Tuning PID controller parameters using tabu search algorithm

In the design of a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller for a process three parameters have to be specified: proportional gain; integral gain; and derivative gain. The performance of the controller directly depends on these parameters. In order to specify the appropriate values of the parameters in a acceptable time a robust and quick method is required. This paper describes a new method for tuning the control parameters of a PID controller. The method is based an the tabu search algorithm which is a general heuristic procedure for guiding search in a complex search space to find global optimal solutions for difficult problems.