Week 10 Slide Template: DC Motor Speed and Position Control

Slide 1 — Title

DC Motor Speed and Position Control

Slide 2 — Learning goals

Understand PWM actuation, encoder feedback, speed estimation, and speed/position control loops.

Slide 3 — Motor control in robotics

DC motors are used in wheels, joints, conveyors, and mechatronic actuators.

Slide 4 — PWM actuation

PWM controls average voltage applied to the motor by changing duty cycle.

Slide 5 — Encoder feedback

Encoders provide pulse counts that can be converted to speed or position.

Slide 6 — Speed estimation

speed = change in encoder position / sampling time

Slide 7 — Speed control loop

Reference speed, measured speed, error, PI controller, PWM output, motor, encoder.

Slide 8 — Position control loop

Position control may use an outer position loop and an inner speed loop.

Slide 9 — Practical limitations

Friction, dead zone, saturation, sensor resolution, noise, and sampling delay.

Slide 10 — Lab task

Implement or simulate a PI speed controller and evaluate tracking and disturbance rejection.