θ i ). The output is transduced to form a voltage Vo and the input

is transduced to form a voltage Vi . These are subtracted electronically using operational

amplifiers to form an error voltage Ve = P Er where Er is the mechanical error given by

Er = θ i − θ o . The system may be isolated from mechanical commands by means of

switch S1 . There is an auxiliary input Vx for direct electrical commands that can be used

for certain tests. The signal Ve will normally be fed via switch S 2 to form Ve ' . The net

control signal Ve ' is then passed through an adjustable potentiometer of setting A and a

pre-amplifier before application to the series compensator. With switches 3 and 4 closed
this compensator is a simple amplifier with gain 3. The terminals provided across these
switches allow passive components (i.e. resistors and capacitors) to be connected in such
a way as to produce phase-lead compensation, phase-lag compensation, proportional
plus integral control P+I, or P+I+ phase lead compensation.

The output of the compensator is then combined with the local velocity feedback signal
before being power-amplified and fed to the motor. The shaft of the motor is coupled via
a 5:1 step down gearbox (employing a toothed belt for quietness) to the rotatable mass
whose position is to be controlled. The major loop may be opened by means of switch S6
and the auxiliary velocity feedback loop may be opened by means of switch S5 . The

tachogenerator is mounted on the motor shaft. Its voltage is amplified and some of the
commutator ripple is filtered before feeding to the terminal as Vt . The proportion of Vt
fedback can be controlled by the ten-turn potentiometer of coefficient B.

An analysis of the linearised system reveals that when switched to System 1, the system
can be represented by the transfer function model illustrated by the block diagram shown
in Fig. 2. Useful equations are developed in Appendix 1.

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3. Determination of system parameters

Switch to System 1, and leave switches S3 and S 4 closed for this experiment.

3.1 Potentiometer Responsivity P (V/rad)

Close switch S1 , and open S 2 , S5 , S6 . Then Ve (volts ) = P θ i .

Record this voltage on AVO on 10 V range with θ i set to (say) 0o , ± 45o , ± 90o , ± 135o .

Plot a graph and hence evaluate P (with expected tolerance). Confirm by recording Ve

with θ i set to 1 rad = 57.3o .

3.2 Tachometer responsivity G (V/rad s-1)

Close switch S 2 . Set potentiometer A to 0.40, vary θ i and record Vt and time for n

revolutions of the output shaft. Hence evaluate Wo (in rad/s) and plot a graph of Vt

against Wo to determine G .

HINT. Tabulate Vt , n , time for n revs, Wo . Think about the accuracy of your readings.

In the future, Vt will be used to determine shaft speed.

3.3 Amplifier/Motor/Load Parameters M (rad s-1 / V), T (s)

The steady state relationship between Vt and θ i is given by:

Vt = P 3 A M G θ i

Record suitable values, plot a graph and hence evaluate M .

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The transient response of Vt to changes in Vx is of the form:

Vt (t ) = Vt 0 (1 − e − t / T )

where Vt0 is the steady state value and T is the time constant.

You will carry out a step test using VISSIM to record the open loop transient response.
Double click on the icon labeled Exp06, which starts VISSIM and loads a suitable
configuration for this experiment. Using the mouse, connect the icon labeled Step 0 to 4
to the icon labeled Vx. Connect the icon labeled Step 0 to 4 to the plot window and
connect the icon labeled Vt to the plot window. Then, carry out the physical connections
shown in Table 1.

Terminal on servo Signal Number on box

Vx 20
V0 36
Vt 37
Earth 11
Earth 18
Earth 19
24 to 5

Table 1: Physical connections

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Ensure that the data acquisition channels are assigned in VISSIM according to Table 2.

Type of conversion Signal name Channel

D/A Vx 0
A/D V0 1
A/D Vt 0

Table 2: Data acquisition channels

Use VISSIM (after an explanation by the demonstrator) to obtain a suitable transient

response, and hence determine the time constant T . A step change in Vx from 0 to 4 V

with a value of A = 0.40 should be suitable.

If time is short, you may assume T = 0.22 s.

4. Closed-loop tests on Positional Servo

4.1 Response with adjustable gain

Set A = 0.30 , close switches S1 and S6 , open S5 , and examine how θ o follows manual

variations of θ i . Reduce A towards zero (e.g. set A to 0.10, 0.025, 0.01 ), and then
increase it towards 1.00 (e.g. set A to 0.50, 0.70, 1.00). At each setting of A , observe the
following-action of the servo and comment on the effect of altering the forward-path gain
on the servo performance.

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4.2 Step Response with given parameters

Set A = 1.00 and open S1. Use VISSIM to obtain recordings of Vo and then Vt for step

changes of input voltage Vx from -4 to 0. Determine the percentage overshoot, and time
to peak, and compare with values predicted from the equations for the servo. (see
Appendix 1). Confirm that Vo is a maximum when Vt crosses zero.

Appendix 1

With reference to Fig. 2, when S5 is open and all others are closed (NOTE. With switch

S5 OPEN, the value of B is effectively zero). The transfer function from θi to θo is given

by:

 M 1
P3 A  
θ o ( s)  (1 + sT )  s
=
θi ( s)  M 1
1+ 3A   P
 (1 + sT )  s

This transfer function can be re-written as follows:

3 AMP
θ o ( s) T
= (A1)
θ i ( s) s 2 + 1 s + 3 AMP
T T

Now consider the standard second order transfer function:

ω n2
G(s) = (A2)
s 2 + 2ζω n s + ω n2

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Comparing equations (A1) with (A2) it is easy to show that the undamped natural
frequency is given by:

3 AMP
ωn = (A3)
T

while the damping coefficient ζ is given by:

1 1 T 1
ζ = = = (A4)
2T ω n 2T 3 AMP 2 3 AMPT

Compute the values of the damping coefficient and undamped natural frequency for the
servo system by using Eqns. (A3) and (A4).

The values of the percent overshoot Mp and time to peak tp for a second order system like
(A2) are given by:

MaxValue − FinalValue  −ζπ 

Mp = ×100 = exp   ×100 (A5)
FinalValue  1−ζ 2 
 

π
tp = (A6)
ωn 1 − ζ 2

Calculate the predicted values of Mp and tp using Eqns. (A5) and (A6).

Revised by V. Becerra, September 2000.

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