RESEARCH PROGRESS IN MECHANICAL AND MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING VOL. 0 NO.

0
(2022) 000–000

© Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia Publisher’s Office

RPMME
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e-ISSN : 2773 - 4765

Feedback Control Quadcopter: Altitude

Controller System
1
Ariff Ali,
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Manufacturing, Universiti Tun Husseinn
Onn Malaysia, Parit Raja, 86400, Batu Pahat, Johor, MALAYSIA
2
Azim Azli,
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Manufacturing, Universiti Tun Husseinn
Onn Malaysia, Parit Raja, 86400, Batu Pahat, Johor, MALAYSIA

*Corresponding Author Designation

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30880/rpmme.00.00.0000.00.0000
Received 00 Month 2022; Accepted 01 Month 2022; Available online 02 Month 2022

Abstract: In this project, many quadcopter’s field has been gone deeper and lack of
simulation process causes many problem towards it. The main objective of this
project is to know the feedback control of quadcopter’s altitude motion. The method
use in this project is state space modelling and the simulation has been done in
MATLAB software in order to detrmine the answer. The result in this project shows
that PD controller was not selected. This is due to its lack of integral value which
lack of repairing errors. Future project can be done is to determine more application
of quadcopter control system as it is ease to be used and conduct.

Keywords: Quadcopter, Altitude, Other Controller

1. Introduction
Unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV for short, is a flying object that is powered solely by itself and
does not have a human pilot on board. These vehicles have a wide range of uses, including military
and surveillance, which are both quite important. Basically a UAV have two main categories which
are remotely and autonomous aircraft.
There is no human directly involved with or present in the flight environment in both categories.
In the first, humans use some form of wireless connection to command and direct the UAV along the
path. The vehicle, however, is made clever enough in the second category to fly and do the assigned
duty on its own. The extraordinary viability of using UAVs in situations when the environment is not
hospitable to human life, however, is highlighted by both incidents.
Multi-rotor UAVs are the most widely used among these type of UAVs because to their improved
flying stability and simplicity of operation. Another variety of multi-rotor UAV is the quadrotor. It is
a multi-rotor aircraft with a fixed pitch. The decision to employ fixed pitch rotors is justified by the
complex aerodynamic design and control required for UAVs with variable pitch rotors, such as
helicopters.
*Corresponding author: [email protected]
2022 UTHM Publisher. All right reserved.
penerbit.uthm.edu.my/periodicals/index.php/rpmme
 Author 1 et al., Research Progress in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Vol. 0 No. 0 (2022) p. 1-4

According to their takeoff and landing capabilities, UAVs can be divided into two fundamental
categories: those that can perform conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) and those that can
perform vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL).
The problem statement of this research are not fully tuned controller gives negative effects
towards the vertical motion of a quadcopter. This cause failure during the vertical motion of the
quadcopter, lack of research on the performance and comparison of different types of controller used
in vertical motion of a quadcopter and to present some fundamental issues concerning design
optimization of the quadcopter in a vertical motion.
The objective of this project is to to implement a suitable control system to hover quadcopter
vertical motion and to compare the performance of different types of controller that effects quadcopter
vertical motion. The scope of this project is using state space model, simulation by MATLAB and
three types of controllers will be used which are PID, PI and PD controller
2. Literature review

2.1 Review on relevant works

One of the research on quadcopter’s altitude feedback control stated that there were
several methods on controller system has been made such were mode-based, linearized
feedback controllers and utilizing-stepping control law. Second research stated that Linear
Quadratic Regulator and proportionate differentiate controller were also been made. Another
setup that been made was emphasizing on the nonlinear modelling of quadrotor. The work
done that been made in sweeden was focused on the mechanical design, modelling, sensors,
and control of an indoor autonomous robot which is a good research on making autonomous
controllers. Among the famous written topic on this project was the autonomous flying
vehicle project that was conducted at Cornell University which they made a reliable
autonomous hovering UAV.

2.2 Review on system component

One of the most important component in UAV is the controller. A suitable controller
should be fully tuned in order to gain the best flight system. The usual type of controller used
in controlling a quadcopter’s altitude motion are PID, PI and PD controller. PI controller is a
form of feedback control. PI control stops the system from fluctuating. PD controller is
combination of feed forward and feedback control. PD controller contains the proportional
control’s damping of the fluctuation. PID controller is the combination of all three types of
control methods and it has the quickest response time.

3. Development process and description of system

3.1. Conceptual design of system

The conceptual design on this system is to determine the feedback control of quadcopter’s flying
in vertical motion. Apart from knowing the system, different types of controller will also be
implemented in this system and to determine the best controller feedback for the system only focusing
on the altitude motion of quadcopter.

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3.2 Development procedure

The flowchart of this research as in figure 3.1 below. Starting from problem solution, literature
review has been discussed before in order to find altitude of quadcopter control system. Then, virtual
simulation need to be run and the results will be analyzed. The value of transient response, steady
state error, root locus and bode plot also been analyzed to control the transient response.

Figure 3.1: Flow chart

3.3 Description of system
In designing the system, the input reference is need to be constant in order to gain constant input
value. The brush motor will be act as actuator as and the speed value will be determined by
simulation. The simulation time is set to t=10s. A disturbance is needed as well due to real life
movement of quadcopter. The disturbance value is constant as well. The input value reference is set
up to 200v and the disturbance is set up to 100. An integrator is set up to determine the distance
travelled by the quadcopter in vertical motion. The rotors of the quadcopter produces thrust and
makes the quadcopter to move in vertical motion. The mass of the quadcopter is neglected due to only
need to know the control feedback of quadcopter. The quadcopter is used in an open area which the
disturbance is came from wind gust that hit the antenna of the quadcopter. The transfer function of the
plant is stated as below.

Other assumptions were made towards this system is the value of La is 0.003H. The value of Kb is
0.8N/m rad/s. The value of TL is 100Nm.

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3.4 Micro-controller programming

The controller programming in this project is to tune the controller. Figure 3.2 below shows the
tuning app used in MATLAB software.

Figure 3.2: Micro-controller programming

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3.5 Circuit design

Figure 3.3 below shows the full circuit design of this project

Figure 3.3: Full Setup Of System

The sensor of this system is the output signal from the rotors that been send back to the
controller for further action. The actuators are the rotor. The feedback path is move towards the plant
inside the rotor system and to output.
3.6 Related calculations
The related calculation in this research is the displacement obtained by the quadcopter’s altitude.
The equation is stated below
Displacement = speed of rotor x 10s (Eq.1)
The value is times 10 because the simulation time is 10 s. So, by multiplying the values of speed to
the value of time simulation, the displacement of the quadcopter in vertical motion will be given.

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4. Results and Discussion

4.1 Experimental Procedure
By gaining information on past literature reviews, a block diagram and controller was
implemented for simulation procedure. Figure 4.1 below shows only one rotor that has been designed
to be used in this system. The parameter used in this designed system was based on the description of
the system.
After creating the plant and other block diagrams, the system block diagram has been ready for
simulation process. By using scope block diagram, speed and distance has been gained and further
analysis was performed such as plotting the bode plot, transient response and the root locus. The
analyzed graph and other materials proved the best controller that used in this system. The controller
tested in this system is PID, PI and PD controller. The changing of the controller used is by using
MATLAB software by changing the controller in the designed controller below.

Changing of controller used

(PID,PI and PD)

Figure 4.1: One rotor with PID controller ready to be simulized. The plant stated above consist of thc
motor plant dynamic and the disturbance that happened during flight motion

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4.2 Results
Figure 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4 below shows the bode plot for the system provided below is for PID, PI,
and PD controller that has been plotted in MATLAB

Figure 4.2: PID Bode Plot

It is clearly seen that the phase angle in PID bode plot has a stagnant value which is -8 deg.
The value was stagnant from the beginning of simulation until 10.6^1 rad/s. The value is decreasing
after the frequency stated before.
The magnitude is decreasing since the beginning of frequency until the end of the simulation.

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Figure 4.3: PI Bode Plot

It is clearly seen that the phase angle in PI bode plot has a stagnant value which is -8 deg. The
value was stagnant from the beginning of simulation until 10.6^-1 rad/s. The value is decreasing after
the frequency stated before.
The magnitude is decreasing since the beginning of frequency until the end of the simulation.

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Figure 4.4: PD Bode Plot

It is clearly seen that the phase angle in PD bode plot has a stagnant value which is -8 deg.
The value was stagnant from the beginning of simulation until 10.6^1 rad/s. The value is decreasing
after the frequency stated before. The phase angle is slightly the same as the PID controller above.
The magnitude is decreasing since the beginning of frequency until the end of the simulation.
The magnitude is slightly the same as the PID controller.

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Table 4.1 below shows the values gains in the bode plot diagrams above.

Table 4.1: Values Gain In Bode Plot

Peak gain Gain Margin P I D

Controller Rotor Speed (m/s)
(db) (db) Value Value Value
N/A - - - - - -
PID -9.7 inf 0.00275 0.00311 0 65.15
PI -9.09 inf 0.00226 0.00353 - 58.78
PD -9.52 26.8 0.12349 - 0.00301 -88.02

Figure 4.5 below shows the root locus for the system provided signal from PID, PD, and PI
controller that has been plotted in MATLAB

Figure 4.5: PID/PI/PD Root Locus

The root locus plot indicates how the closed loop poles of a system vary with a system
parameter. The imaginary axis and the real axis for all three controllers has the same values and the
plotting of the graph was the same.

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4.3 Discussions
Based on the table 3.1 above, it was stated that only PID and PI controller is acceptable due to the
rotational speed is positive in number. The value of integral (I) is important because it is the sum of
instantaneous error over time and it must be corrected for the value of accumulated offset. Gain
constant Ki is a matrix with the size of the number of state multiplying number of states. Gain matrix
Ki acts as an integrator working on a state reference, and the result affects the control signal. In this
way, we can minimize the steady-state error. An integral control (Ki) will have the effect of
eliminating the steady-state error, but it may make the transient response worse. By giving the best
value for Ki, it can make the system better with less error towards the transient response
Based on table 3.1, the value of peak gain for PI controller is the highest value which is -9.09db.
It means that the PI controller has the most stable as the peak margin has the highest value of all the
controllers. Gain measurements must be made carefully to assure accuracy. It can difficult to repeat a
gain validation measurement precisely and the accuracy and repeatability of a gain measurement is
determined by a number of factors. PI controller can reduce the maximum overshoot and improve the
gain and phase margins as well as the resonant peak.
Based on table 3.1, the gain margin of each controller’s bode diagram shows that PID and PI
controller has the highest value of gain margin. This shows that both of these controllers were stable.
Gain margin indicates absolute stability and the degree to which the system will oscillate, without
limit, given any disturbance. The output signals of all amplifiers exhibit a time delay when compared
to their input signals. This delay causes a phase difference between the amplifier's input and output
signals.
Table 4.2 below shows the effect of increasing values of Kp, Ki and Kd towards the performance of
the data collected.
Table 4.2: Effect of performance by increasing the values of Kp, Ki and Kd

Parameter Rise Steady-state

Settling time Overshoot
Increase Time Error
Kp Decrease Increase Small changes Increase
Ki Decrease Increase Increase Increase
Small
Kd Decrease Decrease Decrease
changes

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5. Conclusion
This study was approved based on the primary goal of the research study. The first goal was met
by obtaining the data of all three controller in terms of gain margin and peak margin in the bode plot.
Following validation, the simulation was repeated with three different controller setup.
The recommendation for this project is to analyze the values of other parameter such as steady
state error and overshoot in system due to the needs of this data for a better control system and to
creating another feedback system for other types of UAV.
Acknowledgement
The authors would also like to thank the Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing
Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia for its support.

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