Computer Simulation and Animation Environment for Control Education

In response to the article Undergraduate control education: an ME perspective, by Agrawal, this article presents the author's view on several key issues in control engineering education, some are pertinent to electrical engineering (EE), some are more general. These issues include: 1) in comparison to mechanical engineering (ME) and other engineering disciplines, what does EE have to offer in control engineering education? and 2) does an undergraduate control curriculum have to start from LTI system theory? The author proposes some radical thoughts about fundamental changes in the infrastructure and pedagogical structure for control engineering education with ramifications to control engineering practices. These suggestions include: 1) seriously considering the advantages and drawbacks of centralized and independent control and systems engineering program, and 2) changing the entry point to control engineering curriculum from LTI to nonlinear system theory.

Traditional control engineering teaching methods heavily rely on abstract mathematical concepts, often leaving students puzzled about real-world applications. Common simulation tools, such as MATLAB and Simulink provide a good visual demonstration but don't necessarily bridge the gap between theory and application. The proposed ‘lab-in-a-box’ approach offers a tangible method for students to connect control theory with a practical control engineering experience. The literature has observed a shift towards such portable labs, given the advancements in compact computing devices such as Raspberry Pi and Arduino boards in electronics and control teaching. The primary goal of these labs is to deliver an authentic engineering experience with essential hardware. Evaluation of this method, through the student module evaluation questionnaire (MEQ), revealed a significant increase in student satisfaction after its introduction. While the results are promising, challenges remain, such as the initial set-up of the kits. However, the ‘lab-in-a-box’ is found to be a valuable tool in control engineering education, bridging the gap between theoretical and practical understanding. An on-going development includes updating of the kits to match future engineering challenges and needs, e.g., electrification and autonomy of vehicles.

The paper presents educational issues related to the development and implementation of low-cost control solutions and algorithms used in the syllabus of control engineering courses applied to the Magnetic Levitation System with 2 Electromagnets laboratory equipment. Real-time experiments are included to accompany the laboratory-based education in control engineering.

Education in Control Engineering for the Designers of Environmental Processes

In control engineering both practical and theoretical components of the education are very important for courses as well as laboratory work. The aspects of design and implementation of control need to be integrated in the whole process of learning and training. The paper is presenting a proposal of an architecture of a platform dedicated for research, training and education in control engineering. The proposed architecture is based on components with important “ready to evolve” features. The open platform for study has as input an image process data with an online updating snapshots of data. The structure is based on a connection to the real process to be study and periodically this connection is providing to the platform a new set of data improving an updating image of the process current used by the platform. This transfer of data is obtained from the process via Internet by the simulation and modeling PC of the proposed platform. A fuzzy black-box modeling technique is used in this purpose. In order to complete the functionality of our propose platform, inside the architecture will be included a PLC for implementing and experimenting different types of control strategies from very simple ones to the most advanced algorithms. Also, the proposed platform includes a SCADA station for providing the most complete education and training experience. The advantage of proposed architecture is to use the real data input from a complex industrial process, to build a model improved in time, but to isolate and protect the process from research, training and education area contained in the built platform.

This paper presents one education system for control engineering, which consists of a two-floor building structural model with a moving controllable cart device lying on the top floor, namely a miniature AMD control system. The structure is controlled by the AMD, when it vibrates subjected to external disturbance. Both the calculation model and physical implementation are given according to observer based full-state feedback control design specifications, which includes designing and tuning of a proportional-velocity (PV) position controller, mathematically modeling the system's state-space representation through Lagrange's method, designing and tuning of a full-order state-observer based on the structural acceleration feedback, at last designing a real-time mode-switching experiment using a predefined logic sequence to alternate between a mode of repeatable structural excitation and an active mass damping control mode to depress the structure's vibration to show the effectiveness of using AMD control system in suppressing structural vibration. The results show the procedures using AMD device system in control engineering education.

Because of the increasing complexity and advancements in all areas of the electrical power industry (generation, transmission, distribution, control, protection, reliability, economics, etc), there is a growing need for graduates to be specialists in the power field.To meet such needs the Arab Academy for Science and Technology (AAST) has developed a new department of Electrical and Control Engineering which combines electric power systems, electric drives and automatic control in one undergraduate B.Eng. degree program.This paper gives details of the AAST program, implemented in 1994, designed principally to meet the present day needs of industry and electrical utilities in developing and rapidly industrializing countries.In drawing up the curriculum the proposals of the IEEE Subcommittee on Power Engineering Curricula have been used as a guide and the degree plan is structured to meet requirements of the Supreme Council for Universities of Egypt and the ABET requirements.

The tower crane (TCR) laboratory model by INTECO is a suitable aid for research and education in control engineering and mechatronics. Its modelling and control encompasses three basic subsystems: 1. motion of the trolley in the radial direction along the arm 2. angular displacement of the arm in the rotary direction, and 3. damping of payload oscillations. The paper focuses on dynamic model identification and controller design of the trolley position along the arm as well as damping of payload oscillation in x-direction.

This paper describes an integrated learning platform intended to support Internet-based control-engineering education. Four environments have been developed, namely, remote experimentation, mathematical analysis, dynamic simulation, and self-learning. The learning platform is a virtual support for problem-based education in control engineering. The reported development allows multiple users the access to concepts and both experimental and computational resources through an intuitive and powerful user interface that only requires a Web browser, a low-bandwidth Internet connection, and low user-side technical specifications. The server side is scalable and reproducible since it is based on general public license (GPL) Linux operating system and a Matlab license. The integration of the proposed theoretical, computational, and experimental tools improves previous experiences in Internet-based control education.

MODULAR CONTROL LABORATORY ARCHITECTURE

The paper demonstrates how a four‐tank laboratory process equipped with a modern distributed control system (DCS) is used in different control engineering laboratories for the undergraduate and graduate levels. This includes the utilization of commercial tools for DCS engineering as well as the design and commissioning of traditional and advanced control solutions. Using the same pilot plant and control system in different modules lowers the costs, allows the reutilization of results and enables an efficient laboratory organization. It also supports the process of learning the inner context of different process control related subjects. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 21: 313–321, 2013

This paper presents Automatic Control Engineering Laboratory (ACEL) - WebLab, an under-developed, internet-based remote laboratory for control engineering education at the Faculty of Electronic Engineering in Niš. Up to now, the remote laboratory integrates two physical systems (velocity servo system and magnetic levitation system) and enables some levels of measurement and control. To perform experiments in ACEL-WebLab, the "LabVIEW Run Time Engine"and a standard web browser are needed.

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the use of Large Language Models (LLMs) by undergraduates majoring in Instrumentation and Control Engineering (ICE) at University of Shanghai for Science and Technology. We conducted a questionnaire survey to assess the awareness and usage habits of these LLMs among ICE undergraduates in ICE courses, focusing on the model types, frequency, self‐study tasks and post‐usage feedback. The survey results indicate that ChatGPT is the most frequently used model among ICE undergraduates. Furthermore, we evaluated the performance of GPT‐3.5 and GPT‐4 on a set of 342 ICE questions sourced from the China MOOC platform. The results reveal significant performance differences between GPT‐3.5 and GPT‐4 across various ICE sub‐disciplines and question types. GPT‐4 shows particular proficiency in understanding control technology and system, achieving an accuracy of 82.16%, compared to 68.42% for GPT‐3.5. Finally, we explore the factors influencing students use LLMs for ICE self‐study and propose strategies for teachers to incorporate LLMs into ICE courses. This study highlights the potential of LLMs to enhance ICE education and provides concrete examples of their application in engineering coursework.

The Petri Net Toolbox (PN Toolbox) for MATLAB is a software package that offers instruments for the simulation, analysis and design of untimed, deterministic and stochastic P-/T-timed and stochastic Petri nets (PNs). The facilities available in this toolbox are appropriate for studying the dynamics of many classes of discrete-event systems. The Petri Net Simulink Block (PNSB) allows the modeling and analysis of hybrid systems whose event-driven part(s) is (are) modeled based on the PN formalism. The current paper focuses on the exploitation of the PN Toolbox for illustrating the usage of the PN theory in Control Engineering from the pedagogic point of view, the discussion being supported by example problems and comments on the teaching goals. The PN Toolbox is included in the Connections Program of The MathWorks Inc., as a third party product.

This paper reviews our experience in the laboratory of two courses in the Control Engineering Curriculum at the Politechnical University of Valencia: Real-time Systems and Distributed Control Systems. These courses, in a Control Engineering curriculum, require the development of industrial prototypes to validate different aspects of the system development: control algorithms, real-time software design, external devices integration, distributed control, etc. To meet all these goals a robot guidance experience has been selected. In this paper, we describe the experience in the design and implementation of a virtual and real environment developed in Ada to complete the student laboratory activities. The system is complex enough to allow the students to analyze, design and implement a complete prototype