Control loop in the context of PID algorithm

A control system manages, commands, directs, or regulates the behavior of other devices or systems using control loops. It can range from a single home heating controller using a thermostat controlling a domestic boiler to large industrial control systems which are used for controlling processes or machines. The control systems are designed via control engineering process.

For continuously modulated control, a feedback controller is used to automatically control a process or operation. The control system compares the value or status of the process variable (PV) being controlled with the desired value or setpoint (SP), and applies the difference as a control signal to bring the process variable output of the plant to the same value as the setpoint.

A distributed control system (DCS) is a computerized control system for a process or plant usually with many control loops, in which autonomous controllers are distributed throughout the system, but there is no central operator supervisory control. This is in contrast to systems that use centralized controllers; either discrete controllers located at a central control room or within a central computer. The DCS concept increases reliability and reduces installation costs by localizing control functions near the process plant, with remote monitoring and supervision.

Distributed control systems first emerged in large, high value, safety critical process industries, and were attractive because the DCS manufacturer would supply both the local control level and central supervisory equipment as an integrated package, thus reducing design integration risk. Today the functionality of Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and DCS systems are very similar, but DCS tends to be used on large continuous process plants where high reliability and security is important, and the control room is not necessarily geographically remote. Many machine control systems exhibit similar properties as plant and process control systems do.

A closed-loop controller or feedback controller is a control loop which incorporates feedback, in contrast to an open-loop controller or non-feedback controller.A closed-loop controller uses feedback to control states or outputs of a dynamical system. Its name comes from the information path in the system: process inputs (e.g., voltage applied to an electric motor) have an effect on the process outputs (e.g., speed or torque of the motor), which is measured with sensors and processed by the controller; the result (the control signal) is "fed back" as input to the process, closing the loop.

In the case of linear feedback systems, a control loop including sensors, control algorithms, and actuators is arranged in an attempt to regulate a variable at a setpoint (SP). An everyday example is the cruise control on a road vehicle; where external influences such as hills would cause speed changes, and the driver has the ability to alter the desired set speed. The PID algorithm in the controller restores the actual speed to the desired speed in an optimum way, with minimal delay or overshoot, by controlling the power output of the vehicle's engine.Control systems that include some sensing of the results they are trying to achieve are making use of feedback and can adapt to varying circumstances to some extent. Open-loop control systems do not make use of feedback, and run only in pre-arranged ways.

In biology, an effector is a general term that can refer to several types of molecules or cells. In the context of biological system regulation, an effector is an element of a regulation loop controlling a regulated quantity.

A proportional–integral–derivative controller (PID controller or three-term controller) is a feedback-based control loop mechanism commonly used to manage machines and processes that require continuous control and automatic adjustment. It is typically used in industrial control systems and various other applications where constant control through modulation is necessary without human intervention. The PID controller automatically compares the desired target value (setpoint or SP) with the actual value of the system (process variable or PV). The difference between these two values is called the error value, denoted as ${\displaystyle e(t)}$.

It then applies corrective actions automatically to bring the PV to the same value as the SP using three methods: The proportional (P) component responds to the current error value by producing an output that is directly proportional to the magnitude of the error. This provides immediate correction based on how far the system is from the desired setpoint. The integral (I) component, in turn, considers the cumulative sum of past errors to address any residual steady-state errors that persist over time, eliminating lingering discrepancies. Lastly, the derivative (D) component predicts future error by assessing the rate of change of the error, which helps to mitigate overshoot and enhance system stability, particularly when the system undergoes rapid changes. The PID output signal can directly control actuators through voltage, current, or other modulation methods, depending on the application. The PID controller reduces the likelihood of human error and improves automation.

In control theory, an open-loop controller, also called a non-feedback controller, is a control loop part of a control system in which the control action ("input" to the system) is independent of the "process output", which is the process variable that is being controlled. It does not use feedback to determine if its output has achieved the desired goal of the input command or process setpoint.

There are many open-loop controls, such as on/off switching of valves, machinery, lights, motors or heaters, where the control result is known to be approximately sufficient under normal conditions without the need for feedback. The advantage of using open-loop control in these cases is the reduction in component count and complexity. However, an open-loop system cannot correct any errors that it makes or correct for outside disturbances unlike a closed-loop control system.