kontrollsignalen

Kontrollsignalen, in engineering often referred to as the control signal, is the signal produced by a controller that drives a system’s actuator to influence its behavior. It represents the external input applied to the plant or process and is aimed at achieving a desired output or performance.

In a typical feedback control loop, the controller generates the control signal based on the error e(t) between a reference setpoint and the measured output. The signal can be continuous or discrete, analog or digital, and may take forms such as voltage, current, PWM duty cycle, or a digital command. Open-loop control uses the control signal without relying on feedback, while closed-loop control continuously adjusts the signal in response to feedback to reduce error.

The control signal is constrained by the capabilities of actuators, including saturation, rate limits, and nonlinearity. Practical design also accounts for dynamics, delays, noise, and disturbances, as well as protections such as anti-windup mechanisms and robustness measures. In digital control, the signal is updated at sampling intervals, and the implementation may involve discretization of models and controllers.

Common applications span industrial automation, robotics, and process control, where the control signal governs elements such as motor speed, valve positions, heater power, or robotic actuators. The quality of the control signal directly affects stability, responsiveness, and accuracy of the system’s performance.

See also: control theory, feedback control, actuator, sensor, system identification.