A Uniform Approach to the Optimum Adjustment of Control Loops Available to Purchase

The paper describes the common aspects of the problems encountered in achieving optimal adjustment in all fields of automatic control. With the aid of a linear and a quadratic measure of error the general principles are obtained by considering the output behavior that follows a normalized disturbance of the equilibrium. After examining the advantages and disadvantages of these methods as well as the limits of their applicability, a method to be termed “practical optimum” is suggested, which combines general applicability with simplicity of practical handling.