Online tuning of fractional order PI controller using particle swarm optimization

This article deals with the speed control of DC motor using a Fractional Order Proportional Integral (FOPI) controller. In this paper, the Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm (PSO) is implemented to optimally tune the controller gains of the FOPI controller for setpoint tracking and disturbance rejection where the optimization performance index is taken as Integral Time Weighted Absolute Error (ITAE). A comparative study of the online and offline tuning of the controller parameters has been made and the gains are used to investigate the run time performances in the LabVIEW™ environment. National Instruments (NI) based LabVIEW™ environment is used for all studies and MS15 DC motor module is taken as the plant under analysis. From the results obtained, it can be concluded that the parameters of the controller tuned in real time give better performance than those designed offline in speed regulation of the DC motor.