PID controllers and anti-windup systems tuning using ant colony optimization

Ant Colony Optimization allows simultaneous tuning of a large number of control parameters and provides flexibility in the choice of the performance criterion. An off-line tuning methodology is proposed for PID-type controllers and their associated anti-windup subsystem for cascaded loop control structures. Insight is given on the design process, on parameter setting and on handling of soft and hard constraints. The method is illustrated by tuning a weighted PID controller and saturation management for a positioning axis in a grinder application.