Wescott Design Services Articles
The Nyquist Theorem is useful, but often misused when engineers establish sampling rates or design anti-aliasing filters. This article explains how sampling affects a signal, and how to use this information to design a sampling system with known performance. While many control problems require a considerable amount of analysis and design, and some even require sweat and tears, many control problems can be solved with simple PID techniques. This article outlines how to write software to implement a PID controller, how to tune it, and gives you an idea of when to go to an expert. Two of the most prevalent issues in controlling moving mechanisms are friction and backlash. These effects are present in nearly every mechanism that one may wish to control, yet methods for controlling them are not always obvious. This article explains friction and backlash effects, why they are a source of problems in motion system design, how a control system designer can predict their effects and how to miti