Robust tuning of conventional controllers

A method is presented to obtain tuning rules for conventional controllers (PID-type) able to give a desired closed loop response. These tuning rules, especially suitable in process control, require a single parameter strictly correlated with the speed of response. As the method is based on a process model which necessarily describes the real process with some uncertainty, correlations are given to allow tuning for robust performance. In this way desired performance (overshoot less than 5% in the time response), is guaranteed for systems represented by first and second order plus time delay transfer functions accounting for the most common source of uncertainty: error in time delay and order reduction.