ELC 4332/5

Lab Hardware

ELC 4332/5: Control Systems Labs

Introduction to Lab Hardware

Material taken from: Quanser DC Motor Control Trainer USB QICii Laboratory
Workbook.
Last Modified: John Miller, 6/9/14

Objective
This exercise will introduce you to the Quanser DC Motor Control Trainer (DCMCT)
and the QICii software used to control it.

Introduction
A systems dynamic equations may be determined in several ways. They may
be found by deriving the equations knowing the parameters such as mass,
spring constants, resistor values, etc. They may also be found by a technique
similar to the process used in linearization, in which all parameters except one
are held constant and that parameter is varied. Then the output is observed,
and the equation relating the two is determined. This lab focuses on the first
technique (called first principles modeling), but it requires knowledge of the
mass, spring constants, resistor values, etc. Therefore, it will be necessary to
determine these parameters for the DCMCT in order to develop its transfer
function.

DC Motor Control Trainer (Hardware)

Figure 1 gives an overview of the hardware used in these labs. The main board
consists of a DC motor, electronic control circuitry, connectors, and a
daughterboard that houses the USB interface.

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ELC 4332/5

Lab Hardware

USB
Connector

Other
Connectors

White
Reset
button

DC Motor

Black User
Switch

Disc
Load

Figure 1. Quanser DCMCT.

LEDs

QICii Software
Figure 2 shows what the QICii software screen looks like. The black boxes at top
left and the graphs on the right are updated in real time. The white boxes on the
left are the inputs. Table 1 lists and describes the numbered items.

Menu
for
choosin
g
exercise

Start/stop
experime
Connectnt
to
hardware

Stop
graphs
(experimen
t
continues)

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Autoscale
both axes

ELC 4332/5

Lab Hardware

Figure 2. Screen shot of the QICii software.

Table 1. QICii software nomenclature.

ID
#
1

Label
Speed

Paramet
er
m

Current

Im

3
4

Voltage
Signal
Generato
r
Amplitud
e
Frequenc

Vm

5
6

Description

Unit

Motor Output Speed (numeric

display)
Motor Armature Current (numeric
display)
Motor Input Voltage (numeric display)
Type of Generator for the Input
Voltage Signal

rad/s

Generated Signal Amplitude (input)

Generated Signal Frequency (input)

Hz

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A
V

ELC 4332/5

Lab Hardware

7
8

y
Offset
Speed

Voltage

Vm

10

11
12

Tf

Tf

Generated Signal Offset (input)

Scope with Actual (red) and
Simulated (blue) Motor Speeds
Scope with Applied Motor Voltage
(red)
Motor Model Steady-State Gain
(input)
Motor Model Time Constant (input)
Time Constant of Filter for Measured
Signal

V
rad/s
V
rad/
(V*s)
S
s

Module Startup
1. Connect the DCMCT to both power and USB. LED2 should light up, while
LED3 should flash on and off repeatedly.
2. Press the Reset (white) button (LEDs shouldnt change), then the black
User Switch. LED2 and LED3 should turn off.
3. Launch the QICii software (if you havent already), and select Modeling in
the drop-down menu.
4. Click the Connect to data source (hardware) button next to the dropdown menu. The controller should start running, LED2 should light up,
and LED3 should stay off.
5. The following default parameters should be loaded when you start the
module:
Signal
Type

Amplitu
de (V)

Frequen
cy (Hz)

Offset
(V)

Square

2.0

0.4

0.0

K
(rad/V.s
)
10.0

(s)

Tf
(s)

0.2

0.01

IMPORTANT! When changing the input parameters (for the signal

generator or model), you must press Enter for the change to take effect.

Initial Experimental Tests

Answer the follow questions and record the required data:

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Lab Hardware

6. Set the Amplitude to 0 and vary the Offset over its full range. What do
you observe about the steady-state speed and current?
The current remains almost constant at 0 amp, but the speed
increases and decreases with the increase or decrease in the offset
voltage input, the signs also change accordingly

7. What is the maximum allowed voltage (Offset) input? What is the speed
at this input?
Max offset +5 V
Speed = 73 rad/sec

8. Set the Offset to 0 and the Amplitude to 2 V. Measurements can be taken

from the graphs by clicking the magnifying glass icon
, holding down
Ctrl, and clicking and draging on the graph. Use this method to measure
the period and the amplitude of the of the actual (red line) speed of the
motor.
Period = 2.518
Amplitude = 25.8

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