Modeling and Control design for the ball and plate system
Andrej Knuplei, Amor Chowdhury, Rajko SveEko
University of Maribor
Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Smetanova 17, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenia
andrej.Imuplez@uni-mb.si
Article is describing a controller synthesis for two-
dimensional electromechanical system of the ball and
plate intended for a study of the system dynamic and
laboratory experiments with different proceeding of
the control based on the classical and modern control
theory. The system includes the quadratic metal plate,
which is movably fixed in the center. Its inclination can
be changeable in two rectangular directions. For the
inclination of the plate a servo-drive with a controller
and two stepping motors are used 151.
The control problem of the described system is to hold
the freely rolling ball in the specific position on the
plate. For measuring the ball position, the intelligent
video system composed from CCD camera, picture-
framing interface and program equipment for real-
time picture processing are used. According to the
characteristics of the object dynamic a discrete lead
compensator was chosen as a controller 12).
Performing experiments up to the sample of a ball on
the plate, the modern method of experimenting, called
))Rapid Prototypingu 161, has been chosen. The main
aim was to pass over the phase of simulation up to the
real object experiments with the least changes possible.
1 Introduction
The system of the ball and plate is a two-dimensional
electromechanical system intended for a study of the
dynamic systems and laboratory experiments with
different proceeding of the control based on the classical
and modem control theory. The system includes the
quadratic metal plate, which is movably fixed in the
center. Its inclination can be changeable in two rectangular
directions. For the inclination of the plate a servo-drive
with a controller and stepping motor is used [SI.
The control problem of the described system is to hold the
freely rolling ball in the specific position or in the
movement on specific trajectoy on the plate. For
measuring the ball position, the intelligent video system
composed from CCD camera, picture-framing interface
and program equipment for processing of the picture in
real time is being used.
The interface to control the stepping motors and the
picture-framing interface are being made as standard ISA
cards which enable the system control with the personal
computer (PC). The connection between the PC and the
ball and plate system is enabled through the MATLAB
0-7803-7852-01031517.0002003 IEEE
program package. Since the characteristics of actuators
and sensors demand work in the real-time, the program
Real-Time Toolbox that allocate, with help of additional
sorter, the processor time to the operating system and to
the program performing in the real time, have been added.
The picture-framing interface receives the analogous video
signal, which digitizes with A D converter and saves as
data-sheet into storage. A computer determines, from the
received data, the position of the ball and calculates the,
difference between reference and real value on which basis
the controller generates a signal that is needed for the
driving-gear of the stepping motors. According to the
characteristics of the system dynamic a discrete phase-lead
controller has been chosen [2].
Performing experiments up to the sample of a ball on the
plate, the modern method of experimenting, called ))Rapid
Prototypinga, has been chosen. The main aim was to pass
over the phase of simulation up to the real object
experiments with the least changes possible.
2 Modeling and linearization of the object
The starting point of modeling is the Lagrange’s equation
daw,
dt aii
aw,+aw,=<
aqi aqj (1)
The model has four degrees of freedom, two at ball
moving and two at plate inclination. The two coordinates
regarding the plate are marked as x and y and the plate
inclination is marked as a and p. The plate inclination is
caused by two rotational torque’s M, and M , having an
effect on the plate (Figure 1).
With derivation of the Euler-Lagrange’s equation we get
the system of nonlinear differential equations who are
mathematically describing system dynamic:
By the simplificationit has been considered that:
The ball never loses contact with the plate.
There’s no slithering between the ball and the
plate.
All friction forces and rotational moments are
being neglected.
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IClT 2003 Maribor. Slovenia
 * The plate angle and the surface limitations are not
taken into consideration.
Beside above mentioned it has been also considered the
fact that none step could be lost using the stepping motor
which means that skipping between steps doesn’t occur
and that an amplitude of plate moment doesn’t affect the
position of the rotor.
Figure 1: The scheme of the ball on the plate system
The proportion between nonlinear term for centrifugal
force and the activity of the gravity force in the specific
direction depends on maximum angular velocity of the
inclined plate. In our case we can obtain the constant
angular velocity with the amplitude which depends on
driving frequency of the stepping motor. Since the
proportion is about 1:25 using the 400 Hz stepping motor
frequency, the centrifugal force could be neglected.
The position of the plate in the stable position is horizontal
which means that both angles of inclination are equal to
0’. If angles of inclination deviate up to fY,we can
approximate the sinuous function with sinx I x and for
further analysis we can use the simplified model of the
mechanical part of the system.
5 5 .
P = - g s m a = K,a in j = - g s m p I K J
7 7
Figure 2: The block scheme of the linear object model
Associating the linear models of electrical and mechanical
subsystems we obtain the transfer function describing the
linear object model (Figure 2):
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3 Controller design
A starting point is the linear object model,
(4)
for which we wish to establish the controller with lead
compensator structure
The transfer function of the closed-loop system with the
lead compensator structure is
When choosing or defming controller parameters, the first
condition is stability and that’s why the analysis of
stability T(s) with Routh’s criterion has been done [I].
On the basis of stability criterion it is possible to specify
the areas in which controller parameters could be situated;
gain KR,controller zero Sand parameter a that defmes the
controller pole’s position.
Controller gain Knis bounded with the eauation:
Considering the expression (10) and conditions
y,K,,G~iw* and a ~ ( 0 , l )then a next expression have
to hold
( y - a y - 6)> 0 (8)
From the expression (8) it follows that the minimum time
constant of controller zero is:
. .
The zero of the controller can so be set on the closed
interval ( 0 , ~ ) .
To specify the controllers pole position, an interval in
which is situated, should be found. According to
Shannon’s theorem the sampling frequency should be at
least twice higher than the highest frequency of the
sampled signal.
When time of sampling is 40 ms, we obtain:
1
r,i,=0,04.2=0,08~~,,<- (10)
5,.
From the expression (10) we calculate the value a,”
To fulfill the condition (7) a next expression must be true:
y-ay-6 >0 (12)
Since parameters6 and y are positive from where it
follows that a can assume the highest value:
a,, =I-- 7 (13)
s
We obtain an interval in which we search the value fof
parameter a :
6 Y
a,,<a<a,, 3 -<a<!-- (14)
0- 6 The ))Brute Forcea method, performed with Matlab
The area of changing parameter a and consequently
positioning controller’s pole depends on chosen controller
zero 6 .
We obtain two straight lines (Figure 3), the valid area is on
the interval where the straight line a,, lies above the
straight line G,,, The
. next step is to calculate the
controller gain KRmo= f ( a , S ) , where the system is still
stable over the area a ~ ( a ~ , ~ ( ~ ) , a - ( ~ ) ) ~ ~ € ( ~ ~ , ~ , ~ ~ ) .
We obtain a plane defining the maximum controller gain at
chosen values a and 6 (Figure 4).
I \I
I
Figure 3: Representation of an area in which a can be in
motion according to the controller zero position
The system is stable for all values a, d and KR,situated in
the space O < f ( a , S ) < K , , For optimization of
parameters the criterion index of ISE Integral of Square
~
Error has been used [41.
The characteristic of ISE is, because of squaring, to
increase an effect of bigger signals and to reduce an effect
of smaller error signals. That’s why the controlled systems,
for which we optimize the controller according to this
criterion, are quick and have pretty large gradient at the
stepping change of reference, which is the consequence of
high square error value in the beginning of transient.
Figure 4 Maximum allowed controller gain according to
the chosen controller zero and pole position
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When searching the controller that would be optimal in the
ISE sense, its calculation needed to be done in the most
points possible inside spaceF(K, (S),a(S),S) .
program, has been used for searching the criterion index
minimum. Figure 5 represents a chart of the criterion index
in dependence on KRand parameter a.
Figure 5: Chart of the criterion index in dependence on Kn
and parameter a.
The final result of an algorithm is a controller transfer
function at the minimum ISE index value:
14,7935( 2-0,9967)
K, = (15)
(z -0,6095)
4 Experiment
In the experimental phase the so called ))Rapid
Prototyping(( method [6] has been used. Rapid Prototyping
of control systems is generally referred to as methods and
tools to solve control problems fast and efficiently. This
includes
theoretical methods of control engineering from
designing a system model and system analysis to
the design of a control strategy,
test and optimization of the control strategy in a
simulation environment
automatic code generation for a real-time system
operating a test stand and
verification and optimization of the controller
with the target object on the test stand.
The experiment-simulations part has been performed with
Matlab-Sirnulink program package and for the real object
experimentation’s the additional Real-time Toolbox has
been used. The Real-time Toolbox is a tool package
associating the Matlah and the Simulink with the outside
world to attain the data from environment in real time,
their immediate treatment with the Matlab and the
Simulink orders and models and then sending them back to
the outside world. The setting of performing concept: a
driver is simply called by input/output device orders
without knowing its details.
The Real-time Toolbox translates the Simulink diagram The simulation and actual controlled system results
(Figure 6) into a program code and then by using a obtained are in accordance with appointed demands and
specific object translator into an executive cod [6,7]. expectations (Figure 7 and 8). The stationary error is a
consequence of an object non-linearity (irregular ball

e
h .w
..
geometry) and of a sensor resolution limitation.

5 Conclusion
0I-

Choosing the controller structure is an important question

Figure 6: Controlled system scheme with MATLAB-
SIMULINK program package for one
coordinate
broached already in the first beginning of the control
design. Since an object already has a double pole in the
coordinate starting point, an additional pole would only
make the stability circumstances worst, the usage of PID
regulator is not recommendable. When choosing between
the compensating controllers, a lead controller is relevant
while a lag controller does not stabilize the system. The
usage of the lead controller has been established to be the
best solution.
The next question is: How to specify or calculate the
coefficients of the chosen controller? On the basis of the
controlled system stability analysis with Routh's criterion
and in combination with ISE criterion index a method of
the compensation controller coefficient optimization has
been derived and it has been confirmed as a successful tool
to resolve a problem described.

References
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B. ZupanEiE, Zvezni regulacijski sistemi 1. del,
Univerza v Ljubljani, Fakulteta za elektrotehniko,
1996.
D. Matko, Diskretni regulacijski sisfemi, Univerza
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; A & ;o ;5 3s
' ;
I i Edvarda Kardelja v Ljubljani, Fakulteta za
elektrotehniko, 1986.
A. Chowdbury, Robustna sinteza regulacijskih
Figure 7 Response on a step reference signal sistemov z upoitevanjem performaninih kriterijev :
doktorska disertacija, Univerza v Mariboru,
-8Ww
Fakulteta za elektrotehniko, raEunalniStvo in
informatiko, 2001.
HUMUSOFT CE151 Ball&Plate Apparatus Users
Manual.
HUMUSOFT Real Time Toolbox for use with
MATLAB Users Manual.
Matlab-Simulink User Guide

Figure 8: Response on a sinus reference signal

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