Automated computer-aided design of control systems through artificial intelligence

Computer-Aided Design (CAD) packages have greatly increased the average engineer's design potential in recent years. However, that potential is sometimes unrealized if the CAD package requires more expertise to use than the average engineer possesses. Creating an expert system that interfaces with the CAD package and provides the expertise needed to achieve this unrealized potential. CONSYD (CONtrol SYstem Design) is a CAD package for control system design which was developed by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and at the California Institute of Technology. CONSYD offers a wide choice of process model descriptions and control system design and analysis tools. However, a moderately high level of control theory expertise is required to use the package effectively. To bring the powerful control system design strategies of the package to the average engineer, an expert system, CONSYDEX (CONtrol SYstem Design EXpert) has been developed. In this report, the first version of the expert system (implemented with the development tool, NEXPERT Object) is presented and some of the issues which arise in realizing the project are discussed. CONSYDEX will ultimately have the ability to begin with a process model or input-output data records and design single loop or multivariable controllers via a variety of design strategies. This expert system calls the appropriate CONSYD programs for the necessary technical calculations and synthesizes the results into the desired design(s). The capabilities of CONSYDEX are illustrated by a variety of examples.