On the gain scheduling for networked PI controller over IP network

The potential use of networks for real-time high-performance control and automation is enormous and appealing. Replacing a widely used proportional-integral (PI) controller by a new networked controller for networked control capability can be costly and time-consuming. This paper proposes a methodology based on gain scheduling with respect to real-time IP traffic conditions to enhance the existing PI controller so it can be used over IP networks with a general network protocol like Ethernet. This paper first describes the gain scheduling approach based on constant network delays using a rational function approach. The formulation is extended to random IP network round-trip time (RTT) delays by using the generalized exponential distribution model. Simulation results show that the PI controller with gain scheduling provides significantly better networked control system performance.