This animation illustrates the principle of a PID controller. A ship is shown in top view and can be steered manually using the arrow keys. Alternatively, a PID controller can adjust the course.
PID controllers and the simpler P or PI controllers can be found in almost every household. Typical examples are the central heating, the refrigerator, the oven or the processor cooling in a PC/laptop.
Description
Kp, Ki and Kd can be adjusted via sliders in the top left area. The optimum settings are marked in green.
The animation demonstrates the following: When operating a pure P controller, a high Kp value leads to a reduction in the permanent control deviation. However, this initially leads to an overshoot. If the permanent control deviation is to be minimised via the Kp value alone, a stable state is only reached late.
A PI controller enables a more precise and faster course adjustment. Overshoot does not occur if the Kp and Ki values are set moderately.
A Kd value (PID controller) can be used to slightly improve the speed of the course adjustment.
Basics
Proportional component (Kp): This determines how strongly the current control deviation affects the output. A higher Kp value speeds up the response but can increase overshoot.
Integral component (Ki): The Ki value accounts for the accumulated control deviation over time. This is particularly useful for correcting permanent deviations. A moderate Ki value stabilises the system without unwanted overshoot.
Differential component (Kd): The Kd value responds to the rate of change of the control deviation. This improves stability and speeds up the response to system changes.
Requirements
| Platform | PC/Mac or Tablet |
| Resolution (min) | 1280 x 720 |
Further information
The GUI elements used in this animation are published under the MIT license: