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Low-Cost Magnetic Levitation Project Kits For Teaching Feedback System Design
Low-Cost Magnetic Levitation Project Kits For Teaching Feedback System Design
+15 V
U1: LM7805
+5 V
BOOTSTRAP
1
GND
OUT
VT1 VDD OUTPUT 1
IN
2
CF OUT DIRECTION
3
+15 V VSLP OTF BRAKE INPUT
4
GND VT2 PWM INPUT
+ 5
VS SUPPLY
6
C1 C2 C3 C4 U2: MIC502 POWER GND
7
SIGNAL GND
GND 8
THERMAL FLAG
C1 = 470 µF electrolytic
9
OUTPUT 2
10
C2 = 1 µF ceramic
BOOTSTRAP
11
C4 = 0.01 µF ceramic
U4: SS495A
Fig. 3. Schematic of magnetic levitation system. The position of the levitated object is sensed by the SS495 Hall-effect sensor. The output voltage of the
sensor drives the input of the MIC502 fan-management chip. The fan-management chip produces a PWM signal to the LMD18201 motor drive H-bridge
chip. This PWM drive adjusts the average current in the solenoid, which controls the magnetic field.
III. L AB P ROJECT
After the basic system is demonstrated in lecture (as shown
in Figure 4), students receive individual kits along with assem-
bly instructions for building the magnetic levitation device. Fig. 4. The authors’ lecture-demonstration system with a simple wooden
The laboratory assignment challenges the students to modify stand. The system levitates a broken pencil attached the magnets with a glob
of electrical tape. This solution is decidedly unattractive and low tech, and it
the system to improve system stability, transient performance, demonstrates the marginal stability of the unmodified basic system.
and disturbance rejection.
We intentionally present students with a device which is
both badly instrumented and badly compensated, and we geometric or inertial) of the levitated object, power electronics,
expect that two of the key issues students will analyze include and the analog controller.
sensor performance and compensator design. The project is The lab assignment requires that at a minimum the students
open ended, however, and students are also encouraged to design an analog compensator to improve the stability and
explore other areas of improvement. Their modifications can disturbance rejection of the basic system. Students need to
include the following: sensor selection and placement, the modify the system to enable basic transient measurements
design of the coil actuator, the characteristics (magnetic, of the system (by adding an electrical drive input). Once
SUBMITTED TO THE 2004 AMERICAN CONTROL CONFERENCE 3
Fig. 6. Student-built system with aluminum stand. The system levitates a Fig. 8. Student-built system with laser-cut acrylic stand. This impressive
large metal screw. This industrial-looking system won the award for lowest stand placed first in the “Most Artistic” category.
power consumption.
Fig. 7. Student-built system with LEGO stand. The system levitates an Fig. 9. Model of student-designed aluminum stand. This potentially low-cost
attractive paper box. This creative support system placed second in the “Most stand is to be manufactured out of a single piece of aluminum. Several sets
Artistic” category. of mounting holes and tabs are provided for additional sensor placement.
SUBMITTED TO THE 2004 AMERICAN CONTROL CONFERENCE 5
Fig. 11. Magnetic levitation system described in [2]. Even after thirty years
of use, this system is still a beloved lecture demonstration in MIT courses
“Signal and Systems,” “Fields, Forces, and Motion,” and, of course, “Feedback
Systems.” The large heat sink at left houses the output power transistor.
680k
6.8u 1000pF
35V
100
1Ω
CL703 0.5W
33pF 3W
47k 1k
6.8u
λ
+ 35V
1N4157 2N3792
1N3028
301A LARGE #1458
15uF 20.6V
50V 220k − 4 HEATSINK
7
2N3792
1uF 1uF 10k SMALL
3500 Turns #22 HEATSINK
220k
220k 1N4001 on 4"x1" diameter 2.2k
cold-rolled steel 0.5W
window size 3"x1"
-40V 2A
Fig. 12. Schematic of magnetic levitator described in [2] and shown in Figure 11. This schematic is dated March 30, 1974.
[3] Guy Marsden, Levitation! Nuts and Volts Magazine, [9] J. Cicon, Building a magnetic ball levitator, Popular
vol. 24, no. 9, September 2003, pp. 58–61. Available online Electronics, vol. 13, no. 5, May 1996, pp. 48–52, 78.
at http://www.arttec.net/Press/N&V/Levitation.html [10] The Tech, vol. 123, no. 61, pg. 1, December 5, 2003.
[4] S.A. Green, R.S. Hirsch, and K.C. Craig, Magnetic levita- [11] D.L. Trumper, Magnetic suspension techniques for pre-
tion device as teaching aid for mechatronics at Rensselaer, cision motion control, PhD Thesis, MIT, 1990.
in Proc. ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Division, [12] R.H. Frazier, P.J. Gilinson, and G.A. Oberbeck. Magnetic
vol 57-2, 1995, pp. 1047–1052. and Electric Suspensions. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1974.
[5] K. Craig, T. Kurfess, and M. Nagurka, Magnetic levitation [13] B.V. Jayawant. Electromagnetic Levitation and Suspen-
testbed for controls education, in Proc. ASME Dynamic sion Techniques. London: Edward Arnold, 1981.
Systems and Control Division, vol. 64, 1998, pp. 83–88. [14] P.K. Sinha. Electromagnetic Suspension – Dynamics and
[6] G.F. Franklin and J.D. Powell. Digital Control of Dynamic Control. London: Peter Peregrinus, 1987.
Systems. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. 1980. [15] G.S. Brown and D.P. Campbell. Principles of Servomech-
[7] B. Shahian and M. Hassul. Control System Design Using anisms. New York: Wiley, 1948.
MATLAB. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall. 1993. pp. 455– [16] J.K. Roberge, private communication, 2003.
465. [17] T.H. Wong, Design of a magnetic levitation control
[8] D. Williams, Electromagnetic levitator, Electronics Now, system – an undergraduate project, IEEE Transactions on
vol. 67, no. 2, February 1996, pp. 33–34, 67–70. Education, vol. 29, November 1986, pp. 196–200.