PERSONAL-COMPUTER PROCESS LOOP SIMULATOR

Simulation is an important tool used in the design, testing, and evalu ation of process controller designs. Simulation is used to exercise co ntrollers under realistic conditions and thus demonstrate how a contro ller will perform in the field. The simulator described in this paper is implemented using a desk top personal computer and models the vario us components of a process loop including the final control, the proce ss, and the measurement elements. Each element in the simulated proces s loop can be configured to model a first, second, or higher order sys tem response. Also, each element in the process loop can be designed t o incorporate dead times, disturbances, and noise to reflect condition s that are encountered in the field.