This compact experimental unit offers every opportunity to learn the fundamentals of control engineering through experimentation on a  speed control system.

  The experimental set-up is mounted on a housing which accommodates all the electronics. A transparent protective cover permits safe observation of the experiments. A DC motor drives a shaft with a mass flywheel. The dial gauge allows the speed to be read off directly at any time. The speed is measured inductively using a speed sensor. The output signal from the sensor is sent to the software controller. The output signal from the controller influences the motor current. A generator acting as a mechanical resistance to shaft rotation can be activated by the software to study the influence of disturbance variables.

  The powerful state-of-the-art software is an integral part of the training system, embodying the principle of hardware/software integration (HSI). It enables the experiments to be conducted and evaluated in a user-friendly manner. The software has network capability. The link between the experimental unit and the PC is made via a USB port.

  The well-structured instructional material sets out the fundamentals and provides a step-by-step guide through the experiments.

- fundamentals of control engineering based on the

  example of a speed control system with PT₁

  behaviour
- open loop control response
- effects of different controller parameters and

  methods on the response of the closed loop

  system

- recording of step responses 
  * reference variable
  * disturbance variable
- controller optimisation
- software-based controlled system simulation
  * comparison of different controlled system

    parameters