Control Software Design

Controllab has over 25 years of experience in the design, implementation and testing of control software for complex and advanced systems. The heart of these control systems are generally closed loop control systems. We use simulation models and all the classical (time domain, frequency domain, PID, Kalman filtering,…) and modern (adaptive control, machine learning,..) control techniques to make these control systems stable and efficient.

Test automation of Control Software

The key to high-quality control software is test automation. We have developed a toolkit for automated testing of control software, which includes:

  1. Testing stability and efficiency with simulation models.
  2. Unit testing and functional testing within the software development system.
  3. Functional testing on various controller hardware platforms (such as PLC, PC, embedded systems), including Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) simulation.

This comprehensive toolkit ensures thorough testing at every stage of software development, from simulation to real-world hardware deployment, enhancing reliability and performance across the board. Additionally, it enables us to conduct detailed design studies to refine and optimize control algorithms effectively.

Machine learning

With machine learning, you can automate the work that an expert would do in control software:

  1. Run a machine or system and record data.
  2. Process the data.
  3. Detect causes and effects.

Controllab has the expertise to implement machine learning based on time series data specifically for control software. We use existing datasets to train a network to inspect the data as an expert would do. If the data is not available, we can use simulation models to generate datasets. This approach empowers us to develop advanced control software solutions that leverage machine learning for enhanced performance and efficiency.

Applications

Controllab has built up expertise in several applications:

  • Cranes: motion compensation, anti-sway, tag line control, and more.
  • Access Bridges: motion compensation, automated landing, collision detection, and others.
  • Monopile Grippers: Tilt control, motion control, overload protection, and so forth.
  • Dredging: motion compensation.
  • Robotics: motion control.

This diverse range of applications showcases our ability to provide tailored solutions across various industries, leveraging our expertise in control systems and automation.