The role of digital control in engineering thirty-second bernard price memorial lecture 1983

The evolution of process automation systems is described by considering the changes in the design and operation of technical processes, the various tasks of process control/automation and the development from analog and hardwired devices to microcomputer systems. This is followed by some trends in the development of computers and especially of microcomputers. Digital systems not only enable replacement of conventional control systems, but also offer advanced control functions, such as new methods of man-machine-communication, fault tolerance and digital communication with sensors and actuators. Flexible software allows the implementation of advanced control methods which make intensive use of mathematical process models. Examples are the computer-aided design of control systems, adaptive control systems and process fault detection and diagnosis. Then it is shown how digital control influences the design and operation of processes, adds electronics to mechanics and creates new possibilities. Finally the importance of software-engineering is emphasised.