Autotuned PID for accurate temperature control — A hot approach

This paper describes an accurate temperature control system, based on an optimized proportional - integrative - derivative (PID) algorithm. The proposed solution also includes an autotuning module which detects load changes and adjusts the algorithm parameters for optimal temperature control. The autotuned PID architecture is implemented as a control system for the heating element of a soldering station. Experimental results show proper temperature control, eliminating both temperature overshoot and ripple. Furthermore, the autotuner achieves optimal performance regardless of the heating element used, as demonstrated in the paper for two heating elements (30W and 48W).