MUGEN32 page.

1 of 7
Rev. 2.2 - Jun 2020

Control system
The current generator is equipped with a sophisticated analog control system, which has to keep the cur-
rent output constant independently from load change and mains variations.
The regulation is based on two PID algorithms in sequence and named:
 “External” with feedback current taken at the output,
 “Internal” with feedback current taken before the filter.

The following figure shows the principle of the operation

1. Control system block diagram

REF / X

External loop Internal loop

Current refe- +
rence REF1 REF2
REF + + PWM
- -

Output Primary
current current

The control loops are adjusted in production in order to achieve a good compromise between speed
and stability for the majority of loads. In some cases it might be necessary to modify some parameters
for the following reasons:

 Oscillations due to a type of load too reactive

 To enhance the generator dynamic performance
 To adapt the generator to the load
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2. Control system description

The control system is based on two PID loops in sequence, named “External and Internal”.

The external loop reacts a bit slower because of the delay introduced by the filter and provides only a
correction value to the internal loop. It takes at the input the main reference while the feedback comes
from the output current of the generator.

The internal loop is faster and its aim is to keep the current stable into the LC filter to a value very close
to that of the output. It takes at the input a part of the main reference (current set up) + the external
loop correction and the feedback is taken from the current before the filter.

External loop

Direct reference to
∗ modulator
16

REF (from internal

generator or
BOOSTER input)

∗
Integral limitation
+
∗ ∗1 +
+ ∗ REF1
+ to internal loop
-
∗1
∗
Lim. slope
∗

Derivative limitation
Output current
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Internal loop

Direct
reference

∗
Integral limitation
REF1 (from + +
external loop)
∗ ∗1 REF2
+
+ ∗
To
- + modulator

∗1
∗
∗

Derivative limitation
Primary current
(before the filter)

3. Parameters function and definition

Direct ref: range 0 ÷ 255 (255 means 100%)

It’s the amount of direct reference (set up current) to apply to the internal loop and is expressed in terms
of sixteenths of the reference, for which 255 = 100% of the reference.

Kp: range 0 ÷ 255

It’s the proportional gain of the regulation loop (it causes the output to change according to the input er-
ror)

Ti: range dt 0 ÷ 3
It’s the integration time constant of the regulation loop

Td parameter is divided into other 2 sub-parameters to set:

 Td-C range dt 0 ÷ 3 It’s the derivative time constant of the regulation loop
 Td-G range dt 0 ÷ 255 (255 means 0%) It’s the additional resistive coefficient of the
regulation loop that can be added to the derivative time constant.
Td parameter reduces the system response time.
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4. Fine tuning procedure for the control system

Note: To change the control parameters it’s necessary to have a PC connected to the serial/LAN/USB
port of the device and the software program “Dig32util”.

The following paragraph provides only a guide for the fine tuning of the PID regulation loops since in many
cases a fixed rule it’s not applicable and regulations are made on the bases of personal experience.

Note: Eventual parameters modifications must be done by specialized personnel only be-
cause these modifications could cause malfunctions and/or generator damages.

Note: Before making any change to the regulation parameters it’s advisable to take note of
the existing parameters so to restore the initial setup.

In the majority of cases, in particular when it’s necessary to adapt the generator to the load, it’s suffi-
cient to make light changes to some parameters following simple rules:

 In case of sever capacitive load, lower the Kp coefficients and increase the integration time Ti.

 In case of sever inductive load, increase the Kp coefficients and lower the integration time Ti.
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5. Technique for fine tuning the loops

The fine tuning of the PID loops must be done in two phases, first the internal one and then the external
one using DIG32util software.

In order to fine tune and verify the dynamic performances of the generator, it’s better to set the current
with an external generator connected to the BOOSTER input, using a square waveform with the following
test parameters:
Frequency => between Fmin and Fmax (Fmin < fr < Fmax).
Amplitude pk-pk => 0 ÷ 10V.

Under these conditions set the external loop parameters Kp as 10, Ti as 3, Td-C and Td-G as 0 and the
internal loop parameters Kp as 40, Ti as 3, Td-C and Td-G as 0 as starting parameters.
At this point, it is necessary to adjust the internal loop parameters to obtain the maximum performance.
Once the internal loop has been fine tuned, the parameters Kp, Ti and Td of the external loop can be
adjusted so to optimize the global performance.

Here below it is possible to find several graphics where the behavior of current generator is shown de-
pending on the set parameters.

Ideal system response to a step function

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Step function response varying Kp with Ti constant

Step function response varying Ti with Kp constant

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Step function response with Kp too high

Step function response with Kp and Ti too small