PID SERVO TUNING THEORY DISCUSSED

Tuning your servos for the first time can be a complicated and confusing exercise resulting in jumping axes and total frustration. To ease the stress of your initial attempts start by lowering the input voltage on the ServoConfigurator3 tuning software to a minimal level, say 1.00 volts, and leave it there until you begin to get the tuning close. Then you can raise the voltage to the required level per your servo drives. This will help keep the axis you are tuning from jumping around on you.

The videos listed below should help to ease the confusion for the novice. Using these in combination with the CNCDrive ServoConfigurator3 software should help to clear the air.

This first video gives a pretty clear graphical explanation of how to proceed. It shows what to aim for in the CNCDrive ServoConfigurator3 PID Tuning Analisator screen.

ServoConfigurator3 tuning screen (Screen shot)

Graphical Description Video

As shown in this first video the Ap adjustment is done first. Once that has been accomplished to match the video’s description, the Ad is adjusted per the video explanation. Then finally the Ai is dialed in. Be patient as while it goes quickly in the video it will still probably take a first timer a number of trial and error attempts to get similar results to the video description.

While this video is in reference to quadcoptor drone servos the process is the same for your CNC servo drives.

Here is the link to the first video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OH-wOsVVjg

Approximate desired result of the Ap tuning process (screen shot)

Visual Description Video

The second video gives a visual explanation of PID tuning. The process used here is the same as that shown in the first video, but instead of presenting a charted result of the tuning process it cleverly shows how adjustments affect a rotating lever. In this video you’ll see how each of the three variables, P, D and finally I help to bring the lever to a stability at the desired position.

Here is the link to the second video:

https://youtu.be/qKy98Cbcltw

Lever movement shows the desired results of each level of the PID tuning (Screen shot)

Finally, here is a video that shows another method of attack to the tuning process. This again starts with Ap, then goes to Ad and finishes with Ai. This guide though leans towards a theoretical process giving a somewhat more academic view of the tuning process.

Here is the link to the third video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXnDwojRb1g

Theoretical discussion screen shot

RESOURCES

ServoConfigurator3 Software

https://cncdrive.com/downloads/download_Servoconfig3.php

ServoConfigurator3 Manual

https://cncdrive.com/downloads/Servoconfigurator3_users_manual_eng.pdf