Design and implementation of modular FPGA-based PID controllers

In this paper, modular design of embedded feedback controllers using field-programmable gate array (FPGA) technology is studied. To this end, a novel distributed-arithmetic (DA)-based proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller algorithm is proposed and integrated into a digital feedback control system. The DA-based PID controller demonstrates 80% savings in hardware utilization and 40% savings in power consumption compared to the multiplier-based scheme. It also offers good closed-loop performance while using less resources, resulting in cost reduction, high speed, and low power consumption, which is desirable in embedded control applications. The complete digital control system is built using commercial FPGAs to demonstrate the efficiency. The design uses a modular approach, so that some modules can be reused in other applications. These reusable modules can be ported into Matlab/Simulink as Simulink blocks for hardware/software cosimulation or integrated into a larger design in the Matlab/Simulink environment to allow for rapid prototyping applications.