PID Setup Help

To the ones with some experience with OMRON temperature controllers and PID tuning. This controller has a parameters called "Self Tuning" that as a "Default" value is set to "ON" but when I installed it, I change the setting to "OFF".

Was this a good move or do you guys think that leaving it in the "ON" state is better. I setup the PID variables by trial and error but I'm having a lot of trouble controlling the temperature on a system, it's swinging too much causing a piece of equipment to stop frequently.

I've used Omron temperature controllers a few times (did one last week) and found that they have a very good self tune feature. In all cases I got good results with the self tune.

The biggest problem for temperature control is often time thermocouple placement or poor heat transfer between the thermocouple/RTD, thermowell and the stuff that is being measured. (thermo-lag) If it is something who's temperature can change quickly it is an even bigger problem. Then I start looking at thin thermowells or even no thermowells and make certain you are measuring temperature at the right spot in the process. (don't skimp on the heat transfer cream)

Thanks for the reply. Do you also do an "Auto Tuning" as part of your initial setup.

I do not recall if there was aboth an Auto Tune and Self Tune function. I do know when I last used one (a week or two ago) I left the Self Tune / Auto tune feature on and it preformed well without needing to go in a tweek the PID parameters. I left in on and it has been working fine since.

JoseM said:

Thanks for the reply. Do you also do an "Auto Tuning" as part of your initial setup.

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Leave them in autotune!!! Used lots of Omron controller at my last place and the self tune is normally very good. Temp control is very difficult to get the PID setups right on in some cases without a lot of calculations and as previous poster said without excellent sensor positioning. I always found the Omrons self tune got us pretty close if not perfect then sometimes we would tweak it slightly for a quicker warmup with slightly less stability.