2016 International Conference on Power, Energy Engineering and Management (PEEM 2016)

ISBN: 978-1-60595-324-3

Design and Implementation of Electronic Throttle Control System

Based on MotoHawk

Geng-juan GUO1, Zu-hua FANG1,*, Ying SUN2, Xue-feng YE1

and Jia-le WANG1
1
College of Information, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Normal University,
No.100, Haisi Road, Shanghai 201418, China
2
College of Civil Engineering, Shanghai Normal University, No.100, Haisi road, Shanghai 201418,
China
*Corresponding author

Keywords: Electronic throttle control, Incremental PID controller, MotoHawk.

Abstract. This paper introduces the rapid prototyping technology of electronic throttle system based
on MotoHawk platform. It builds the mathematical model of the electronic throttle, then designs and
verifies incremental PID controller algorithm in Matlab/Simulink. Using MotoTron company's
advanced technology to set up electronic throttle development platform. Through transplanting
strategy and the calibration test after downloading finally realizes the optimization of control
performance.

Introduction
Electronic throttle technology [1,2,3,4] is a significant role in the engine electronic control
technology, the electronic throttle control (ETC) is the electronic control fuel injection system
removing the idle and throttle control system of mechanical transmission parts, and the engine ECU
directly drives the electric throttle through driving circuit, driving motor and gear transmission
system. But the whole system structure is complex, and the throttle body is a nonlinear system[5], so
to achieve precise control must choose a appropriate control algorithm.
This paper builds the mathematical model of the electronic throttle body, then designs and verifies
incremental PID controller algorithm in MATLAB/SIMULINK. The electronic throttle rapid
prototyping development platform is built based on MotoHawk platform.

Structure of Electronic Throttle Control System

Electronic throttle system consists of the following several parts [6]and is shown in Figure 1: (1) The
accelerator pedal position sensor: It is used to transmit the driver operating intentions in the form of
voltage signal to to the controller. Its core is two potentiometric position sensors, and it uses the
redundancy design; (2) Electronic throttle body assembly, it is mainly constituted by the driving
motor, throttle gate valve, throttle position sensor, the gear mechanism and the reset spring; (3)
Electronic control unit: It is the core of the electronic throttle control system. After inputting the
sensor signal, according to the driver's intentions and the actual torque requirements to control ETC’s
motor.
This system chooses Bosch electronic throttle which is the most widely used as the controlled
object. The primary task before designing of the control algorithm is carrying out on the throttle body
mathematical model and establishing its simulation model.

Mathematical Model of Electronic Throttle

Throttle's work is forced by driving motor, and blocked by the reset spring torque and friction torque
(coulomb friction and viscous friction), so the mathematical model can be represented as:
 J  Tm  Ts  Td  T f
(1)
where J is the 
moment of inertia, is the speed of motor,Tm
is the electromagnetic torque, Ts is the reset
spring torque, Td is the viscous friction torque, T is the coulomb friction torque.
f

Figure 1. Control system of ETCS. Figure 2. Control principle of motor.

Figure 2 is the control principle of electronic throttle’s motor, according to the Kirchhoff's voltage
law can get DC motor armature equations:

di (t )
u (t )  L  Ri (t )  Ea
dt (2)
Using PWM control,
di(t ) 1 R E
 u (t )  i (t )  a
dt L L L (3)
where i (t ) is the input control current, L is the motor inductance, u(t ) is PWM output , R  Ra  R0 , R0 is
power resistance, Ra is electrical resistance, Ea is the back EMF.
The electromagnetic torque:

Tm  KT i (t )
(4)
The moment of resistance:

Ts  K s ( (t )   0 )
(5)

Td  K d  (t )
(6)

T f  K f sgn( (t ))
(7)
where KT is the motor torque coefficient, K s is the rest spring elastic coefficient,  (t ) is the throttle’s
present angle and  0 is the throttle’s Angle dosage compensation, K d is the viscous friction
constant, K f is the coulomb's constant friction.
About all, the valve movement of the electronic throttle is determined by the combined effect of the
electromagnetic torque and torque of resistance, the moment of resistance contains the rest spring
torque, viscous friction torque which is produced in the movement of throttle valves and coulomb
friction torque.
We build an appropriate simulation model based on in order to study the dynamic characteristics
and the nonlinear factors of the electronic throttle, and is shown in Figure 3.

Electronic Throttle Control Algorithm Design

Firstly, designing the control algorithm based on target (the accelerator pedal position), then we can
design and demarcate the algorithm based on the torque model control when the effect meets the
requirements. According to its special working environment, this paper chooses incremental PID
control algorithm, and its control effect was simulated. PID[7,8] control is one of the classical control
methods and is commonly used in nonlinear control. It is maturely developed, widely used. This
paper applicants it after some improving, it has strong reduced order property, invariability and
robustness to disturbance and also easy to implement on the calibration algorithm.
PID controller bases on the controlled object’s (the throttle opening) dynamic error to realize
proportion, integral and differential three parts control effect. Once the error produced, the controller
works.

1 t de(t )
u(t )  K p [e(t ) 
TI  e(t )dt  T
0 D
dt
]
(8)
where KP is proportion coefficient, KI is integral time, KD is differential time.
In order to avoid the output mutation caused by the sharply change of input, we choose the
incremental PID as the core control algorithm[9][10][11]:

u(k)  KPe(k)  KI e(k )  KD[e(k)  e(k 1)] (9)

Figure 3. Mathematical model of motor. Figure 4. Simulation model of ETCS.

Simulation of Control Algorithm

The simulation system which is designed by the corresponding relation between ETC’s mathematical
model and control algorithm is shown in Figure 4.
This paper uses step signal as input, analyze the three parameters (KP, KI, KD) regulating effect to
the system, and is shown in Figure 5. Considering the simulation results, the performance of system is
the best when KP=350, KI=5,KD=10.The results show that the model controlled by incremental PID
algorithm is appropriate and it also can simulate the response of system with changing desired throttle
angle value. The incremental PID algorithm has stability and simplicity in control performance.

Figure 5. Response curve of electronic throttle. Figure 6. Electronic throttle development platform.
Incremental PID Controller Based on MotoHawk
MotoHawk software development environment provides a variety of automotive grade hardware
inputs and outputs driver interface. Firstly, confirming the framework of electronic throttle control
system and task management mechanism, and setting up the storage, the underlying communication
and basic control trigger, etc. Then according to the control algorithm in Matlab/Simulink, the
simulation inputs and outputs as well as the corresponding blocks of algorithm are replaced by the
substitute driving or calibration blocks of MotoHawk development environment. The calibration
parameters of the sensors and actuators during the process of building the platform substitute into the
algorithm. The electronic throttle development platform is shown in Figure 6, the first subsystem is
the CAN communication module, the second is the module to define various kinds of sensors, the
third is the core module used to store the control algorithm, and the last one is the actor. Besides the
incremental PID algorithm after transplantation is stored in the third subsystem and is shown in
Figure 7. The realization of the PID algorithm is through the proportion, integral and differential three
operation module. The three parameters (KP, KI, KD) can be corrected through MotoTune which will
be mentioned below.

Figure 7. Incremental PID algorithm after transplantation. Figure 8. MotoTune online debugging.

Analysis of Results
Using MotoTune online debugging (Figure 8), electronic throttle control can achieve the desired
effect. Table 1 shows the compare of electronic throttle body opening values, and the control error is
0-0.4%. Adjusting and modifying the parameters during debugging process.Experimental results
show that the incremental PID control algorithm can be implemented on Motohawk platform, and can
achieve better control of the outcome. Simulation based on Matlab/Similink provides better
theoretical basis and empirical values for algorithms transplant and parameters selected. Algorithm
transplant, both to verify the control characteristics of the algorithm, but also has practical
significance for the application and problem solving.
Table 1. Results of Electronic Throttle opening.

Target degree 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Actual degree 9.97 20.0 30.01 40.0 50.2 60.2 69.9 79.9 90.1
Target degree 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10
Actual degree 90.0 80.1 70.3 60.1 49.9 40.0 30.0 20.0 10.0

Conclusions
This paper analyzes the control system of electronic throttle’s structure and dynamic performance and
simulates it by Matlab/Simulink, then transplants the control algorithm based on MotoHawk and
realizes online debugging by using MotoTune. Finally, it implements the control on electronic
throttle, which makes ETC reach the ECU designing goal quickly and reliably, improving the control
performance of ETC.
This paper uses the current most advanced hardware-based product-level rapid prototyping
technology, model design language, in a short time to better complete the ETC control algorithm, and
sets up electronic throttle development platform with strong engineering value. And the control
algorithm theory and experimental data provide important reference for the subsequent development.

Acknowledgment
This work was financially supported by the Research Program of Science and technology Committee
of Shanghai (12160503000).

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