Mechatronic Applications

EN 83002
Lecture 01
Overview
• On successful completion of the course, you should be able to :
1. Input and output analog and digital signals to and from a microcontroller.
2. Program a control algorithm into a microcontroller.
3. Interface sensors and actuators to a microcontroller.
Course Content
• Introduction to Mechatronics
• Data Acquisition
• Sensor Interfacing
• Actuator Control
• Mechatronic System Design
Schedule
• Lectures: Wednesday - 08.30 - 11.45* ( 15 Mints Break)
• Tutorial : Wednesday -11.45 - 12.45
• LAB : Tuesday - 13.45 – 16.45

• * Open for changes in time.

Reference Book
• Mechatronics: A Multidisciplinary Approach (4th Edition) 2008.
• [ Chapters 1-4, 7-11, 13, 15, 17,22]: by W. Bolton
• Publisher: Pearson Education Ltd, 2008 ISBN: 978-0-13-240763-2
Outline
• Introduction to Mechatronics
• Electromechanical Systems
• Basics on system modelling and control
• Applications of mechatronics
Introduction
• What is meant by Mechatronics ?
• Term invented by a Japanese engineer in 1969
• Combination if ‘mecha’ from mechanism + ‘tronics’ from electronics.
• In modern engineering technology –
• Mechatronics is used to describe coordinated, and concurrently developed,
integration of mechanical engineering with electronics and intelligent
computer control in the design and manufacture of products and processes.
• Many products which used to have mechanical functions been
replaced with ones involving microprocessors.
• Greater flexibility , easier redesigns ,reprogramming and the ability to carry
out automated data collection and reporting.
Introduction
• As Engineers
• Need to adopt an interdisciplinary and integrated approach to engineering.
• Need skills and knowledge that are not confined to a single subject area.
• Need to be capable of operating and communicating across a range of
engineering disciplines and linking with those having more specialized skills.

• A mechatronic system is a complete integration of mechanical, electrical and

control systems in which there is a concurrent approach to the design.
• Mechatronics has to involve a concurrent approach to these disciplines rather
than a sequential approach of developing, say, a mechanical system, then
designing the electrical part and the microprocessor part.
• Thus mechatronics is a design philosophy, an integrating approach to
engineering.
Introduction

The basic elements of a mechatronic system.

Examples of Mechatronic Systems
• Modern Camera (Auto Focus, Auto Exposure)
• Smart suspension in modern trucks
• Automated Production line
Embedded Systems
• Mechatronics mostly concerned with systems which have microprocessors embedded
into the system.
• Such systems are called embedded systems.
• Microcontrollers are microprocessors with memory for data storage, and input/output
ports for processing signals from and to the outside world.
• An embedded system is a microprocessor-based system that is designed to control a
range of functions and is not designed to be programmed by the end user in the same
way that a computer is.
• Thus, with an embedded system, the user cannot change what the system does by
adding or replacing software.
• Examples:
• Modern washing machines will have a microprocessor based control system to control washing
cycles, pumps, motor and water temperature.
• Photocopiers, digital cameras, televisions, card readers, DVD players.
The Design Process
• The design process for any system can be considered as involving a
number of stages
• The Need
• Analysis of the problem
• Preparation of a specification
• Generation of possible solutions
• Selection of suitable solution
• Production of a suitable design
• Production of a working drawings
Design Approach for Mechatronic Systems
• The traditional approach for engineering design could be
termed a sequential approach to the design.
• Mechatronics design is a multidisciplinary approach.
• Mechatronics approach is the concurrent inclusion of the
disciplines of mechanical engineering, electronics, computer
technology and control engineering in the approach to design.
• The inherent concurrency of this approach depends very much
on system modelling and then simulation of how the model
reacts to inputs and hence how the actual system might react
to inputs.
Systems
• System Models are created to predict the behavior of a system when inputs
occur.
• A system can be thought of as a box or block diagram which has an input and an
output and where we are concerned not with what goes on inside the box but
with only the relationship between the output and the input.
• The term modelling is used when we represent the behavior of a real system by
mathematical equations representing the relationship between the inputs and
outputs from the system.
• A measurement system can be thought of as a box which is used for making
measurements. It has as its input the quantity being measured and its output the
value of that quantity.
Systems -example

(a) Spring (b) motor (c) thermometer.

Modelling Systems
• The response of any system to an input is not instantaneous.
• The responses of systems are functions of time.
• In order to know how systems, behave when there are inputs to them, we need to devise models for
systems which relate the output to the input so that we can work out, for a given input, how the output will
vary with time and what it will settle down to.
• Often the relationship between the input and output for a system is described by a differential equation.

The response to an input for a spring. The response to an input for a kettle system
Connected Systems
• A series of interconnected blocks –
• Each block having a specific function.
• Output from one block becoming the input to the next block in the system.
• lines drawn to connect boxes indicate a flow of information in the direction indicated by an
arrow and not necessarily physical connections

A connected system
Measurement Systems
• Measurement systems can, in general, be made up of three basic elements:
• A sensor - Responds to the quantity being measured by giving as its output a signal which is
related to the quantity.
• A signal conditioner - takes the signal from the sensor and manipulates it into a condition
which is suitable either for display or, in the case of a control system, for use to exercise
control.
• A display system - displays the output from the signal conditioner.

Measurement system and its constituent elements

Measurement Systems - example

A digital thermometer system.

Control Systems
• A control system can be thought of as a system which can be
used to:
• Control some variable to some value.
• Control the sequence of events.
• Control whether an event occurs or not
Feedback Control
• Signals are fed back from the output in order to modify the reaction of the system
to enable it to restore the ‘normal’ value.
• Feedback control is achieved by Control systems by comparing the fed-back
actual output of the system with what is required and adjusting its output
accordingly.

Feedback control: human

Feedback control : room temperature
body temperature,
with central heating,
Feedback Control
• Feedback control systems are widely used in industry.
• Example in industrial process and machines Control is achieved either by humans
or automatically.
• Example of process control : temperature, liquid level, fluid flow, pressure at
constant values.
• Also control systems may involve consistently and accurately positioning a moving
part or maintaining a constant speed of a machine.
• Example – controlling motor speed at constant value, operation of a tool in a
position and speed.
Open- and closed-loop systems
• Open loop control –
• The output from the system has no effect on the input signal.
• There is no information feed back to the element to self correct the system.
• relatively simple and consequently low cost with generally good reliability.
• Often inaccurate since there is no correction for error.
• Closed loops System -
• The output has an effect on the input signal, modifying it to maintain an
output signal at the required value.
• Relatively accurate in matching the actual to the required values.
• More complex and so more costly with a greater chance of breakdown as a
consequence of the greater number of components.
Open- and closed-loop systems
Heating a room:

An open-loop system

A closed-loop system
 Basic elements of a closed-loop system

Comparison element - error signal = reference value signal - measured value signal
Control Element - decides what action to take when it receives an error signal. A control plan may be
hard wired systems or programmable systems.
Correction Element - produces a change in the process to correct or change the controlled condition. The
term actuator is used for the element of a correction unit that provides the power
to carry out the control action.
Process element -The process is what is being controlled.
Measurement element -The measurement element produces a signal related to the variable condition
of the process that is being controlled.
Closed-loop system example

An automatic control system for the control of the room temperature

Closed-loop system example
Controlled variable – water level in tank
Reference value – initial setting of the float and lever
position
Comparison element – the lever
Error signal – the difference between the actual and initial
settings of the lever positions
Control unit – the pivoted lever
Correction unit – the flap opening or closing the water
supply
Process – the water level in the tank
Measuring device – the floating ball and lever

The automatic control of water level using mechanical systems.

Analogue and digital control systems
• Analogue systems are ones where all the signals are continuous functions of time
and it is the size of the signal which is a measure of the variable.
• Digital signals can be considered to be a sequence of on/off signals, the value of
the variable being represented by the sequence of on/off pulses.
• Most of the situations being controlled are analogue in nature – ie. inputs and
outputs of control systems.
• A digital control system should convert real-world analogue inputs to digital
forms and the digital outputs back to real-world analogue forms.
• This involves the uses of analogue-to-digital converters (ADC) for inputs and
digital-to-analogue converters (DAC) for the outputs.
Analogue and digital signals
Digital closed-loop system

Basic elements of a digital closed-loop control system

Digital closed-loop system

microcontroller control system