Teaching Dynamics and Control with Arduino-based TCLab

Mathworks Special Session at the 59th Conference on Decision and Control
Guest speaker: John D. Hedengren, Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University

Title: Teaching Dynamics and Control with Arduino-based TCLab
The small, inexpensive, and take-home temperature control lab (TCLab) reinforces process dynamics and control theory with real data. A 2015 NSF-sponsored report “Chemical Engineering Academia-Industry Alignment: Expectations about New Graduates” identifies a strong industrial need for practical understanding of process control and system dynamics. Industry feedback also suggests more focus is needed on translating process control theory into practice. At many universities, this need is met by integrating laboratory experiences into the process control course. In-person laboratory resources are difficult to schedule and manage, especially with COVID-19 restrictions. The TCLab hardware consists of an Arduino shield that fits onto a standard Arduino Leonardo or UNO microcontroller. This talk highlights a few examples of how the TCLab can be interfaced with and run from MATLAB live scripts and Simulink. The TCLab module demonstrates many process control modalities such as SISO, MIMO and cascade control. Students implement the control modalities by coding control algorithms including relay, PID, and model predictive control. The lab is integrated at various points in the process dynamics and control course to reinforce theory with a practical application.

[adamshupe]

Good job John! The TCLab shows great technical development, iterative refinement, and foresight. The collaboration between professors, universities, and other entities is fantastic.

[jonathanuis]

This is my Christmas present 2020, it is probably the best present I have got so far!
Really looking forward to using it for all the modules you have, but specially MPC, MHE and machine learning
best regards from Germany