Closed-loop Position Control System Using LabVIEW

Kelvin R. Aaron; South Carolina State University; Orangeburg, SC

Noreen L. Foster; South Carolina State University; Orangeburg, SC
Dannielle P. Hazel; South Carolina State University; Orangeburg, SC
A. M. Hasanul Basher; South Carolina State University; Orangeburg, SC

Keywords: Closed-loop, Position Control, DC motor, Virtual Instrument, LabVIEW

ABSTRACT Transistors (IGBTs) [Z] and through use of 555 Timer IC chip
[3]. Speed control and hence the position control of dc motor
through path generation technique is reported in [4-51.
A closed-loop DC motor control system is developed using Polynomials of different orders are used to represent the motor
National Instrument’s (NI) Data Acquisition (DAQ) Board position in this method. Application of this technique may be
(Model M I 0 6040E), LabVIEW sofhvare package, and DAQ found in robot joints control. Applications of LabVIEW
Signal Accessory Board for smooth and accurate positioning. s o h a r e for basic signal generation, analysis, and data
The motor can be rotated either clockwise (CW) or acquisition are available in [6-91.In this project, the path
counterclockwise (CCW) as needed. A linear feedback that generation technique is employed for the motor position
employs a potentiometer provides the current position of the control. The path generation of the motor, the major
motor. The LabVIEW sofhvare is used to develop virtual component of the project, is implemented with the software
instrument (vi) that includes a front panel and a functional and can be easily updated. The LabVIEW is a graphical
diagram. The vi reads the desired position of the motor entered programming language that allows building a block diagram
by user on the front panel and the current motor position via that represents functions to be performed and user input may
feedback, and determines its amount and direction of rotation. be entered from its front panel. The program generates a
A smooth cubic polynomial that is continuous and bas a voltage profile for the motor armature. The DAQ board is used
continuous first and second derivative is utilized to represent to communicate between the motor circuit and the vi.
the angular position of the motor. The vi uses the polynomial to
generate a velocity profile which in tum is converted into a
voltage profile for the motor armature through a conversion 2. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
formula. This conversion formula is determined through the
use of motor speed-voltage characteristics obtained from The complete project may be divided into three functional
laboratory experiments. Reading the motor position and groups such as motor path generation technique, virtual
sending voltage to motor circuit are accomplished via the instrument (vi), and motor control circuit. These functional
DAQ’s input and output ports respectively. The system is groups are described below.
tested in the laboratory for different angular displacements and Our goal is to tum the motor through an angle specified by
initial positions of the motor. Initial results are found to be user. It is desirable for the angular motion of the motor to be
satisfactory. This initiative is a preliminary work towards the smooth and hence a smooth function is selected to represent the
development of a control system of one of the Radio motion. We define a smooth function as one which is
Telescopes (called Smiley) at Pisgah Astronomical Research continuous and has a continuous first derivative. Sometimes, a
Institute (PARI) in Roman, North Carolina. function with continuous second derivative is also desirable.
We consider our problem as a problem of moving the motor
from its initial position to a goal position in a certain amount of
1. INTRODUCXION time. The initial angular position of the motor is assumed to be
known. What we need is a function whose value at to is the
Many techniques are reported in the literature for motor initial position and whose value at q is the desired position. In
position control. Silicon Controlled Rectifiers (SCR) are found this work we select a cubic function that represents the angular
to be very popular in sncb application [I]. In this technique, the position of the motor in time and is shown in equation (1).
speed of motor is controlled by varying the fhng angle of
SCR’s. Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)method also s e e m B(t)=a, +a,t+a2t2+a3t3 (1)
.PODU~X
. in DC motor control 11-31, Generation of PWM signal
using LM3524 integrated circuitby National Semiconductors that initial angular position of the motor is
we
is found in [I]. PWM signal is also obtained through the use of making a smooth motion, the four conshain@ described in
transistors as Insulated ’ equation (2) below must be satisfied by the angle equation (I).

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The angular velocity and acceleration along the path are then
given by,
& ) = a , +20,t+3a,r2
(3)
&I) = 2a, + 6a,r
The equations (I), (2), and (3) yield the unknown coefficients
as
The final time of motor motion is determined from average
motor speed at rated armature voltage.
As an example, the motor position and its velocity for a total
rotation of 60 degrees anda final time of IO seconds are
displayed in Figs. 1 and 2.
The LabVIEW sofhvare is used to develop a virtual
instrument (vi) that includes a front panel and a functional
block diagram. User enters input from the front panel of the vi.
The vi continuously reads the motor position via the DAQs
analog input port. After reading the desired position of the
motor entered by the user, the vi determines the amount and the
direction of rotation (CWICCW) of the motor by comparing
the user entered data with the current position. The vi also
generates a velocity profile such that it starts from rest, reaches
a maximum and decrease to zero at the end of the motion. The
velocity is subsequently converted into voltage through the use
of a velocity-to-voltage conversion formula.
Fig. 1 Motor Angular Position
This formula is determined from the speed-voltage
characteristics and inertia of the motor through laboratory
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experiments. The front panel and the functional diagram of the
vi are depicted in Figs. 3 , 4 and 5.
Fig. 2 Motor Angular Velocity
The motor speed is controlled by applying voltage across its
m a t u r e one end of which is at the ground. This armature
voltage is sent by the vi through the DAQ's analog output port.
The direction of motion of the motor is accomplished by
changing the polarity of the voltage across the armature with
the help of relays. The motor and the relay control circuits are
displayed in Figs. 6 and 7. The voltage signal from the DAQ's
output port cannot be directly fed into the motor armature due
to a larger current requirements by the motor and a lower
current capacity of the DAQ board. To alleviate this problem a
buffer circuit consisting of a power transistor (TIP 41) is added
between the motor m a t u r e and the DAQ board. The
conduction level of each transistor determines the motor
armature voltage that in tum determines the motor speed. The
relays are all 12 VDC relays activated by a single coil. The
contacts RL1 and RL4 are normally closed and RL2 and RL3
are normally open.
The relay control circuit employs a comparator and a power
transistor (TIP 41). The negative input terminal of the
comparator receives a OV or 5V DC signal from the DAQ's
analog output line and the positive input terminal is connected
to voltage reference of 4V obtained through a voltage divider
circuit. When the negative input terminal receives a signal of
SV, the relay is de-energized and the corresponding status of
relay contacts are as shown in Fig. 6 . If the signal to the
comparator negative input is 0 V, the relay is energized and the
normally open contacts are closed while the normally closed
contacts become open. These actions cause the motor to tum in
clockwise or counterclockwise direction.
Fig.3 Front Panel of LabVIEW vi
 Fig. 5 LabVIEW Functional Diagram for False Condition

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 Kisrell. T. E., "lndulrial Eleelronisr", 200; Prentiss Hall, Ins.
Maloney, T. 1.. "Modem Indurrriol Eleclronics". 1996; Englewaod
Cliffs: Prentiee Hall. Inc.
Wolovich. W. A.,"Robolics: Baric AndysismdDesi~n",1987; CBS
College Publishing.
Craig. 1.1.. "lnlroduclionIO Roborics: Mechanics and Contml', 1986;
Addison-Wesley.
Bishop. R. H., "Learning with LobVIEW. 1999; Addison-Wesley.
Wells, L. K.and Travis, I., "LnbVlEW/or Everyone", 1997; Rentice
Hall.ln c.. 1997.
Essiek, J., "A~~"cedLabVlEWLabs", 1999; Upper Saddle R i m ,
Prenticc Hall, Inc.
Chugani, M. L., " ~ b V I E W S i p n o i p ~ ~ e i ~ ~ " U
, l p9 w
9 8Saddle
;
River, Pmtice Hall. Ins.
QI,Q2=TlP41
RLI-RL4 - Relay Contacu

Fig. 6 Motor Circuit BIOGRAPHIES

Kelvin R. Aaron
vcc South Carolina State University
Orangeburg. SC 291 17 USA

Kelvin Aaron is an undergraduate senior sMent in the department of

Industrial and Electrical Engineering Technology at South Carolina Stale
University. He is majoring in Electrical Engineering Technology and Physics.
V Aama holds memberships in IEEE, Society of Physics SNdents, The
47kohm
University Honors Program and lntemtional SNdem' Association both 81
South Carolina State University, and Japan Karate Association.
IOkohm 9 3 = TIP41

* * Nareen L. Foster
South Carolina State University
Orangeburg. SC 291 17 USA

Noreen Foster is B senior undergraduate sNden1 at South C a m l b State

Fig. 1 Relay Control Circuit University majoring in Computer Science with a minor io Mathematics in the
Depamnmt of Mathematics and Computer Science. She is B member of
Association of Computn Machinery (ACM), the National Soeiety of Black
Engineen (NSBE), the National Advancement of Colored People (NAACP),
CONCLUSIONS and the South Camlina State Univmity SNdent Union Board.

A DC motor position control system is developed using Danielle P. Hazel

National Instrument's LabVIEW sofhvare and Data South Carolina State University
Orangeburg, SC29117USA
Acquisition Board. A path generation technique is utilized to
compute a speed profile of the motor. The path generation for Danielle Hazel is a senior vndergnrduate student majoring in Chemistry in the
motor position can be easily adjusted with the software which D e p d e n t of Physical Sciences at South Carolina State University. She
holds membership in Chem Phi Chem Beta Karma Xi Scientific Honor
saves project development time. Experimental results are Society, and Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society
encouraging. The concept developed in this endeavor will be
utilized in the control of azimuth and elevation operation of A . M . H m u l Basher
radio telescope (Smiley) at PARI.W orks are in progress in the South CamliM State University
Orangeburg, SC 291 17 USA
development of additional features that may be desirable in the
operation of Smiley. The features include addition of software e-mail: basheGsets,scsu.edu
limits on operation and replacement of the potentiometer by
synchro for positional feedback information of the motor. In
the final form, the project will allow a user to operate Smiley
remotely via Internet.
H-ul

university as a faculty in 1982 where he teaches and does research in the

of control systems and robotics. He had spent several s u m " at Oak Ridge
National Laboratory in Tamessee and was engaged in the design of control
-
Basher is a professor in the D e p d e n t of Industrial and Electrical
Engineering Technology st South Carolina State University.H c has joined the

system for robot manipulator and nuclear reactor. Basher holds a B.S. in
Electrical Engineering from the University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh, an M.S.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS in Electrical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Control Systems both f" Clarkson
University. He has developed a course in Control System for Internet
This work was supported by a p n t from NASA-MURED to delivery as a teacher at South Carolina State University. He holds
South Carolina State University under NCC 5-454. membership in IEEE, Intelligent Transportation System of America, and
South Carolina Academy of Science (SCAS). Basher worked in the Institute
of Nuclear Technology at Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission in
REFERENCES Bangladesh as a Senior Engineer from 1970-1979 and at Chitlagong
Engineering College in Bangladesh as a LecNrer from 1969.1970.
[I] H ~ p h r i c1~. T.
, and Sheets. L.P.,"lndusniai Elecrmnies", 1983;
Bretor Publishers.

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