DRD_Robotics (Customer) asked a question.
Can you simulate a PID system with no hardware available?
I am currently learning how to implement a PID in the Do more designer and simulator. I am very new to PLCs and have been following the "Do-more Simulation PID Temperature" videos as it directly relates to a project I am working on.
In the video it mentions "bringing your system to its operating level" in order to record some steady state data, but I have no physical system in place as of yet. Is there a way to simulate this at all?
Thank you
Do-more Designer PLC Programming Software also installs a Simulator, that is basically a Windows-based Do-more PLC. It can do almost anything a Do-more PLC can do (some things it cannot do are interrupts and HSIO available in the BRX PLC series, but just about everything else).
The Simulator also has a built-in closed loop "process" that can be enabled (taking over WX0 and WY0). There is a sample project that gets installed that takes advantage of that. Browse to the Projects folder and look below the Examples folder, then the Do-more Simulator folder, and there should be some sample projects there. Open up PID1.dmd project file.
This will automagically launch the Simulator application and connect to that "PLC". You will most likely get the "Online/Offline Differences" - definitely pick DISK (the .dmd project). Once the project opens, hit the Write to PLC button in the Online toolbar.
The Start Page for this project has a good description of the project, its I/O, what to try, etc. In Designer, do View->Start Page. Here's the intro in that Start Page:
PID1.dmd utilizes the Simulator’s Process Simulator feature to highlight some of the Process capabilities in the Do-more PLC.
This project controls a relatively fast response heating process (say a small but powerful oven that also loses heat quickly). We want to control the temperature in one of two ways, via a thermostat for “manual” control, and via a predefined Ramp/Soak profile for our “batch” processing.
Just read through that. Look at the "What to Try" section. Play around with it. See what it does. Ask questions here.