It is common for a Control System Engineer to start out their career specialising in just one discipline. The primary skill of a Control Systems Engineer is to think outside the box, to know how components connect together, and how those components interface and interact with the “real world” in real time. Even being an expert in one brand or product suite can provide a questionable level of confidence that may lead to limited vision including not being able to think “outside the box”. With so many options and products available, an individual or a company cannot be an expert in everything. In our eyes, the greatest skill a Control Systems Engineer can develop is the ability to learn quickly what is important to learn in terms of technology. The wider the experience, the more apt the Control Systems Engineer will be when new systems integration solutions need to be developed spanning many technologies.
Control Systems Engineers need to develop capability to see beyond a narrow technology slice. The term “system” suggests more than one component, and metaphorically this also applies to the control system engineer’s breadth of experience. This does not mean you need to be an expert in every discipline. There is a requirement to also know about electrical design, electronics, mechanical or mechatronics, computer science, process automation and physics.
An engineer may specifically academically study and be qualified in control systems theories, industrial automation, mechatronics or robotics, however the summary of it is, to be a successful Control Systems Engineering company or Controls Systems Engineer you need to understand and be familiar with more than one single discipline. Cascaded control-loops may be used in situations where there is moderate complexity and the process is “changing quickly” in respect to time, however Advanced Process Controllers may be required for slow moving processes like distilling, bio-reactors etc.Ĭontrol Engineering or Control Systems Engineering may encompass many engineering disciplines. In very complex processes a single closed-loop control system may be insufficient to stabilise the process. If the controller is unable to adjust to a stable condition (ie with minimal hunting) the control-loop is said to be “out of control”. The controller must have a suitable dynamic response to be able to adjust the system to remain stable.
The system described here is generally referred to as a control-loop. In a closed-loop control system the controller (RTU, PLCS, DCS) feedback (error) signal is used to adjust the control variable such that the process is constantly trying to match the operational set point. Control Systems are very common in SCADA and Industrial Automation systems.Ĭontrol Systems are used in Industrial Automation to regulate how devices operate in real time. Some basic examples of a control system include a cruise control in a motor vehicle, temperature control in a building, the chemical concentrations in drinking water, the speed of a conveyor belt in a process plant.Ĭontrol Systems are used in domestic applications, general industry, military and virtually every modern vehicle in the world. If the system deviates too fast and the control system is unable to adjust the course or outcome, the Control System is inadequate to manage the disturbances. The fundamentals of a Control System include measuring an error signal and then adjusting the system to reach the desired course or outcome.
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