
Lake Shore Model 330 Autotuning Temperature Controller User’s Manual
Introduction
1-5
Power Supply
Analog Digital
Display
Keypad
Micro-
Controller
Program
PROM
RS-232C
Interface
RAM for
Curves
D/A
Converter
15-Bits
AC Line
3
2
1
IEEE-488
Interface
Current
Source A
Current
Source B
A/D
Converter
16-Bits
ISO
ISO
ISO
4-Lead
Sensor
5
4
ISO
Isolation (electrical) refers to the separation of voltage
supplies within the instrument. The 330 design isolates
heater output, measurement, and digital interface circuitry.
Channel
A
Channel
B
Heater
Output
(25 W or
50 W)
A/D
Converter
16-Bits
4-Lead
Sensor
C-330-U-1-2
Figure 1-2. Model 330 Block Diagram
1.2 CONTROL FUNDAMENTALS AND AUTOTUNE
The Autotuning algorithm determines controller gain (
P
roportional), reset (
I
ntegral), and rate (
D
erivative) by
observing system time response upon setpoint changes under either P, PI, or PID control.
There are limitations to digital control and Autotuning. First, any control system is inherently unstable if the
sampling rate (frequency) is not greater than twice the system bandwidth (inverse of system time constant).
This is known as the Nyquist criterion. With the current technology used in this controller, i.e., sampling
frequency, etc., digital control is possible for cryogenic systems with time constants near or greater than one
second. Most cryogenic systems operating above 1 kelvin meet this criteria.
Autotuning requires system time response measured as a result of a change in temperature setpoint. Several
points on this response curve must be measured to determine PID parameters. Consequently, for cryogenic
systems where step responses are less than 5 seconds (where there are few measured points), correct
determination of the PID parameters is difficult. Manually select gain and reset (rate is not normally required)
for better temperature control. Fortunately, fast cryogenic systems are not difficult to tune manually.
For slower systems with longer time constants (which can be difficult to tune manually), Autotuning obtains
enough information on a step change to characterize the system and determine proper gain, reset, and rate.
In other conditions, the user may prefer to stay with manual settings. For example, when a closed cycle
refrigerator has very little mass on its second stage and is near its bottom temperature, Autotuning may give
poor results for control settings due to the large temperature fluctuations of the cooling cycle. Adding mass to
the second stage smoothes out these fluctuations, but lengthens cool down time.
Lake Shore simplified the input of the rate time constant to correspond to a percentage of the reset time
constant, i.e., 0 to 200%. Consequently, in manual mode with RATE set to 100%, any change in RESET
causes the controller to automatically calculate the RESET time constant (999/RESET) and set the RATE time
constant at 1/8 of the RESET time constant. This is one-half the conventional Zeigler-Nichols setting for rate
and results in less overshoot of a given setpoint. Therefore, once RATE is set as a percent, you need not
worry about updating its value with setpoint changes resulting in new PI settings. For less RATE, set RATE at
something less than 100%. Remember, many cryogenic systems require no rate (0%).
See the application note titled
Fundamentals for Usage of Cryogenic Temperature Controllers
in Appendix D if
you are not familiar with cryogenic temperature controllers.