In this paper, we present an approach using relay feedback for automatic id
entification of the PID configuration and parameters in existing and operat
ional closed-loop systems. During the duration of the same experiment, the
control performance may be evaluated, providing an assessment of whether th
e current control parameter set is adequate and if re-tuning is necessary.
Systematic and on-line automatic PID tuning rules are further developed and
provided for common configurations of PID control. Simulation examples and
a real-time experiment are provided to illustrate the practical appeal of
the proposed method. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.