TuneWizard

User Guide

Version 5
Published: November 13, 2017
Copyright © 2010-2017 PAS Global, LLC. All rights reserved worldwide.

Printed in U.S.A.
This document contains proprietary information of PAS Global, LLC (“PAS”), and is tendered subject to the condition that no
copy or other reproduction be made in whole or in part, and that no use be made of information herein except for the
purpose for which it is transmitted, without express written permission of PAS.
PAS makes no representations or warranties with respect to the contents hereof and specifically disclaims any implied
warranties of merchantability for any particular purpose. Furthermore, PAS reserves the right to revise this publication and
to make changes in content hereof without obligation of PAS to notify any person of such revision.

Trademarks
ADU, ADU Load Calc, Alarm Advanced Elements, Alarm and Event Analysis, Automation Integrity, ControlWizard, Cyber
Integrity, Dynamic Alarming, inBound, Integrity Software Suite, ISS, PlantState Suite, PSS, PSS Metrics, PSS Online, PSS
Report Builder, PSS Web, and TuneWizard are trademarks or registered trademarks of PAS. DOC4000 is a registered
trademark of PAS, currently licensed to Honeywell. All other trademarks or registered trademarks used herein are the
properties of their respective owners and are used for identification purposes only.
Contents

About the Product Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix

Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Contacting PAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x

Chapter 1: Getting Started 1

Terminology and Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Installing TuneWizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
License Activation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Tutorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Chapter 2: File Management 13

Application Configuration Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Loop Configuration Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Report Text Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Data Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Temporary Files and Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
The File Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Chapter 3: Loop Details 17

Control Loop Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Selecting Your Controller Type. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Selecting a Generic Controller Type. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
The Important Notes Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Selecting the Data Source. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Process Simulator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
OPC (OLE for Process Control). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
CSV File Import . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
A/D (Analog to Digital) Converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Siemens TI 505 PLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Modbus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

User Guide Contents iii

Chapter 4: Channels 29
DDE and OPC Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Computer Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Topic / Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Item . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Advise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
OPC Browser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Using the OPC Browser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Honeywell TDC Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
NovaTech D/3® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Siemens TI Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
A/D Converter Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Modbus Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Use Scaling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Use PID Multipliers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Write Items Differ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Com Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Loop Number. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Range Lo, Hi, and Units. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Engineering Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Square Root of PV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Controller Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Selecting PID Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Controller Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Read PID, F. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Sampling Interval. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Scan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Chapter 5: Acquire Data 51

Scan, Record, and Copy to Disk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Scan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Copy to Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Trend Display Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Display Ranges. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Trend Time Span . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Changing SP, CO, and Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Importing CSV Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

iv Contents User Guide

Chapter 6: View and Select Data 57
The Data Graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
The File List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Zoom & Edit Buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Link Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Graph Display Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Changing the Time Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Changing the Y-Axis Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Hiding the Setpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Changing the Number of Graphs Visible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Zoom. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Filter, Unfilter and Derivative. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Background on Process Variable Filtering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Filtering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Filters and Tuning with TuneWizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Filtering Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Unfiltering Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Taking the Derivative of Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Save Data & Export to Text Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Link Data to Other Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

Chapter 7: Diagnostic and Tuning Tests 69

Hysteresis Diagnostics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
How to Do a Hysteresis Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Hysteresis Diagnostics Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
Stiction Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
How to Do a Stiction Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
Stiction Diagnostics Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
Linearity Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
How to Do a Linearity Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Linearity Diagnostics Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
Variability Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Data to Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Statistical Analyses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83
Power Spectrum Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83
The Basic Tuning Philosophy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Trial and Error Tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Correct Tuning Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
How TuneWizard Tunes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
How TuneWizard Deals with a PV Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85

User Guide Contents v

How to Do a Tuning Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Tune for the Worst Case. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Tuning Test with the Controller in Manual - Self-Regulating Processes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Tuning Test with the Controller in Manual - Integrating Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Tuning Test with the Controller in Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Selecting Data from which to Tune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Selecting and Linking Tuning Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
What to Tune From. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Selecting Tuning Data on a Self-Regulating Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Selecting Tuning Data on an Integrating Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
What Not to Tune From . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Difficult Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
The Tuning Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
The Process Model and Tune Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Accuracy of the Process Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Tuning Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Use Derivative If Possible Option. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Tuning Slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Controller Settings before Tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Controller Settings after Tuning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Load Settings into Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Testing PID Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
The Simulation Graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
A Proven Tuning Procedure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Examples of Good Models. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Excellent Process Model - I. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Excellent Process Model - II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Disturbed Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Noisy Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Examples of Bad Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Hysteresis in Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Nonlinear Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Process with Varying Dynamics - I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Process with Varying Dynamics - II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Simulation Plot Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Changing the Y-axis Scaling and Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Changing the Time Axis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Changing the Step Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Process Model Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

vi Contents User Guide

Chapter 8: Simulation and Reporting 107
Tuning Simulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107
Robustness Simulation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108
Disturbance Rejection Simulation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109
Setpoint Change Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109
Variability and Valve Travel Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
The Simulate Page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Simulating the Response of Any Control Loop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Simulation Graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
The Report Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112

Chapter 9: Process and Control Theory 115

Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Self-Regulating Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Integrating Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Series Controller Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Ideal Controller Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Parallel Controller Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
PID Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
PID Multipliers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121

User Guide Contents vii

viii Contents User Guide
About the Product Documentation
TuneWizard provides several resources to help you use the product:
User Guide
Provides product concepts and usage information, including step-by-step guidance
for common tasks. This book also defines terminology and provides strategy and
best practice information for using TuneWizard.
Help
Provides a comprehensive, integrated online resource that includes all the
information from the User Guide.

Conventions
The documentation uses consistent conventions to help you identify items. The following
table summarizes these conventions.

Convention Use
Bold • Window and menu items
• Technical terms, when introduced
Italics • Book titles
• Variable names
• Emphasized words
Fixed Font • File and folder names
• Commands and code examples
• Text you must type
• Text (output) displayed in the command-line interface
Color • Links
> • Submenu selections, such as Generate Reports > All
Brackets, such as [value] • Optional parameters of a command
Braces, such as {value} • Required parameters of a command
Logical OR, such as • Exclusive parameters. Choose one parameter.
value1 | value2

User Guide About the Product Documentation ix

Contacting PAS
Please contact us with your questions and comments. We look forward to hearing from
you. If you need assistance with an issue, please contact Technical Support.

Telephone: +1 281-286-6565 extension 2

Email: rapidsupport@pas.com
Support Portal: Log into the Support Portal at any time to enter new cases and track existing
cases: https://support.pas.com
Chat: Connect through the Technical Support site and access our Chat feature:
http://whoson.pas.com/chat/chatstart.aspx
Website: www.pas.com

x Contacting PAS User Guide

Getting Started 1
TuneWizard helps with identifying the origins of poor control loop performance and
facilitates their remediation. TuneWizard uses these techniques:
• Analyzes loops for problems such as hysteresis, stiction, process non-linearity, and
poor tuning.
• Identifies and models the process' dynamic response and calculates suitable PID
controller settings for the loop.
• Provides a choice of tuning objectives, including setpoint response, disturbance
rejection, lambda, and surge tank control, and simulates the loop's response to
visualize the effects of parameter changes prior to applying them.

User Guide Chapter 1: Getting Started 1

Terminology and Abbreviations

Terminology and Abbreviations

There are several terms and abbreviations to understand when using this information.
The following list defines several common abbreviations:

A/D Analog to Digital

CO Controller Output
D Derivative setting or Derivative controller action
DDE Dynamic Data Exchange
Gp Process Gain
I Integral setting or Integral controller action
Kc Controller Gain
Kd Derivative Gain
Ki Integral Gain
Kp Proportional Gain
OLE Object Linking and Embedding
OPC OLE for Process Control
P Proportional setting or proportional controller action
PB Proportional Band
PID Proportional-Integral-Derivative
PV Process Variable (Measured Variable)
SP Setpoint
Td Derivative Time
Ti Integral Time

System Requirements
TuneWizard has the following minimum recommended hardware and software
requirements:

Processor Pentium, 1 GHz, or better

Operating System Microsoft Windows 2000, 2003, 2007, XP, Windows 7

2 Chapter 1: Getting Started User Guide

 Installing TuneWizard

RAM 500 MB minimum

Hard Disk 100 MB minimum free disk space
Communications Only required if connecting to the A/D converter, Siemens TI PLC, or to
Port a Modbus port.
Video Display 1024 x 768 or higher resolution recommended

Installing TuneWizard
You must be logged in with Administrative privileges before you install or uninstall
TuneWizard. A reboot is not required.
Note: If previous versions of TuneWizard are installed, use Windows Start > Control
Panel > Programs > Uninstall a Program to remove the earlier version before
installing the latest update. Earlier stored data files and configuration settings will
persist on your system; those are saved outside of the installation folder.

To install TuneWizard:
1. Insert the TuneWizard installation CD into the CD-ROM drive of your computer.
Alternatively, open the Download folder where you saved the software package.
2. Use the Windows Start menu, select or type Run, and type D:\setup.exe (where
D: is the drive letter of your installation disk). Alternatively, double-click on the
setup.exe file.

3. Once the installation program is running, the InstallShield wizard will guide you
through the various steps of installation. In most cases, it will be sufficient to
accept the installation defaults.
4. You must read and agree with the End Users License Agreement (EULA) before
installing and/or using TuneWizard.

To uninstall TuneWizard:
1. Select Windows Start > Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall a Program.
2. Select TuneWizard from the list, right-click and select Remove or Uninstall.
3. Follow the directions to remove TuneWizard.
Note: The Uninstall feature will not delete any configuration or data files that you have
stored. If you have created files inside the My Documents > TuneWizard or
Program Files > TuneWizard folders (or any sub folders), the uninstall feature will
not remove these folders, but it will display a warning that not all components
could be removed. If you want to delete additional files that TuneWizard created,
use Windows Explorer.

User Guide Chapter 1: Getting Started 3

License Activation

License Activation
After installing the software, start TuneWizard from the Windows Start menu. The first
time you run TuneWizard, a window will display a System Code for your machine and
provide instructions on how to contact PAS to get your License Activation code.
You can contact PAS Technical Support to get the license activated. For more information,
see “Contacting PAS” on page x.

Overview
TuneWizard was developed with ease-of-use in mind. The process flow of loop tuning
actions is represented in the explorer tree on the left hand side of the application. Follow
the explorer tree from top to bottom.

Each node on the explorer tree is associated with a particular page in TuneWizard. Each
page deals with a different aspect of the loop tuning exercise. For most loops, you should
follow through all the pages in TuneWizard, starting on the top branch of the explorer
tree and working your way down through all the pages.
TuneWizard ships with a Process Simulator. Use this utility to try out loop tuning options
and to familiarize yourself with the many features of TuneWizard.

4 Chapter 1: Getting Started User Guide

 Overview

To use TuneWizard for diagnosing process problems and tuning your controller
for optimum performance:
1. Click Loop Details in the explorer tree, and then complete the following steps on
the Loop Details page:
a. Type a description for the control loop.
b. Select your controller type.
c. Select the method of data acquisition (data source).
2. Click Channels in the explorer tree, and then complete the following steps on the
Channels page:
a. Fill out the fields for your preferred method of data acquisition.
b. Turn on the Scan & Record Data.
c. Verify that TuneWizard displays the correct values for PV, SP, and CO.
d. Load or type the PID settings from the controller you are about to tune.
3. Click Acquire Data in the explorer tree, and then complete the following steps on
the Acquire Data page:
a. Turn on the Recording.
b. Do all the diagnostic and tuning tests.
c. Turn off the Recording.
4. Click View & Select Data in the explorer tree, and then complete the following
steps on the View & Select Data page:
a. Select the sections or periods of data related to each test that you did.
b. Use the link buttons on the tool bar to link the diagnostic test data to the
diagnostics and tune pages.
5. Click Hysteresis in the explorer tree, and let TuneWizard analyze your process and
diagnose problems.
6. Click Stiction in the explorer tree, and let TuneWizard analyze your process and
diagnose problems.
7. Click Linearity in the explorer tree, and let TuneWizard analyze your process and
diagnose problems.

User Guide Chapter 1: Getting Started 5

Tutorial

8. Click Tune in the explorer tree, and then complete the following steps on the Tune
page:
a. Let TuneWizard calculate new settings for your PID controller and simulate
the results.
b. Load the new P, I, and D settings into your controller.
9. Test and print the results by completing the following steps:
a. Click Simulate in the explorer tree, and then record a setpoint change on the
Simulate page to verify the control loop performance.
b. Click Report in the explorer tree, and then link test data before and after
tuning to the Reports page.
c. Print a Diagnostics and Tuning Report to a document file on your hard drive.
Notes:
• For more information about this process, see “Tutorial” on page 6.
• For more information about operating theory and scientific explanations of the
concepts and components discussed in TuneWizard, see “Process and Control
Theory” on page 115.
• Read books about the best practices used in the Process Industry: The High
Performance HMI Handbook and The Alarm Management Handbook. These books
are available through PAS Global, LLC.

Tutorial
The following tutorial walks you through a simulated tuning scenario to illustrate how to
use the product.
1. Start TuneWizard from the Windows Start menu. The application will be in the PAS
folder.
2. Select New on the TuneWizard File menu.

6 Chapter 1: Getting Started User Guide

 Tutorial

3. Select the Loop Details node on the TuneWizard explorer tree. That is the top item
on the left side panel.

4. Select Process Simulator on the Data Source options list to the right.
Note: Normally, you would select a different Data Source here (for example DDE)
to get data directly from your control system, but for this brief tutorial we
will get data from a process simulator. You would normally also select your
controller type from the Controller Type list. In this case, TuneWizard
automatically selects the controller type associated with the process
simulator.
5. Change the Description of Control Loop to Simulated Flow Loop.
6. Select the Channels node on the TuneWizard left panel explorer tree.

User Guide Chapter 1: Getting Started 7

Tutorial

7. Start the Process Simulator by selecting Start > All Programs > PAS > TuneWizard >
Process Simulator. We will get our sample data for this tutorial from the Process
Simulator.

Note: TuneWizard users can get their input data from actual controller outputs and try
out simulated settings to test process improvement following the
recommendations provided by TuneWizard. When you collect data from a real
control system there are additional items on the Channels page that you will have
to configure. For the tutorial, TuneWizard has done the necessary configuration to
interface with the process simulator.
8. In TuneWizard, click the Read PID, F button to read the current P, I, D, and F values
from the process simulator's controller. Verify that these numbers are the same as
in the process simulator.

8 Chapter 1: Getting Started User Guide

 Tutorial

9. Click File > Save, and save the newly created loop configuration file as
Tutorial.twz.

We are now ready to start collecting running data from our simulated process. As a
minimum, TuneWizard requires Process Variable (PV) and Controller Output (CO)
data from the control loop that you want to analyze and tune. For this Tutorial, we
will record the Setpoint (SP) as well. TuneWizard can record as many as eight
channels of data simultaneously.
10. Check the Scan & Record Data check box to start recording data from the data
source (the process simulator in this tutorial). Verify the PV, SP, and CO numbers
are the same as in the process simulator.
11. Select the Acquire Data node on the TuneWizard explorer tree. TuneWizard
displays a time trend of the data being recorded, and a message that it is
Recording to file 001.
12. Set the Trend Time Span to Show All. At this point we are ready to do process tests
that we can use later for analysis. We will make a setpoint change with the
controller in automatic for our first test.

User Guide Chapter 1: Getting Started 9

Tutorial

13. On the Process Simulator, click inside the SP box and change the value to 60.
14. In TuneWizard, monitor the Process Variable (PV) and Controller response (CO) and
wait for both the CO and PV to settle out into straight lines. Note how long it took
the PV to stabilize at the 60% level (about 1.5 minutes).
15. On the Process Simulator, change the Mode to Manual.
16. Click inside the CO box and change the controller output to 43%.
17. In the graphic display, monitor the process response and wait for PV to settle out
into a straight line.
18. Uncheck the Scan & Record Data check box.
19. Click File > Save to save the newly recorded data to a permanent file on your
computer.
This concludes the testing for the tutorial. Normally, you will do more tests and use
test procedures designed for specific analyses (e.g. hysteresis or stiction). Although
these procedures are simple to follow, we will not fully discuss them during this
tutorial. For more details about these topics, see “Diagnostic and Tuning Tests” on
page 69.
20. Select the View & Select Data node on the TuneWizard explorer tree. TuneWizard
displays your data in two graph windows: The top graph shows process variable
(blue line) and setpoint (green line); the bottom graph shows controller output.

10 Chapter 1: Getting Started User Guide

 Tutorial

21. Let's select data for tuning the PID controller. Click the mouse on the CO graph a
short distance to the left of the CO step change you made. TuneWizard will place a
red vertical data selection line on the PV and CO graphs right where you clicked on
the graph. Click the mouse again, but this time on the PV graph a short distance to
the right of where the PV settled out into a straight line. You can click and drag the
lines left and right to properly position them. See the screenshot above to get an
idea of where the lines should be.
22. Click the Zoom In toolbar button to zoom into the data you selected. The graphs
are zoomed to display only the data you have selected.
23. Click the Save Current View to new Data File toolbar button to save the zoomed
data to a new file. You should see a new file appear in the file list. The file index is
002.
24. While the new data file is displayed, click the Use Data for Tuning toolbar button to
use the data for modeling and tuning. You could also have dragged the file from
the list and dropped it onto the Tune node of the explorer tree. TuneWizard will
display its Tune page.

25. Note the newly calculated P, I and D settings in the Controller Settings After Tuning
panel. Type those into the appropriate boxes on the Process Simulator.
26. Click the Acquire Data node of the explorer tree and check the Scan & Record Data
check box.
27. In the Process Simulator, click inside the SP box and change the setpoint to 50.

User Guide Chapter 1: Getting Started 11

Tutorial

28. Change the Controller Mode to Auto.

29. Wait for the PV to settle at the 50% level.
30. Click inside the SP box and change the setpoint to 60. This is similar to the setpoint
change we made before tuning the controller. We are now collecting data to
compare the loop response before and after tuning.
31. Wait for the PV to settle at the 60% level. Note that the PV took only about 30
seconds to get to setpoint (in contrast to the 1.5 minutes before tuning).
32. After the PV has settled at 60%, uncheck the Scan & Record Data check box.
33. Click File > Save to save all data files and the TuneWizard configuration (PID
settings, data used for tuning, etc.) to your computer.

Congratulations!! You have successfully tuned your first Control Loop using TuneWizard.

12 Chapter 1: Getting Started User Guide

File Management 2
Apart from the files required for running the TuneWizard application, TuneWizard has
four working file types:
• application configuration
• loop configuration
• loop text
• data files

Application Configuration Files

There are two Application Configuration files residing in the TuneWizard program folder.
One file is named Loop Optimizer.cfg and the other named Loop Optimizer.ini.
These contain the application defaults like window position and a history list of projects
worked on. These defaults are updated when you exit (close) the TuneWizard application.

Loop Configuration Files

Loop Configuration Files may reside anywhere you choose. Each control loop you work on
must have its own Loop Configuration File. Loop Configuration file names have the
extension *.twz and they have a specific icon.
A loop configuration file contains all the details about the control loop that you enter into
TuneWizard. All the changes you make within TuneWizard are also saved in the loop
configuration file.
Loop Configuration files are registered file types, i.e. you can run TuneWizard by double-
clicking on any loop configuration (*.twz) file.

User Guide Chapter 2: File Management 13

Report Text Files

Report Text Files

Report Text Files store text associated with a control loop report. When you type your
own loop comments on the TuneWizard Reports page, these comments are stored in a
file with the same name as the Loop Configuration file, but with a *.txt extension.

Data Files
TuneWizard stores the process variable and controller output data together with every
sample's time stamp in data files. These files must reside in the same folder as the Loop
Configuration File. They have the same file name as the Loop Configuration File, but their
extensions are numbers starting at 001 and running through to 999.

14 Chapter 2: File Management User Guide

 Temporary Files and Folders

Temporary Files and Folders

To maintain the Windows look and feel, TuneWizard manages loop configuration and
data files in a very specific fashion. When you open a TuneWizard configuration file, this
file and all its associated data files are copied into a folder that is created inside the
TuneWizard program folder. These folders start with TempDir_ and a sequential number.
Any changes made to configuration and data files from within TuneWizard are saved to
the folder containing the mirrored files. The original configuration and data files remain
intact until you click Save on the TuneWizard File menu.
If you click Save As on the TuneWizard File menu, the temporary files are copied into the
selected location and given the selected file name.
When you close TuneWizard, the temporary files are deleted and the TempDir_ folder is
removed.

The File Menu

The TuneWizard File menu provides options for opening and saving files, as well as
closing TuneWizard. The options on this menu are defined as follow:
New
Selecting New from the File menu creates a new configuration file based on
application defaults. If you click Save on the File menu after creating a new
configuration, TuneWizard will automatically display the standard Windows Save
File As dialog box. Select the desired path, enter a new file name, and click Save.
New From Current Configuration
This menu option will keep the configuration information from the Loop Details
and Channels pages, but with no data files. It creates a new configuration file while
using most of the existing configuration as a template for the new one. For
example, TuneWizard uses the same control loop description, controller type and
method of data acquisition in the new configuration. This is useful if you work on
several loops that have similar configuration.
Open
Selecting Open from the File menu opens an existing configuration file on the hard
drive or network. TuneWizard displays the standard Windows File Open dialog box.
Select the desired file and click the Open button.
Save
This menu option saves the configuration and data files to the same path it was
read from.

User Guide Chapter 2: File Management 15

The File Menu

Save As
Selecting Save As allows saving the configuration and data files to a new, user
selectable path. TuneWizard will automatically display the standard Windows Save
File As window. Select the desired path, enter a new file name, and click the Save
button.
Save to CSV File
Selecting Save to CSV File allows you to output the file into a format useful in other
applications, such as Microsoft Excel. TuneWizard will display the standard
Windows Save File As window and also allow options to save the file as Tab
Separated (*.txt), Space Separated (*.txt), or Comma Separated (*.CSV) files. Select
the desired path, enter a new file name, and click the Save button.
Recently Opened Files
A list of Recently Opened TuneWizard files appears below the Save functions.
Exit
Selecting this menu item closes the TuneWizard application. If there are any
unsaved files, TuneWizard will prompt you to save the files.

16 Chapter 2: File Management User Guide

Loop Details 3
When you select Loop Details in the Explorer pane on the left, TuneWizard displays the
Loop Details page. This page allows you to describe the control loop and select the
controller type and data source.

Control Loop Description

On the Loop Details page, type a description of the control loop in the Description of
Control Loop text box. You could use the tag name of the control loop here, but a more
elaborate description is often valuable, for example: Heat exchanger temperature
(TIC-320).

The control loop description is used as the heading for all printed reports. For this reason,
the length of the control loop description is limited to 40 characters.

Selecting Your Controller Type

Industrial controllers are not all created equal. PLC, DCS or Single-Loop controller
manufacturers can select from an array of controller structures, PID units, PID multipliers,
and other features when designing their controllers. Some manufacturers even provide
more than one controller type or different PID units for the user to select from.
Due to the differences in behavior between the different controller types, and the
differences in tuning parameters required, it is necessary to configure TuneWizard for
your specific controller type. To make configuration easier for the user, TuneWizard has a
list with many pre-configured controller types.

User Guide Chapter 3: Loop Details 17

Selecting Your Controller Type

To select a controller from the TuneWizard list of controllers, click on the Loop Details
page and select your controller type from the Controller Type drop down list.
TuneWizard will then use the appropriate controller structure, PID units and PID
multipliers when calculating PID controller settings.

If your controller is not listed, PAS will add it to our database and issue you with a new
list, free of charge, if you provide us with the information from the controller
documentation necessary for the configuration. Alternatively, you can configure
TuneWizard for your controller by selecting one of the generic controller structures and
selecting the correct PID units and PID multipliers.
Notes:
• Some controllers have user-selectable PID units. If the PID Units drop lists on the
Channels page are not grayed out, you will have to select the proper PID units in
accordance to your controller configuration.
• You cannot select a different controller if your Data Source on the Loop Details
page is set to Process Simulator or to Siemens TI505 PLC.
• If your controller uses multipliers (or divisors) on the P, I & D settings, a button
labeled Important Notes will be visible on the Loop Details page. It is only some
integer-based PLCs that use these multipliers to increase the resolution on P, I, & D
settings. Click this button for instructions of what numbers to use as multipliers if
you enter the P, I, & D parameters directly into the PLC registers.

18 Chapter 3: Loop Details User Guide

 Selecting a Generic Controller Type

Selecting a Generic Controller Type

If your controller type is not listed, you can do your own controller configuration by
selecting one of the Generic controller structures and selecting the correct PID units and
PID multipliers. Three basic controller structures (or algorithms) are being used in
controllers today:
• Series / Interactive
• Ideal / Non-Interactive
• Parallel
For more information about the different types of controllers, see “Process and Control
Theory” on page 115.
You can determine your controllers structure from the OEM documentation provided
with the controller, or from a web search. To select a generic controller structure from the
TuneWizard list of controllers: click on the Loop Details page and select your controller
structure from the generic controllers in the Controller Type drop list.
Note: If you have selected a generic controller type you have to select PID and Filter units
and if necessary, enter PID and Filter multipliers on the Channels page in
accordance to your controller configuration.

The Important Notes Button

If the controller you have selected uses multipliers (or divisors) on the P, I, & D settings,
an Important Notes button will be visible on the Loop Details page. It is only some
integer-based PLCs that use these multipliers to increase the resolution on PID settings.
Click on this button for instructions on the numbers to use as multipliers if you manually
enter the PID parameters directly into the PLC's registers.

User Guide Chapter 3: Loop Details 19

Selecting the Data Source

The Important Notes Button is visible if the selected controller uses multipliers.

Selecting the Data Source

Depending on which TuneWizard options you purchased, some of the data source
options might be grayed out. Select the desired data source from the list of available
options. Your data source selection changes the selections on the Channels page,
because different methods of data acquisition have different options to configure.

Process Simulator
TuneWizard is provided with a real-time process simulator that can simulate various
process types and also process defects. This allows you to experiment and get
comfortable with the many features of TuneWizard before using the software on an
actual process. The short name for TuneWizard Process Simulator is ProcSim. For more
information about the available options, see “Process Simulator Options” on page 22.

Getting Data from the Process Simulator

To get data from the process simulator:

1. Start TuneWizard from the Windows Start menu.
2. Select New on the TuneWizard File menu.
3. Select the Loop Details node on the TuneWizard explorer tree.
4. Select Process Simulator on the Data Source options list.

20 Chapter 3: Loop Details User Guide

 Selecting the Data Source

5. Select the Channels node on the TuneWizard explorer tree.

6. Click Scan and Record to run the simulator. The TuneWizard Process Simulator will
display. Alternatively: from the Windows Start menu, click Start > Programs >
TuneWizard > Process Simulator. The name of the executable file is ProcSim.exe.

7. Click the Read PID, F button to read the current P, I, D, and F values from the
process simulator's controller. Verify that these numbers are the same as in the
Process Simulator.
8. Select the Acquire Data node on the TuneWizard explorer tree.
Note: TuneWizard is recording the scanned data to a temporary file on your hard
disk and displays a message above the Record check box that it is recording
to data file xxx.

User Guide Chapter 3: Loop Details 21

Selecting the Data Source

9. Click File > Save and save the newly created loop configuration file as
ProcSim.twz. You will see the application title change to reflect the new
configuration file name. TuneWizard will not save a data file if it is actively
receiving data (i.e. when Scan & Record Data is checked), but will display a
message informing the user of this.
You are now ready to do process tests that you can use later for analysis. For more
information about how to do the Hysteresis, Stiction, Linearity, and Tuning tests, and how
to do the analyses, see “Diagnostic and Tuning Tests” on page 69.

TuneWizard Interface with the Process Simulator

TuneWizard communicates directly with ProcSim using Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE). To
select ProcSim as the source of data, select Process Simulator on the Loop Details page.
By doing this, TuneWizard will automatically configure the Channels page to interface
with the Process Simulator. All the configuration fields (Server, Topic, Items) are hidden in
this case.

Process Simulator Options

Process Type to Simulate

ProcSim can simulate four distinct types of processes.

• A fast-acting flow process
• A slow acting temperature process
• An integrating level process
• A dead time dominated process
Be sure that you tune any specific process based on data recorded from that process only.
You should never tune one loop with data recorded from another. Selecting between
different process options will reset all the defaults for that specific process.

Simulating Process Deficiencies

ProcSim can simulate various process deficiencies. Simply check the options required for
simulation.
• Hysteresis in the control valve
• A Sticky control valve
• A nonlinear process characteristic

22 Chapter 3: Loop Details User Guide

 Selecting the Data Source

Simulating Noise and Disturbances

ProcSim can simulate various forms of noise and process disturbances. Simply check the
options required for simulation.
• Excessive noise on the process variable measurement
• A constant, sustained process disturbance or Load Change
• Continuous random process disturbances

The ProcSim Controller

ProcSim has a built-in controller with a Series, velocity-type configuration. You can select
between Auto and Manual controller modes, can change the setpoint and P, I, and D
controller settings and the PV Filter setting, and in Manual mode you can change the
controller output.
The ProcSim controller scan rate is 0.5 seconds.

DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange)

Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) is a Windows feature that lets two applications transfer
data between them.
One application acts as the data server and the other acts as the data client. When using
DDE to transfer data to TuneWizard from a Human-Machine-Interface (HMI) application
running on a Windows-based PC, the HMI application is the Server and TuneWizard is the
Client.
In many cases, the HMI application has a dedicated DDE driver that interfaces directly
with the control system for information required by the HMI application. Under these
conditions, both TuneWizard and the HMI application are DDE clients and the DDE driver
is the server.
For more information about configuration details, see “DDE and OPC Setup” on page 30.

OPC (OLE for Process Control)

OPC is a newer standard than DDE. It is a standard by which two applications transfer
data between them. One application acts as the data server and the other acts as the
data client. When using OPC to transfer data to TuneWizard from a Human-Machine-
Interface (HMI) application running on a Windows-based PC, the HMI application is the
Server and TuneWizard is the Client.
In many cases, the HMI application has a dedicated OPC server that interfaces with the
control system for information required by the requesting application.
For more information about configuration details, see “DDE and OPC Setup” on page 30.

User Guide Chapter 3: Loop Details 23

Selecting the Data Source

CSV File Import

TuneWizard can read data from text files arranged in columns. This is valuable to use data
from historians for analysis tuning. Having said this, you should be aware of the data scan
time requirements. For more information about time requirements, see “Sampling
Interval” on page 49. For more information about the importing process, see “Importing
CSV Files” on page 54.

A/D (Analog to Digital) Converter

Connecting to the Loop

The majority of control loops use a current signal of 4-20mA as the communication
standard between the transmitter, controller, and control valve. Therefore, PV and CO
data can be recorded by interfacing directly to the electrical 4-20mA current signals.
The TuneWizard Analog to Digital (A/D) converter is an effective way of connecting to
almost any control loop that uses 4-20 mA signals between the controller and field
instrumentation. The A/D converter allows you to record the PV and CO directly from
these 4-20 mA current signals. Before the PV and CO data is recorded from the analog
current signals, it has to be converted to a digital format that the computer can use. The
analog-to-digital (A/D) converter does this conversion.
The A/D converter is the white box shown in the following figure, between the laptop and
the controller. The figure shows the TuneWizard A/D converter connected to a laptop PC
and to a single-loop controller.

24 Chapter 3: Loop Details User Guide

 Selecting the Data Source

Notes on Filtering:

If you use the Analog to Digital converter to acquire PV data directly from a transmitter,
and the DCS, PLC, or Controller filters the PV signal internally, TuneWizard will not record
the PV signal exactly as the PID controller sees it. Because the controller receives a
filtered signal, you should filter the PV signal before tuning from the data. For more
information about filtering the PV signal, see “View and Select Data” on page 57. Use
exactly the same filter time constant as the DCS, PLC, or controller uses.
If filtering is done inside the transmitter, TuneWizard will already be recording the filtered
signal (similar to the one the PID controller sees), and the above method would not be
necessary.

Converting Current to Voltage

Because the input modules do not measure current directly, it means that a 4-20mA
current signal has to be converted to a voltage signal before it can be connected to the
A/D converter.
This conversion is very simple and can be done in various ways:
Series connection:
Connect a resistor in series with the current loop, passing the current through a
resistor. Use a 250 Ohm resistor; this will provide a voltage drop of 1V at 4mA and
5V at 20mA. Connect the TuneWizard A/D converter's test leads across the resistor
and configure the input module to measure a range of +/- 5V.
Current clamp:
Clamp a current-to-voltage converter (current clamp) around one conductor of the
4-20mA current loop. Most current clamps will generate a voltage signal
proportional to the current measured, i.e., 4mV at 4mA and 20mV at 20 mA.
Connect the voltage outputs of the current clamp to the TuneWizard A/D
converter and configure the input module to measure a range of +/- 150 mV.

User Guide Chapter 3: Loop Details 25

Selecting the Data Source

Input card shunt resistor:

For PV measurement only: Most 4-20 mA systems have a 250 ohm shunt resistor
on the input module / input card. Connect the TuneWizard A/D converter's test
leads across the resistor and configure the input module to measure a range of +/-
5V. The following figure illustrates using a current clamp for the CO and connecting
across the input shunt resistor for the PV

I/P internal resistance:

For CO measurement only: Most Controller Output signals drive an I/P (current to
pneumatic) transducer that converts the 4-20mA controller output to a 20-100 kPa
(3-15 psi) pneumatic signal used for valve actuation or valve positioning. The I/P
transducer has some internal resistance that will create a voltage drop
proportional to the current in the 4-20 mA current loop.
Connect the TuneWizard A/D converter's test leads in parallel with the I/P and
configure the input module to measure a range of +/- 5V. Use the Auto Range CO
feature to set the CO zero and full-scale voltage levels.
This method cannot be used on smart positioners or electronic-type I/P converters
because with these devices, current and voltage are not proportional, due to the
active electronic components they contain.

26 Chapter 3: Loop Details User Guide

 Selecting the Data Source

Siemens TI 505 PLC

TuneWizard can interface directly with the Siemens TI 545, 555, 565, and 575 PLCs. The
PC or Laptop running TuneWizard is connected via the series communications port to the
RS-232 port on the Siemens TI CPU.

Physical Connection
For the series communication, use a series PLC programming cable or a Null-Modem
cable. The cable must have a 9-pin female D-type connector at the PLC end and either a
25-pin or 9-pin female D-type connector at the computer end. The communications cable
must have the RCV and XMT signal wires crossed over. For more information about the
configuration details, see “Siemens TI Setup” on page 39.

Modbus
Due to its popularity, TuneWizard supports Modbus communications. It can
communicate via the RTU (Remote Terminal Unit) and ASCII protocols. It can read and
write binary (coil) data, integers and floating point numbers. For more information, see
“Modbus Setup” on page 41.

User Guide Chapter 3: Loop Details 27

Selecting the Data Source

28 Chapter 3: Loop Details User Guide

Channels 4
The Channels page is where you will configure TuneWizard with all the details about the
data it has to collect. Specifically, the path to the data source, the data address, and the
range of the variable.
At the minimum, TuneWizard requires data from the Process Variable (PV) and Controller
Output (CO) of the loop you want to analyze and tune. TuneWizard can also read the
control loop's Setpoint (SP) and provides five additional data channels that the user can
configure to read and display other data that might be of interest while working on a
particular control loop.

The Channels page provides input fields to enter data item names and parameters.

User Guide Chapter 4: Channels 29

DDE and OPC Setup

DDE and OPC Setup

Computer Name
The Computer Name text box is available if your Data Source from the Loop Details page
is set to OPC. You only need to enter information into this field if your OPC Server resides
on a different computer. Type the name of the computer hosting the OPC Server into the
Computer Name text box, starting with \\.
Example: \\CTLSRVR1
You can also use the OPC Browser button to navigate to the correct server, in which case
TuneWizard will automatically enter the host computer name into this text box.

Server

DDE

Type the application name of the DDE Server into the Server text box. The application
name is normally the same as the executable file's name, without the .exe part.

OPC

Type the OPC Server's name into the Server text box. You can also use the OPC Browser
button to navigate to the correct server, in which case TuneWizard will automatically
enter the OPC Server's name into this text box.

Topic / Path

DDE

Type the Topic of the DDE Conversation into the Topic/Path text box. Consult your DDE
server documentation for details on the DDE Topic.

OPC

Most OPC Servers do not use a Path definition, and when OPC is selected Topic/Path is
not available. If your OPC Server uses a data path, consult its documentation for details
on setting the path.

30 Chapter 4: Channels User Guide

 DDE and OPC Setup

Item

DDE

Type the Item name of the DDE Item into the appropriate Item text box. Consult your
DDE server documentation for details on the DDE Items.

OPC

If your OPC Server supports browsing it is recommended that you use the OPC Browser
button to select the desired OPC items. If not, consult your DDE server documentation for
details on configuring the OPC Items.
If your controller's CO, SP, Mode, P, I, D and F data are written to different items as the
items it is read from, select the Write Items Differ check box.

Advise

DDE

If the Advise check box is unchecked, TuneWizard will poll the DDE server for data. The
polling is done periodically, based on the Scan Time setting.
If the Advise check box is checked, TuneWizard requests that the DDE server notifies
(advises) TuneWizard when the data has changed. Upon notification, TuneWizard
requests the data from the server.
Note: Most DDE Servers support Polling and Advise modes of data transfer. However,
some DDE servers do not support Polling and some servers do not support Advise
loops. If you find that DDE communication is not possible, try toggling the Advise
mode.

OPC

Advise is not supported in OPC mode.

Testing
Once you have completed the necessary fields you can click the Scan and Record Data
check box to initiate the data transfer. TuneWizard will connect to the data server and
obtain the data via DDE or OPC. If the connection cannot be established, TuneWizard
produces an error window with the cause of the failure and will suggest possible
remedies.

User Guide Chapter 4: Channels 31

OPC Browser

OPC Browser
If you have selected OPC as your data source on the Loop Details page, the Channels page
will display an OPC Browser button.

Use this function to browse to the item that you want to read for the PV, SP, CO, Mode, P,
I, D, F or Ch1 to Ch5 values.

32 Chapter 4: Channels User Guide

 OPC Browser

Using the OPC Browser

To use the OPC Browser:

1. On the Channels page, click the OPC Browser button.
2. Use the Explorer-type browser to navigate to and select your OPC Server.
3. Navigate down the tree structure on the left until your desired OPC Item is
displayed in the list on the right.
4. Select your desired OPC Item by clicking it in the right window or by clicking the
Read OPC item button. TuneWizard will try to read its value.
5. Make sure that a value is displayed correctly in the Value field.
6. Verify the returned data type in the Type field and if necessary change the Variable
type selection to match the returned data type.
7. If the write items differ from the read items (as per the setting on the Channels
page), click Read OPC Item or Write OPC Item, depending on if the item is for
reading or writing.
8. Click the desired selection by clicking the Use current item as buttons to specify
PV, SP, CO, Mode, P, I, D, F, Ch1, Ch2, Ch3, Ch4, or Ch5.
9. Repeat steps 3 through 9 until all the desired items for reading (and writing if
necessary) have been selected.
Note: The minimum items required are PV and CO.

Honeywell TDC Setup

DDE
If you have a GUS workstation there should be a software module installed named
TPSDDE.exe residing on the GUS. Run TPSDDE.EXE
TPSDDE is your DDE server, which will display on the Windows Task Bar, but it has no user
interface. It does not need one - all the calls to it are made via the Windows OS using
DDE.

To use TuneWizard for data acquisition through the GUS station via DDE:
1. Install TuneWizard on the GUS station.
2. On the Loop Details page: select DDE, and select the Controller Type you will be
tuning.

User Guide Chapter 4: Channels 33

OPC Browser

3. On the Channels page, turn off the Advise check box.

4. Ensure that Rescale Signals, Use PID Multipliers, and Write Items Differ are not
checked.
5. Set the Sampling Interval to 1 second (or use 5 to 10 seconds if it is a slow loop you
are monitoring).
6. Enter the following:

Server: TPSDDEServer
Topic: PDP
CO Item: tagname.OP
PV Item: tagname.PV
SP Item: tagname.SP
Mode Item: tagname.MODE
AUTO: AUTO
CASCADE: CAS
MANUAL: MAN
P: tagname.K
I: tagname.T1
D: tagname.T2
F: transmitter input point.TF

Notes:
• Change tagname to your desired loop tag name, e.g. FIC100.
• Only the first five fields above (Server thru SP Item) are required, you may leave
the rest blank.
• The GUS does not support writing back to the TDC.

34 Chapter 4: Channels User Guide

 OPC Browser

The following image illustrates the DDE values.

OPC
If you have an Application Node, you can connect to the TDC-3000 via OPC, provided that
your Application Node was licensed with an OPC server. The OPC Server called TPN Server
is listed in the Microsoft Windows Registry as Hci.TPNServer.

To use TuneWizard for data acquisition through the Application Node via OPC:
1. Install TuneWizard on the APP Node.
2. On the Loop Details page, select OPC, and select the Controller Type you will be
tuning.
3. Ensure that Use Scaling, Use PID Multipliers and Write Items Differ are not
checked.
4. Set the Sampling Interval to 1 second (or use 5 to 10 seconds if it is a slow loop you
are monitoring)

User Guide Chapter 4: Channels 35

OPC Browser

5. Enter the following:

Server: Hci.TPNServer
Topic:
CO Item: tagname.OP
PV Item: tagname.PV
SP Item: tagname.SP
Mode Item: tagname.MODE
AUTO: AUTO
CASCADE: CAS
MANUAL: MAN
P: tagname.K
I: tagname.T1
D: tagname.T2
F: transmitter input point.TF

Notes:
• Change tagname to your desired loop tag name, e.g. FIC100.
• Only the first five fields above (Server thru SP Item) are required, you may leave
the rest blank.

NovaTech D/3®

OPC
TuneWizard can be connected directly to a NovaTech D/3 DCS via OPC. Install TuneWizard
on any Windows computer. It does not need to be a DCM, but will need connectivity to
the D/3 OPC server. On the Loop Details page, select OPC, and select the desired
Controller Type.

To use TuneWizard for data acquisition via OPC:

1. On the Channels page, type the OPC Server's name into the Server text box. Use
the OPC Browser button to navigate to the correct server. TuneWizard
automatically enters the OPC Server's name into this text box.
2. On the Channels page, ensure that Use Scaling, Use PID Multipliers and Write Items
Differ are not checked.
3. Set the Sampling Interval to 1 second (or use 5 to 10 seconds for a slow loop) See
Figure 2

36 Chapter 4: Channels User Guide

 OPC Browser

4. Enter the following:

Computer Name: D/3 CDCM Name

OPC Server Name: GSE.DataAccess.1/URL
CO Item: EPN.PCMname.EPN.Block#_PID.CD_OTVL
PV Item: EPN.PCMname.EPN. Block#_PID.PID_MEVL
SP Item: EPN.PCMname.EPN.Block#_PID.PID_SPVL
Mode Item: EPN.PCMname.EPN.Block#_PID.Bit_AM
AUTO: 1
MANUAL: 0
CASCADE: The Mode field Cascade is not supported for the NovaTech D/3.
Tune Wizard does not read the Cascade Open/Closed state. Just
leave as CAS in Cascade field on the Channel page.
P: EPN.PCMname.EPN.Block#_PID.PID_GNVL
I: EPN.PCMname.EPN.Block#_PID.PID_REVL
D: EPN.PCMname.EPN.Block#_PID.PID_RAVL
F: The F: field is not used with the NovaTech D/3.

The following figure illustrates the TuneWizard NovaTech Loop Details Page:

5. On the Channels page, type the OPC Server's name into the Server text box. Use
the OPC Browser button to navigate to the correct server. TuneWizard
automatically enters the OPC Server's name into this text box.
6. Ensure that Use Scaling, Use PID Multipliers, and Write Items Differ are not
checked.
7. Set the Sampling Interval to 1 second (or use 5 to 10 seconds for a slow loop)

User Guide Chapter 4: Channels 37

OPC Browser

8. Enter the following:

Computer Name: D/3 CDCM Name
OPC Server Name: GSE.DataAccess.1/URL
CO Item: EPN.PCMname.EPN.Block#_PID.CB_OTVL
PV Item: EPN.PCMname.EPN. Block#_PID.PID_MEVL
SP Item: EPN.PCMname.EPN.Block#_PID.PID_SPVL
Mode Item: EPN.PCMname.EPN.Block#_PID.Bit_AM
AUTO: 1
MANUAL: 0
CASCADE: The Mode field Cascade is not supported for the NovaTech D/3.
Tune Wizard does not read the Cascade Open/Closed state. Just
leave as CAS in Cascade field on the Channel page.
P: EPN.PCMname.EPN.Block#_PID.PID_GNVL
I: EPN.PCMname.EPN.Block#_PID.PID_REVL
D: EPN.PCMname.EPN.Block#_PID.PID_RAVL
F: The F: field is not used with the NovaTech D/3.

Notes:
• Change PCMname to the name of the PCM in the configuration table and EPN to
the actual EPN. For example: EPN.PCM16A.FT101.1_PID.PID_MEVL for the PV.
• Only the fields thru SP Item are required. Leave the rest blank.
The following figure illustrates the TuneWizard NovaTech Channels Page:

38 Chapter 4: Channels User Guide

 OPC Browser

PRF Controller
On the Loop Details screen, all the NovaTech D/3 Controller Mode selections are for the
PID controller type. NovaTech D/3 controller type with feedback (PRF). PRF controllers
will be treated like they are PID controllers. Feedback address in the NovaTech D/3 PRF
controller will not be considered by Tune Wizard for tuning.

Siemens TI Setup
On TuneWizard Loop Details page, select the Siemens TI505 through serial port option.
On the Channels page, select the appropriate Communications port, and then enter the
Loop Number (1 - 64) of the controller you want to analyze and tune.
Check the Scan and Record Data box. TuneWizard will attempt to connect to the desired
control loop. If successful, TuneWizard will read the Zero and Full Scale engineering units
(PVL and PVH) and the loop scan time from the PLC.
The first time that you connect to the loop, TuneWizard will also read the PID settings
residing in the PLC. You can force TuneWizard to read the PID settings at any time by
clicking the Read PID,F button.

Automatic Baud Rate Selection

To simplify the setup, TuneWizard scans different baud rates to interface with the PLC.
Possible baud rates are: 300, 1200, 2400, 9600, and 19200 bps.
Note: Some computers do not support baud rates of 19200 bps or higher. TuneWizard
does not support the baud rates higher than 19200 bps.

User Guide Chapter 4: Channels 39

OPC Browser

A/D Converter Setup

On the Loop Details page, select the PAS Analog to Digital Converter as the Data Source.
Then click the Channels page.

A/D Converter Range

Select the desired voltage range based on the method you used to connect to the 4-20mA
control and measurement signals or based on the type of thermocouple to which the A/D
converter is connected.

Signal Range
For the CO and PV, enter the voltage level that corresponds to 4 mA in the Signal Zero
field and enter the voltage level that corresponds to 20 mA in the Signal F.S. (full scale)
field. Typically, if the 4-20 mA signal is passed through a 250 Ohm shunt, the values of 1
and 5 (volt) are used for Signal Zero and Signal F.S., respectively.

Engineering Range
The Engineering Range consists of the Eng Zero and Full Scale values of the PV. For a
transmitter producing a 4-20 mA signal, it will be the values of the PV at 4 mA and at 20
mA, respectively. This is also called the transmitter's range.

Auto Range CO
This feature should only be used if the CO channel of the A/D converter is connected in
parallel with an I/P converter. For more information, see “Acquire Data” on page 51.
You can use the TuneWizard Auto-Range feature to set the 0% and 100% voltage levels of
the CO measurement connected in parallel with the I/P. This cannot be done on an I/P
converter containing anything other than a coil in the circuit. Typically, smart positioners
have active electronic components and the voltage drop across the I/P is not proportional
to the 4-20 mA current.

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Click on the Auto-Range CO button. Place the controller in manual and enter the
controller output in percent into the dialog box. Select the travel direction of the control
valve and then click the OK button. TuneWizard auto-ranges the 0% and 100% voltage
levels for the CO. These levels are typically around 0.75V and 3.75V respectively.

Modbus Setup
On the TuneWizard Loop Details page, select the Modbus protocol through serial port
option. Enter the address of the unit or PLC in the Modbus Slave Address text box.
On the Channels page, select the appropriate Communications port, Baud rate, number
of Data Bits, Parity, number of Stop bits, method of Flow control, and the Modbus
Mode to be used. These settings must match those of the Modbus Slave device you are
connecting to. For more information, see the operating manual of the Modbus device
you want to connect to.
Enter the register addresses of all the variables you wish to read. At the very least, you
must have valid addresses in the PV and CO fields. Clear all the fields that you do not
want to read.

Reading Integer Numbers

Depending on the data source, integer data may be used for the PV, SP, CO and Ch1 - Ch5.
Integer data is not practical for reading P, I, D and F values (unless multipliers are used)
and is normally not possible for the Mode.
To use integer data, select Use Scaling. Enter the integer values for the signal's zero and
full scale respectively in the Signal Zero and Signal F.S. fields for PV and CO, and if
required also for the SP and other channels. Enter the appropriate addresses in the fields
for PV and CO, and if required also for the SP and Ch1 - Ch5.
Integer addresses must be in the 4XXXX range. The PV may in some cases be read directly
from its analog input address, in this case the integer address must be in the 2XXXX
range.

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OPC Browser

Reading Floating-Point Numbers

If your controller supports floating point numbers on its PID loops, the recommended
way to collect data is to use floating-point formatted data for PV, SP, CO, Ch1 - Ch5, P, I, D
and F. When reading floating point numbers, it is normally nor necessary to use scaling on
the PV, CO and SP. If so, deselect Use Scaling. Enter the appropriate addresses in the fields
for PV and CO, and if required also for the SP, Ch1 - Ch5, P, I, D and F.
Floating point addresses must be in the 4XXXX range and must have F after the address
without any space to indicate to TuneWizard that the register should be read and treated
as a floating-point number. Use FR to indicate a floating-point number of which the high-
order and low-order words are reversed.

Reading Binary Numbers

To read the controller's mode as a binary number, enter the address in the Mode Register
field. Binary numbers must be in the 0XXXX range. Enter 0 and 1 in the Auto and Manual
fields as appropriate.

Use Scaling
If the numbers that TuneWizard reads for your CO, PV and SP have a different range from
the Range Lo and Range Hi, you need to use Scaling factors. For example, the actual signal
may be scaled 0 - 4095. This is the case with some integer-based PLCs. You also have to
use scaling if you use an analog to digital converter as data source.

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To use scaling, check the Rescale Signals box and enter the appropriate Signal Zero and
Signal Full-Scale values. When TuneWizard scans data, the raw values are indicated in the
Raw Values boxes while the final values are indicated in the Eng. Values boxes.

Use PID Multipliers

If you have selected a Generic controller type and your controller uses PID multipliers,
you need to configure TuneWizard with the same PID multipliers as your controller uses.
It is only some integer-based PLCs that use these multipliers to increase the resolution on
its PID settings.

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OPC Browser

You should be able to find the PID multipliers from the OEM documentation. To enter the
desired multipliers for your controller, click on the Channels tab, check the Use PID
Multipliers box and enter the multipliers in the PID Multipliers edit boxes.

Notes:
• The PID values used by TuneWizard are equal to the controller settings multiplied
by the PID multipliers.
• If you manually enter the PID settings into the controller, you have to divide the
desired PID valued by the respective PID multipliers.

Write Items Differ

This configuration option is only available when using DDE and OPC interfaces as the Data
Source. It is specifically to accommodate controllers where CO, SP, Mode, P, I, D, and F
data is written to different locations as the locations it is read from.
Note: It is not necessary to configure Write Items unless you plan to write data (e.g.
setpoint or PID values) back to the controller.
If this is the case, check the Write Items Differ box. Then, you can toggle between
entering the item names for reading and the item names for writing. The write item text
boxes have red backgrounds.
Note: Writing back to the control system can be turned off as a license option. Please ask
PAS Rapid Support for this option if required.

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The following figure illustrates how item text boxes for writing have red backgrounds:

Com Port
The Com Port list is available when an A/D converter, the Siemens TI PLC, or Modbus is
selected as the Data Source. Simply click the button to select the communications port
that the TuneWizard PC is connected to.

Loop Number
The Loop Number text box is available when the Siemens TI PLC is selected as the Data
Source. Enter the number of the PID loop that you want to work on.

Range Lo, Hi, and Units

Each data input has a configurable range, consisting of the low and high limits of its span.
These can be set with the Range Lo and Range Hi settings for each input.
For a transmitter producing a 4 to 20 mA signal, it will be the values of the process
represented by 4 mA and 20 mA, respectively. This is also called the transmitter's range.
Note: The range of Controller Outputs (CO) will normally be 0 to 100 percent, but on
some control systems these can be different for cascade control loops.
The Eng Units text boxes provide space for entering engineering units for each input.

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OPC Browser

Engineering Values
The Eng Values fields display the PV and CO (and SP if configured) values when
TuneWizard scans the data. You must ensure that these numbers correspond to the
values indicated by the controller or HMI.
If TuneWizard is scanning the inputs (the Scan & Record Data box is checked) you can
change the controller's SP (in auto or manual) and CO (in manual only) by clicking in the
appropriate Eng Value field and typing the desired value into the Change Setting window
that displays.

Square Root of PV
This setting is important mostly if you are using an A/D converter to measure the PV as 4-
20 mA signal, or if you import a CSV file containing PV data of a 4-20 mA signal.
Flow measurement based upon a pressure differential produces a signal that is
proportional to the flow rate squared. The square root of the signal must be extracted
before the controller uses it.

Transmitter Extracts Square Root

If the square root extraction is done in the transmitter, the 4-20mA signal is already
proportional to the flow rate and no further adjustment needs to be made by
TuneWizard. For this case, un-check the Use square root of PV signal option.

Controller Extracts Square Root

However, if the square root extraction is done in the controller, then the 4-20mA signal is
proportional to the flow rate squared, so TuneWizard must take the square root itself. To
do this, check the Use square root of PV signal option.

Controller Mode
The controller mode panel is visible when the data source is DDE, OPC, or Siemens TI PLC.
For DDE and OPC, you need to enter the Mode Item name. TuneWizard displays the value
returned by the controller in the Current Value field. You have to define what the return
value is for Auto and Manual (and Cascade if necessary). TuneWizard compares the mode
returned by the controller to what you have defined auto and manual to be. Then, it
displays the actual mode in the Controller Mode field.

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If TuneWizard is scanning the inputs (the Scan & Record Data box is checked) you can
change the controller's mode (to manual, auto or cascade) by clicking in the Controller
Mode field and typing the desired value into the Change Mode window that displays.

Selecting PID Units

If you have selected a Generic controller type or if your controller has user selectable PID
units, you have to configure TuneWizard with the same P, I, D, and Filter units as your
controller uses.
Different controller configurations use different units for the P, I, D, and F parameters. You
should be able to find the controller units used from the OEM documentation. To select
the desired units for your controller, click on the Channels tab and select the units from
the four PID Units drop lists.
The available Proportional units are:
• Gain
• Proportional Band
The available Integral units are:
• Minutes per Repeat
• Repeats per Minute
• Seconds per Repeat
• Repeats per Second

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OPC Browser

The available Derivative units are:

• Minutes
• Seconds
The available units for a PV Filter are:
• Minutes
• Seconds
The following figure illustrates selecting PID Units for a generic controller:

Controller Settings
The text boxes under the Ctl Settings heading must be configured with the PID settings in
the controller before tuning. With DDE and OPC these values can be read directly from
the controller by clicking on the Read PID, F button. The first time data is scanned from a
newly configured loop, TuneWizard will read the P, I, D, and F settings from the control
system.
If you are not reading the initial PID values via DDE or OPC, you must obtain the PID
settings from the controller in some other fashion and type them into the Ctl Settings
text boxes.

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It is important to read the PID and F values accurately from the controller before tuning:
• TuneWizard uses these settings to simulate the behavior of the control loop before
and after tuning.
• In some cases, TuneWizard uses the F value during the calculation of PID settings.
• TuneWizard stores the settings for analysis, printing reports, or future reference.

Read PID, F
The Read PID, F button is visible if your data source selection is DDE, OPC, Modbus or
Siemens TI PLC. To use the Read PID, F button for OPC and DDE you must have the Items
for P, I, and D configured. It is important to read the PID and F values from the controller
before tuning:
• TuneWizard uses these settings to simulate the behavior of the control loop before
and after tuning.
• In some cases TuneWizard uses the F value during the calculation of PID settings.
• TuneWizard stores the settings for analysis, printing reports, or future reference.
If you are not reading the initial PID and F values via DDE or OPC, you must get these
settings from the controller in some other fashion and type them into the appropriate
text boxes on the Channels page.
The first time data is scanned from a newly configured loop, TuneWizard will read the P, I,
D, and F settings from the control system. You can force TuneWizard to read these
settings at any time by clicking the Read PID, F button.

Sampling Interval
Enter the period between two consecutive controller scans into the Sampling Interval
edit box. On some controllers this setting is fixed and may be found in the controller's
documentation, but on most controllers the scan time is adjustable and the setting must
be obtained directly from the controller.
If the process is very slow to respond (e.g. some level and temperature loops) or if the
controller scan time is significantly faster than the process response time, you may scan
data at a slower rate than the controller scans.

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OPC Browser

Typical Scan Times

The following table illustrates typical scan times.

Loops Typical Scan Times

Very Fast Responding Flow Loops 0.5 sec
Flow Loops - General 1 sec
Level Loops 1 - 5 sec
Slow Level Loops 10 - 20 sec
Temperature Loops 2 - 10 sec
Slow Temperature Loops 15 - 30 sec
Liquid Pressure Loops 0.5 - 1 sec
Gas Pressure Loops 2 - 10 sec

Never scan at a rate faster than the controller does except if you have a specific reason to
do so. The TuneWizard minimum scan time setting is 0.1 seconds, except when importing
CSV files. Then, you may import data scanned at any rate.
Note: Due to the non-deterministic nature of the Windows operating system, there is no
guarantee that the control loop will actually be scanned at the rate you enter.
However, provided that your processor is fast enough, in most cases scan rates of 1
per second or faster can be achieved successfully.

Scan
Once your configuration on the Channels page is complete, check the Scan & Record
Data check box to have TuneWizard scan all the inputs (Channels). Scanning can also be
turned on and off from the Acquire Data page.

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Acquire Data 5
Unless you are importing CSV files, the Acquire Data page can be used to monitor test
progress in real time. If you are connected via DDE, OPC, Modbus, or direct PLC link, you
can change the controller Mode, CO, and SP.

Scan, Record, and Copy to Disk

Scan
To start or stop the scanning of PV, CO, and SP, click the Scan & Record Data box.
Scanning can also be turned on and off from the Channels page.

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Trend Display Options

Verify PV and CO Values

It is very important to check that TuneWizard records PV and CO values similar to those
displayed by the HMI or the controller. When TuneWizard is scanning data, the trends are
displayed in the trend screen and the bar graphs are updated with the new levels of CO,
PV and SP.

Record
If TuneWizard is not recording data, a Not recording warning label is displayed on the
Acquire Data page. To record the data currently being scanned, check the Scan & Record
Data box.
When TuneWizard is recording data, the Scan & Record Data option is grayed out and the
index (number) of the file being recorded to is displayed in the top left of the page.
To stop recording data, uncheck the Scan & Record Data box. When recording is stopped,
the View & Select Data page is opened with the recorded file selected.

Copy to Disk
If you want to start working with data that has been recorded, but you don't want to
interrupt the recording process, click the Copy to disk now button. TuneWizard will write
all the data recorded up to that point into a new file that can be accessed while recording
to the original file continues. When the Copy to disk now button is selected, the View &
Select Data page is opened with the recorded file selected.

Trend Display Options

Display Ranges
You can set the display range of the PV / SP, CO and Ch1 - Ch5 to a convenient range. The
PV and SP uses the same display range settings.
If you are unsure of what range to use, set the PV minimum to the engineering value
representing 0% or 4mA in the transmitter and set the PV maximum to the engineering
value representing 100% or 20mA in the transmitter. Set the CO minimum to 0 and the
CO maximum to 100.
The display ranges may be changed at any time - even while scanning and recording. The
minimum display range setting cannot be greater or equal to the maximum display range
setting.

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Trend Time Span

Select a convenient time span from the Trend time span list. If you are unsure of what
time span to use, select Show all. The time span may be changed at any time - even while
scanning or recording. Possible values for the trend time span are:
• Show All
• 1 minute
• 2 minutes
• 5 minutes
• 10 minutes
• 20 minutes
• 30 minutes
• 1 hour
• 2 hours
• 4 hours

Changing SP, CO, and Mode

If you use DDE, OPC or a direct PLC link as Data Source, then you can change the CO and
SP values and the mode of the controller. Click on the box displaying the variable that you
want to change. TuneWizard displays a Change Setting or Change Mode dialog box. Make
the change inside the box, and click the OK button.

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Importing CSV Files

Importing CSV Files

To import process data from CSV (comma separated value) files:
1. Select the CSV / Text File Import on the Loop Details page. Also select the
appropriate Controller Type and enter a description for the control loop.

2. In the Channels page, enter the appropriate Range Lo and Range Hi values for the
CO and PV. TuneWizard assumes that the SP and PV has the same range.

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3. Enter the P, I, D settings currently in Ctl Settings.

4. On the Acquire Data page, click the Browse and Open File button.

5. Navigate to the location of your CSV file, select it, and click Open.

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Importing CSV Files

6. Ensure that TuneWizard has located the correct columns for Time, CO, PV, SP and
the first row with valid data. If your timestamps are not in the mm/dd/yyyy
hh:mm:ss am/pm format, the data will not import unless you select the Specify
sampling interval option and enter the data sampling interval in seconds.

7. Once this has all been set correctly, click the Create Data File button. TuneWizard
will create a new data file from the CSV data and display it on the View & Select
Data page.

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The View & Select Data page is the file manager and data editor of TuneWizard. From
here data can be selected, filtered, unfiltered, derivative taken, saved to new files, and
linked to diagnostic tests or tuning calculations. Click on the View & Select Data node on
the explorer tree to switch to the view and edit page at any time.

The Data Graphs

The data plot contains two or more graphs. The top graph always displays the PV data
and if the SP is present, that too. The second graph always displays the CO data. If more
data channels were recorded, additional graphs are assigned to these channels.
When the mouse cursor is moved over the plot areas the time and engineering values are
displayed in the status bar below the explorer tree.

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The File List

The File List

TuneWizard displays a list of data files associated with the current configuration (*.twz)
file. The index corresponds to the extension of the data file. The name of the data file is
the same as that of the configuration file. Click on any file in the list to have it displayed in
the data plots area.
The file list also displays useful information about the data in the file. Specifically it
shows:
• Index: The file index number - same as the file's extension
• Comment: User editable comment pertaining associated with the data in the file
• Channels: Number of channels recorded (PV and CO each count as one channel -
so the minimum number of channels is 2)
• Points: Number of data points or samples recorded in the file
• Start Time: Date and Time recording was started
• End Time: Date and Time recording was stopped
• Duration: Time difference spanned by the data in the file (End Time - Start Time)
• Interval (sec.): This is the average period of data sampling. If the sample period is
longer than the Scan Time setting on the Channels page, the computer could not
keep up with the Scan Time. For more information, see “Sampling Interval” on
page 49.
• Tf [min]: This is the PV filter value. (If it is an old file this column will display the
Filter setting on the Channels page and a ?.)

Zoom & Edit Buttons

The View & Select Data page has a series of View, Zoom & Edit controls and buttons
running across the top of the page.

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 Link Buttons

These buttons are provided to:

• Zoom In on selected data
• Zoom Out by roughly 30%
• Zoom Out to original data
• Change the number of graphs visible in the view area
• Save data being displayed to a new file
• Save data being displayed to a CSV file
• Filter the displayed data
• Unfilter the displayed data
• Take the derivative of the displayed data

Link Buttons
The View & Select Data page has a series of link buttons running along the top right side
of the page. These buttons are used to link the selected data segment to:
• Hysteresis analysis
• Stiction analysis
• Linearity analysis
• Statistical and Variability analysis
• Tuning
• Reports
For more information about these areas, see “Diagnostic and Tuning Tests” on page 69
and “Simulation and Reporting” on page 107.

Graph Display Options

Changing the Time Units
You can change the time units of all plotted graphs by clicking the Options menu, then
selecting Time Units, then selecting Minutes or Seconds. TuneWizard will redraw the
graphs where necessary and use the selected time unit.

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Zoom

Changing the Y-Axis Units

Use the Options menu and select Data & Simulation Plots. The Y-axis of all graphs can be
displayed in percentage of full scale or in Engineering Units.

Hiding the Setpoint

Displaying the setpoint is handy to observe the closed loop reaction, but it might be
unnecessary when viewing data taken with the controller in manual. To hide the setpoint,
right-click on the top graph's data area and deselect Setpoint.

Changing the Number of Graphs Visible

Change the number of graph windows displayed on the View & Select Data page by
changing the number in the spinner box on the View & Select Data toolbar.

Zoom
To zoom into data, do the following:
1. Click your mouse inside any graph window's data area where you want the zoom
to start from. TuneWizard draws a vertical red line through the point you selected
on all plots.
Note: The red lines drawn at this step become the starting and ending data points
for the analysis that follows.

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2. Click your mouse inside any graph window's data area where you want the zoom
to end. TuneWizard draws a second vertical red line through the second point you
selected and enables the Zoom In button.

3. You can change the zoom area by re-selecting the start and end lines or by
dragging the lines with your mouse. Once you are satisfied with the placement of
the zoom perimeter lines, click the Zoom In button. TuneWizard zooms into the
area of data marked by the red vertical lines.
Notes:
• You can clear the selection lines at any time by clicking the Escape key.
• To zoom out by about 30%, click the Zoom Out button.
• You can zoom out to show all data by clicking the Unzoom button.

Filter, Unfilter and Derivative

The following figure illustrates the Filter, Unfilter, and Derivative buttons:

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Filter, Unfilter and Derivative

Background on Process Variable Filtering

Filtering is used to smooth out a noisy process variable signal. A filter receives the process
variable signal, reduces the high-frequency noise on it, and passes it on to the control
algorithm.

Essentially, a first-order filter is a first-order lag. If the filter receives a step on its input,
the response the output will reach 63.2% of its final value one filter time (Tf) later.
Because a filter takes some time to react, its output responds much less to high
frequency signals than to low frequency signals. In other words, the high frequencies (like
noise) are filtered out, while the low frequencies (like process variable changes) are
passed through.

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Filtering
The optimum filter setting is one that smooths out signal noise, but has little effect on the
measured process characteristics. If a filter time constant is too large, it may obscure
process problems from the operator and the controller. If it is too short, it might not
reduce the PV noise levels.
Be sure to use a filter time constant that is short in comparison to the process dead time
and process time constant. Generally, you should try to use a filter no larger than 1/5th of
the shortest between dead time and time constant. Also, setting the time constant of a
first order filter equal to the period of the noise is a good starting point.
Another problem with excessive filtering is that the controller output response to
setpoint changes will cause excessive overshoot in the actual process. Due to the high
degree of filtering, this overshoot is not seen by the controller or the operator. The
controller is effectively swinging the process up and down to control the output of the
large filter.
If possible, remove the origin of the signal noise. For example:
• For noise in flow transmitters due to turbulence - use longer straight runs of pipe
• For noise in temperature measurement due to induced voltage in thermocouples -
Shield the thermocouple leads.

Filters and Tuning with TuneWizard

Changing the PV filter's time constant changes the characteristics of the process as seen
by the controller. Therefore, if you change the filter time constant, the controller will
have to be retuned based on the new dynamic response of the process.
The way in which TuneWizard tunes and calculates a filter while tuning is as follows:
1. TuneWizard unfilters the data you select for tuning. It uses the filter time from the
Filter field on the Channels page.
2. TuneWizard calculates the dynamic process characteristics based on the unfiltered
data.
3. TuneWizard calculates a new suitable time constant for the process variable filter,
based on the process characteristics, tuning objective and noise level on the PV.
You can override TuneWizard's recommended filter by entering your own filter
time constant on the Tune page.
4. Then TuneWizard calculates tuning settings based on the unfiltered process
response and the new filter time constant.

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5. It is possible to totally ignore the use of a PV filter by selecting the Use original
data and ignore any filter option on the Tune page
Notes:
• Do not use filtered process data for tuning.
• Do not use unfiltered process data for tuning.
• Be very sure that you enter the correct PV filter value in the Filter field of the
Channels page.
• Always the P, I, D, and importantly, also the F-value, from the Controller Settings
After Tuning box on Tune page use as a group.

Filtering Data
In the event that TuneWizard was unable to obtain an original PV filter value, you can set
it from the View & Select Data page.
Note: TuneWizard allows you to test various filters on your process variable data. If your
PV data is already filtered, you should unfilter the data first before applying a new
filter.

To set the original filter value on the PV data:

1. Right-click on the section of data you wish to set the value for and choose the PV
filter Data button to open the Set PV Filter dialog box.

2. Type the new PV filter setting in the space provided, and then click OK.

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To try a filter on the PV data:

1. Select the section of data you wish to apply the filter to (if required), and click the
Filter button. TuneWizard will copy the selected data to a new file and open the PV
Signal Filter dialog box.

2. Enter the filter time constant you want to apply to the data using the time units
indicated in the PV Signal Filter dialog box.
3. Select the filter type to match that of your DCS or PLC. Most filters are 1st Order
Lag filters.
4. If your first PV data point is not on the average, it is best to force it to the average
by entering the number of points over which to take the average.
5. Click Preview to see the effects of the PV filter, and Reset to restore the original
data.
6. Once you are satisfied with your choice of filter time constant, click OK to save the
filtered data.
Do not use filtered data for tuning unless you understand the implications thereof and
the A/D converter note below. To force TuneWizard to calculate tuning settings based on
a specific filter time constant, you should check and enter your desired filter time
constant in the Unfilter data & use this filter text box on the Tune page.
Note: If you use an Analog to Digital converter to acquire PV data directly from the
transmitter, and the DCS, PLC, or Controller filters the PV signal internally,
TuneWizard will record the unfiltered PV signal while the PID controller sees a
filtered signal. In this case, you should filter the PV signal before tuning from the
data. Use exactly the same filter time constant as the DCS, PLC, or controller uses.

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Filter, Unfilter and Derivative

If filtering is done inside the transmitter, TuneWizard will already be recording the filtered
signal (similar to the one the PID controller sees), and the above method is not necessary.
Notes:
• When applying filtering after data was recorded: always use the filtered data to
tune from, and ensure to set the filter time of the DCS, PLC, Controller, or
transmitter to the same value before adjusting the PID constants.
• Readjusting the time constant of a process variable filter after tuning will require a
retune of the controller.
• Always use as little filtering as possible. Filtering slows down control loop response
and might hide process problems or deviations. Use only enough filtering to take
out high-frequency noise.

Unfiltering Data
If data was already filtered prior to recording it, you can remove the effects of the filter
(unfilter the data) to see what the original data looked like.

To unfilter the PV data:

1. Select the section of data you want to unfilter (if required), and click the Unfilter
button. TuneWizard will copy the selected data to a new file and open the Unfilter
PV Signal dialog box.

2. Enter the filter time constant that was active in the controller when recording the
data. Use the time units indicated in the Unfilter PV Signal dialog box.
3. Select the filter type to match that of your DCS or PLC. Most filters are 1st Order
Lag filters.
4. Normally, you would want to have the Rescale PV plot's Y-axis option checked
because unfiltering increases the amplitude of noise on the PV signal.

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5. Click Preview to see the effects of unfiltering the PV, and Reset to restore the
original data.
6. Click OK to save the filtered data.
Note: Do not use unfiltered data for tuning unless you understand the implications
thereof.

Taking the Derivative of Data

Taking the derivative of a signal means to calculate the rate of change of the signal
between every two data points.
TuneWizard provides the ability to take the derivative of the PV signal to be able to do
valve diagnostic tests on an integrating process. Without this feature, you will not be able
to use TuneWizard to do hysteresis, stiction, and linearity analyses on valves controlling
tank levels.
To do valve diagnostics on an integrating process, you should use the same test
procedure as with a self-regulating process. Then you take the derivative of the data and
the use it for diagnostic analyses.

To take the derivative of PV data:

1. Select the section of data you wish to convert (if required), and click the Unfilter
button. TuneWizard will copy the selected data to a new file and open the Unfilter
PV Signal dialog box.
2. Check the Take Derivative of PV check box.
3. Taking the derivative of a noisy signal will significantly increase the noise. To
prevent excessive noise you can enter an optional filter time constant. Use the
time units indicated in the Derivative of PV Signal dialog box.
4. If your first PV data point is not on the average, it is best to force it to the average
by entering the number of points over which to take the average.
5. Click Preview to see the effects of the derivative and the filter, and Reset to restore
the original data.
6. Once you are satisfied with your choice of filter time constant, click OK to save the
new data.
Note: Never use derivative data for tuning.

User Guide Chapter 6: View and Select Data 67

Save Data & Export to Text Files

Save Data & Export to Text Files

You can save the displayed data to a new file at any time by clicking the Save Data button.
If the data is zoomed, the zoomed section of data visible across the graphs is saved.
TuneWizard creates a new file with the data and displays its index and other details in the
file list on the View & Select Data page.
You only have to select an area in the display you want saved (by clicking the mouse at
the start and end) and click the Save button (you don't have to zoom first). Behind the
scenes, TuneWizard will zoom the data and save it to the new file. When a new data file is
created by the save function, TuneWizard also enters a default description - stating the
name of the file used to create the new file.
You can also export your data to a text file. In this way, you can import data into MS Excel
or other applications. To export data, simply select the area of data you want to export (if
necessary) and click the Export to text file button.

Link Data to Other Pages

TuneWizard provides an easy method of linking data to any of the Diagnostics, Tuning or
Reports pages. Once data is selected or zoomed, click on the desired link button below
the file list to link the data to one of the following analysis pages:
• Hysteresis
• Stiction
• Linearity
• Variability (Power Spectrum and Statistical Analysis)
• Tune
• Reports
For more information about these analysis pages, see “Diagnostic and Tuning Tests” on
page 69 and “Simulation and Reporting” on page 107. The following figure illustrates the
buttons for linking data to other pages:

The data does not have to be zoomed or saved. Just select the area on the plot that you
want to link and click the desired link button. TuneWizard zooms the data, saves it to a
new file, and links this new file to the target page. You can also drag a data file from the
View & Select Data files list and drop it directly on the analysis node on the TuneWizard
explorer tree on the left side of the main window.

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Diagnostic and Tuning Tests 7
Once you are recording actual (verified) PV and CO data, you can do the sequence of tests
that will be used to diagnose process problems and tune the controller. A typical test
sequence consists of the following tests:
1. Setpoint change to see how the controller responds before tuning
2. Hysteresis test. For more information, see “How to Do a Hysteresis Test” on
page 71.
3. Stiction test. For more information, see “How to Do a Stiction Test” on page 75.
4. Linearity test. For more information, see “How to Do a Linearity Test” on page 79.
5. At least three tuning tests that can be used for tuning data. For more information,
see “How to Do a Tuning Test” on page 85.
6. After Tuning, do another setpoint change to verify the new controller performance
The following figure illustrates a typical series of tests done for diagnostics and tuning:

User Guide Chapter 7: Diagnostic and Tuning Tests 69

Hysteresis Diagnostics

Hysteresis Diagnostics
A valve with hysteresis acts as if there is some backlash or dead-band between the
control signal and the valve position. Every time the controller output changes direction,
all the hysteresis has to be taken up before the valve physically starts to move. Although
hysteresis may be caused by play in mechanical linkages, it can also be caused by
excessive friction in the valve, an undersized actuator, or a defective positioner. Another
problem with this condition is that controller output settings when raising the specified
setting will be different than when decreasing, even when the same point is met, due to
the slop in the controls.
On a process with hysteresis, the controller output signal to the control element (valve,
damper, etc.) has to change by an amount equal to the hysteresis before the control
element will move. Once the control element has begun to move in one direction it will
continue to move if the controller output keeps moving in the same direction. When the
controller output reverses direction, the control element will not move until the
controller output signal has changed in the new direction by an amount equal to the
hysteresis.
In other words, hysteresis is defined as the travel required by the controller output, after
a change of direction, to obtain a change in the process variable.
If trial and error methods of tuning are applied, very often a control loop with hysteresis
on the valve will have its controller's gain setting way too high. The person tuning the
controller makes small setpoint changes up and down while adjusting controller settings
in a trial and error fashion based on the process response. With hysteresis the loop is very
non-responsive and the tuner unknowingly increases the controller gain too high because
of this. The problem surfaces with larger setpoint changes when the controller passes
through to the other side of the hysteresis then the process is pushed far too much due to
the high controller gain. The control loop then has two problems: the original hysteresis
and a controller tuned too tightly.
Excessive hysteresis can be reduced in the following ways:
• Overhaul or replace actuator linkages
• Replace valve stem seal
• Use a larger actuator
• Fit a positioner
• Overhaul an existing positioner

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 Hysteresis Diagnostics

How to Do a Hysteresis Test

A hysteresis test consists of two steps in controller output in the same direction and one
step in the reverse direction.

For more detail:

1. Place the controller in manual and wait for steady state in the process variable.
2. Ensure that recording is turned on.
3. Record at least 20 seconds of steady state operation.
4. Make a change in the Controller Output of at least 1% (preferably 5%).
5. Ensure that the Process Variable was affected by the change, if not, repeat the
previous step. This step is to ensure that the controller output has moved far
enough to take up any hysteresis and move the Process.
6. Allow time for the process to settle and then record a period of steady state at
least as long as the duration of the transient.
7. Make another controller output changes of at least 1% (preferably 5%) in the same
direction. This step is used to calculate the process gain.
8. Allow time for the process to settle and then record a period of steady state at
least as long as the duration of the transient.
9. Make a controller output change in the reverse direction. This change must be at
least 1% in magnitude (preferably at least 5%), but in any event, it must be large
enough to take up all the hysteresis in the valve and move the Process Variable. If
the Process Variable does not change as a result of the controller output step,
make another step in the same direction.
10. Allow time for the process to settle and then record a period of steady state at
least as long as the duration of the transient.

User Guide Chapter 7: Diagnostic and Tuning Tests 71

Hysteresis Diagnostics

The following figure illustrates typical hysteresis test data:

Note: If due to hysteresis, you had to make a number of small steps in Controller Output
to move the Process Variable, TuneWizard should in most cases still be able to
identify the hysteresis. If not, you can edit the Controller Output data to compile
the small steps into one large step. This one large step must be at the position of
the step to which the Process Variable reacted.

Hysteresis Diagnostics Page

Once you have done the hysteresis test, use the View + Select Data page to zoom into the
hysteresis data (if necessary) and link the data to the hysteresis diagnostics page as
described in the View + Select section.

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 Hysteresis Diagnostics

TuneWizard will automatically calculate the hysteresis in the process. If the calculation
cannot be done due to invalid hysteresis data, TuneWizard will display a message to this
effect with the reason for the failure. In most cases the hysteresis test fails due to an
incorrect test procedure.

Basic Diagnostics
From the linked test data TuneWizard calculates the following:
• Hysteresis: the percentage of slackness between the controller and the process.
• Process Gain: the amount of change in PV for a unit change in CO.
• Noise: the percentage of undesired variation on the PV.

Impact on Control
TuneWizard also calculates the following:
• Hysteresis multiplied by Process Gain: essentially, this is the combined effect of
gain and hysteresis on variability.
• Noise Divided by Process Gain: this is the estimated effect of noise on controller
output for a PI controller on a process with dead time equal to the time constant.

User Guide Chapter 7: Diagnostic and Tuning Tests 73

Stiction Diagnostics

Color Coding
To make it easier for the user to identify problems, TuneWizard uses a color coding
arrangement where each of three colors is interpreted differently:
• Red = Unacceptable or Very High (it may also be very low in the case of process
gain)
• Yellow = Questionable or High (it may also be low in the case of process gain)
• Green = Acceptable
The following table summarizes hysteresis alarm trigger levels.

Acceptable Unacceptable
Hysteresis (Hyst) Hyst < 2% Hyst > 3%
Process Gain (Gp) 0.5 < Gain < 2 Gp < 0.33 or Gp > 3
Noise Noise < 2% Noise > 3%
Hyst * Gain H * G < 2% H * G > 3%
Noise / Gain N / G < 2% N / G > 3%

Stiction Diagnostics
One very common problem found in control loops is stiction. This is short for Static
Friction, and means that the valve is sticky. In other words: more force is required to
induce valve movement than to sustain movement. Stiction might be caused by an over
tight valve stem seal, by sticky valve internals, by an undersized actuator, or a sticky
positioner.
With a sticky valve, the air pressure on the valve actuator diaphragm has to change
enough to overcome the stiction between the valve stem, ball or plug, and the seal,
before the valve stem will move. When the stiction is overcome the valve stem breaks
away (slips). After breaking away, the valve moves to its new position where it stops.
Having stopped, additional pressure is once again necessary to overcome the stiction. If
the pressure on the actuator diaphragm is increased further the slip-and-stick process is
repeated. This is referred to as a stick-slip cycle.

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 Stiction Diagnostics

The following figure illustrates a typical stick-slip cycle:

In this example, the process variable starts off below its setpoint, so the controller
increases its output. But, due to stiction, the valve doesn't actually move and the
controller output keeps increasing. During this time, excessive pressure builds on the
actuator diaphragm. Eventually, the valve slips, but it overshoots its desired position due
to the excessive pressure on the diaphragm. Then the process variable ends up above the
setpoint and the whole cycle reverses.
Controllers on loops displaying a stick-slip cycle will often be detuned erroneously in an
effort to stop the cycling. The detuning only creates a second problem in the control loop
- poor response. The original stiction remains present.
Before controller tuning is attempted, the control loop must be analyzed for stiction.
Excessive stiction can be reduced in the following ways:
• Overhaul or replace actuator linkages
• Replace valve stem seal
• Use a larger actuator
• Fit a positioner
• Overhaul an existing positioner

How to Do a Stiction Test

A stiction test consists of making small changes in the controller output, all in the same
direction, until the process variable has responded at least twice.

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Stiction Diagnostics

For more detail:

1. Place the controller in manual and wait for steady state.
2. Ensure that recording is turned on.
3. Make a step change in controller output, large enough to overcome any hysteresis.
This is not necessary when doing the stiction check directly after the hysteresis test
and in the same direction as the last step of the hysteresis test.
4. Make a small (about 0.5%) change in the controller output.
5. Monitor the process variable to detect actual valve movement. If no sustained
movement is evident on the process variable, repeat the previous step.
6. Wait for the process to stabilize. Record a period of steady state at least as long as
the transient was.
7. Repeat the previous three steps until at least two process movements have been
recorded. If it is difficult to see if the PV moved or not, then do ten steps.
The following figure illustrates a typical stiction test:

Note: If the controller output data is noisy due to your measurement setup (e.g., using a
current clamp), TuneWizard might detect false controller output changes. Then,
you should take the average of the controller output between changes.

Stiction Diagnostics Page

Once you have done the stiction test, use the View + Select Data page to zoom into the
stiction data (if necessary) and link the data to the stiction diagnostics page as described
in the View + Select Data section.

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 Stiction Diagnostics

TuneWizard will automatically calculate the stiction in the process. If the calculation
cannot be done due to invalid stiction data, TuneWizard will display a message to this
effect with the reason for the failure.

Basic Diagnostics
From the linked test data, TuneWizard calculates the following:
• Stiction: the percentage of stiction between the controller and the process.
• Process Gain: the amount of change in PV for a unit change in CO.
The TuneWizard estimation of the process gain from the stiction test data is normally less
accurate than that from the hysteresis test data. This is because a hysteresis test normally
consists of bigger step sizes leading to more accurate valve movement.

Impact on Control
TuneWizard also calculates the following:
• Stiction multiplied by Process Gain: essentially, this is the combined effect of gain
and stiction on variability.

User Guide Chapter 7: Diagnostic and Tuning Tests 77

Linearity Diagnostics

Color Coding
To make it easier for the user to identify problems, TuneWizard uses a color coding
arrangement where each of three colors is interpreted differently:
• Red = Unacceptable or Very High (it may also be very low in the case of process
gain)
• Yellow = Questionable or High (it may also be low in the case of process gain)
• Green = Acceptable
The following table summarizes stiction alarm trigger levels.

Acceptable Unacceptable
Stiction Stiction < 1% Stiction > 2%
Process Gain 0.5 < Gain < 2 Gp < 0.33 or Gp > 3
Stiction * Gain S * G < 1% S * G > 2%

Linearity Diagnostics
A nonlinear process has different process gains under different operating conditions. This
makes tuning very difficult if not impossible. Nonlinearity includes (but is not limited to) a
variation in process gain depending on valve position and process conditions. In most
cases it is due to a valve characteristic that has not been matched with process
characteristic, but sometimes the process is inherently nonlinear, e.g. pH control.

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 Linearity Diagnostics

With a nonlinear control loop, one can have optimal controller response only at one
operating point. The loop could be quite unstable or sluggish under all other conditions.
Often times, a nonlinear control loop will continuously be detuned and retuned,
depending on process conditions. If proper testing is done and the degree of nonlinearity
is established, corrective actions can be done. Otherwise a lot of time can be spent on
tuning a nonlinear control loop and the results remain unfavorable.

Without any linearization, the controller will need to be tuned for the condition when the
process gain is the highest. This results in sluggish response everywhere else.
Excessive nonlinearity can be reduced in the following ways:
• Replace valve trim with one having the correct characteristic
• Replace valve with one having the correct characteristic
• Use the correct cam profile on the positioner.
• Use a characterizer on the controller output
• Use a characterizer in the positioner (digital positioners only)
• Use gain scheduling (especially for an inherently nonlinear process)

How to Do a Linearity Test

A linearity test consists of making a few changes in the controller output, all in the same
direction, to drive the process variable from its minimum to maximum.

For more detail:

1. Establish the highest and lowest allowable values for the process variable.
2. Ensure that recording is turned on.

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Linearity Diagnostics

3. Place the controller in manual and wait for steady state.

4. Reduce the controller output until the lowest allowable position on the process
variable has been reached.
5. Increase the controller output just enough to overcome the hysteresis. Wait for
steady state.
6. Record a period of steady state at least as long as the duration of the transient.
7. Increase the controller output to bring the process variable to 1/4 of the way to its
highest allowable position. Wait for steady state.
8. Record a period of steady state at least as long as the duration of the transient.
9. Repeat the last two steps, but move the process variable to 1/2, then 3/4, then all
the way to its maximum limit. The last three steps could also be done in divisions
of 1/3, 2/3, 3/3 or any other suitable divisions.
The following figure illustrates a typical linearity test:

Linearity Diagnostics Page

Once you have done the linearity test, use the View + Select Data page to zoom into the
linearity test data (if necessary) and link the data to the linearity diagnostics page as
described in the View + Select Data section.

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 Linearity Diagnostics

TuneWizard will automatically calculate the nonlinearity of the process. If the calculation
cannot be done due to invalid test data, TuneWizard will display a message to this effect
with the reason for the failure.

Basic Diagnostics
From the linked test data TuneWizard calculates the following:
• Nonlinearity: maximum process gain to minimum process gain.

Color Coding
To make it easier for the user to identify problems, TuneWizard uses a color coding
scheme where each of three colors is interpreted differently:
• Red = Unacceptable or Very High (it may also be very low in the case of process
gain)
• Yellow = Questionable or High (it may also be low in the case of process gain)
• Green = Acceptable
The following table summarizes nonlinearity alarm trigger levels.

Acceptable Unacceptable
Nonlinearity Nonlinearity < 1.5 Nonlinearity > 2.5

User Guide Chapter 7: Diagnostic and Tuning Tests 81

Variability Analysis

Variability Analysis
TuneWizard provides statistical and power spectrum analyses to obtain more insight into
the noise content of the PV signal.

Data to Use
No specific tests are done for variability analysis. Normal steady state running data is
used for these analyses.
To link data to the Variability page, select the data on the View & Select Data page and
click the Variability Analysis button on the View & Select Data toolbar. Many data files
can be linked to the Variability page.
The actual PV and CO data is displayed in two time-based graphs. The statistical analyses
are displayed in a table and the power spectrum analysis is displayed in a Magnitude /
Period graph.

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 Variability Analysis

Statistical Analyses
The following statistical analyses are available on the Process Variable signal:
• Number of points in the data file
• Minimum value of the PV in the data file
• Maximum value of the PV in the data file
• Range (Maximum PV - Minimum PV)
• Mean or average value of the PV
• Standard Deviation (Std Dev) of the PV. This is a very good indication of the spread
of the data. The less the spread of the data is, the lower the standard deviation.
• Minimum Standard Deviation achievable through Minimum Variance Control
(MinVar SD). This is a theoretical number based on the spread of the data and the
process dead time. It indicates what the standard deviation could be if Minimum
Variance control is applied. This is the theoretical lowest standard deviation
possible for the control loop.
• Harris Index. This number is the Actual Standard Deviation divided by the
Minimum Variance Standard Deviation. The Harris Index represents the degree of
improvement possible in the control loop from a variability point of view. A Harris
Index of 1 means that the variability is already at a minimum. A Harris Index of 4
means that the variability can be reduced substantially.
Note: The Minimum Variance Standard Deviation calculation and the Harris Index
calculation both require a valid dead time. TuneWizard can get the dead time from
the Tune page, provided that there is at least one valid tuning data file linked to it.
Alternatively, you can enter your best estimate for dead time in the Dead Time
field.

Power Spectrum Analysis

The Power Spectrum Analysis graphically indicates the frequency content of the PV
signal. It does this by performing a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) on the PV signal and
plotting the magnitude of each frequency analyzed. Note that the x-axis does not display
frequency like textbook-style power plots, but it plots power over period. This is more
applicable to the process control environment where we would rather think in terms of
seconds and minutes instead of hertz.
The example above shows that the PV signal as a very dominant cycle with a period of
two-minutes. Although in this example it is easy to see the cycle on the actual PV signal
too, this is not always the case. A cycle might be completely hidden by the random noise
content of the PV signal.

User Guide Chapter 7: Diagnostic and Tuning Tests 83

The Basic Tuning Philosophy

If you move the mouse over the Power Spectrum graph, TuneWizard displays the
Magnitude and Period on its status bar.

You can zoom into any area of the power plot by clicking the window-zoom button and
then by clicking and dragging the mouse. The Unzoom button will zoom back to the
original plot.

The Basic Tuning Philosophy

Statistics have shown that the majority of control loops are not properly tuned.
Controllers have three adjustable parameters that determine the Proportional, Integral,
and Derivative control actions.
PID settings that work very well in a slow temperature control loop might have disastrous
effects in a fast flow control loop. This is because the flow and temperature processes
respond very differently to a given change in controller output.

Trial and Error Tuning

Many control loops are tuned using trial and error methods. This can be very time
consuming, and could result in totally incorrect controller settings. As mentioned above,
in many cases controllers are tuned incorrectly because of control valve deficiencies.
Most flow control loops tuned using trial and error techniques are cyclic and have a slow
recovery rate. Loops that are properly tuned are not cyclic and settle out much quicker.

Correct Tuning Methods

To properly tune a controller, the parameters of a PID controller must be matched with
the dynamic characteristics of a process.
Before tuning a controller, the characteristics of the process to be controlled must be
determined. The process characteristics referred to here is a description of how the
process reacts to a change in controller output. The process characteristics are used to
calculate PID controller settings.
The correct way to tune a controller is to do a step test on the process and measure
Process Gain, Dead Time, and Time Constant. Then use a proven tuning rule to calculate
controller settings. Where possible, use simulations to evaluate the control loops
response before using the new tuning settings in the live control loop.

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 How to Do a Tuning Test

How TuneWizard Tunes

TuneWizard automates many aspects of the loop tuning process described above. You
still need to do a test to obtain tuning data, but from there, TuneWizard takes over.
Firstly TuneWizard analyzes the test data and extracts the dominant process
characteristics from it. Then it calculates PID controller settings that will work well with
that specific process. It does various checks to ensure stability and control loop
robustness. It also simulates the expected control loop response with the new and old
PID settings.

How TuneWizard Deals with a PV Filter

A PV filter affects tuning. If the PV filter is adjusted, the tuning parameters have to be
recalculated.

The way in which TuneWizard tunes and calculates a filter while tuning is as
follows:
1. TuneWizard calculates a process model (gain, dead time, time constant) based on
the dynamic process response in the tuning data.
2. TuneWizard cancels the effect of the PV filter on the process dynamic response -
we call this the unfiltered process model. It uses the filter time from the Filter field
on the Channels page.
3. TuneWizard calculates a new suitable time constant for the process variable filter,
based on the process characteristics, tuning objective and noise level on the PV.
You can override the TuneWizard recommended filter by entering your own filter
time constant on the Tune page.
4. Next, TuneWizard calculates tuning settings based on the unfiltered process model
and the new filter time constant.
5. It is possible to totally ignore the use of a PV filter by selecting the Ignore PV filter
option on the Tune page

How to Do a Tuning Test

TuneWizard extracts process characteristics and tunes from test data. The tuning test can
be done with the controller in manual or in automatic. However, it is not desirable to do
the tuning test with the controller in automatic because stiction, hysteresis, and
nonlinearity might cause a severe loss of accuracy.

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How to Do a Tuning Test

Tune for the Worst Case

To ensure control loop stability and robustness, tuning data should be obtained at the
worst-case conditions. Then TuneWizard will calculate PID settings that will work well at
the worst case, and in this way stability is assured under all conditions. To cater for the
worst case, test data should be recorded under conditions where:
• The process gain is the highest
• The dead time is the longest
• The time constant is the shortest

Tuning Test with the Controller in Manual - Self-Regulating Processes

To obtain tuning data with the controller in manual:

1. Stabilize the process and place the controller in manual.
2. Ensure that recording is turned on, using the Scan & Record Data function present
in the Channels and View & Select Data pages. For more information, see “Scan”
on page 50.
3. Make a small step in the Controller Output to take up any hysteresis. You can skip
this step if you are tuning the primary controller in a cascade control arrangement.
4. Ensure steady state on the Process Variable.
5. Record about 20 seconds of steady state before changing the Controller Output.
6. Change the Controller Output by a few percent. This change in controller output
should be large enough to have the Process Variable move more than five times
the amplitude of noise / disturbances on the Process Variable signal. A Controller
Output change of 5% - 10% is normally sufficient.
7. Wait for the Process Variable to steady out at some new value.
8. If necessary, return the Controller Output to its original value.
9. Repeat these steps to obtain at least three sets of tuning data. This is necessary to
obtain a good average on the process dynamics and to be able to cast out bad test
data and still have test data left to tune from.

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 How to Do a Tuning Test

The following figure illustrates a typical step test to obtain tuning data on a self-regulating
process:

Tuning Test with the Controller in Manual - Integrating Processes

To obtain tuning data with the controller in manual:

1. Stabilize the process and place the controller in manual.
2. Ensure that the recording is turned on, using the Scan & Record Data function
present in the Channels and View & Select Data pages. For more information, see
“Scan” on page 50.
3. Record about one minute of steady state before changing the Controller Output.
4. Ensure steady state on the Process Variable.
5. Change the Controller Output by a few percent. A Controller Output change of 5% -
10% is normally sufficient. On very slow integrating processes, you quite often
need to make a bigger step to get any significant change rate in the process.
6. Wait for the Process Variable to reach the maximum rate of change on an
integrating process.
7. Record twice as much data at this constant maximum ramp rate as you have in the
transition between the CO change and the maximum ramp rate. For example if it
took two minutes for the process variable to accelerate to the constant ramp rate,
then record at least four more minutes of data at this ramp rate.

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How to Do a Tuning Test

8. Return the Controller Output to its original value and if necessary, to below its
original value to bring the level back down.
9. Repeat these steps to obtain at least three sets of tuning data. This is necessary to
obtain a good average on the process dynamics and to be able to cast out bad test
data and still have test data left from which to tune.
The following figure illustrates a typical step test to obtain tuning data on an integrating
process:

Tuning Test with the Controller in Automatic

TuneWizard can also extract process characteristics from tests done with the controller in
automatic.
Note: This technique should be applied with caution because hysteresis, stiction, and
process nonlinearity can render the tuning procedure very inaccurate. The control
loop must also be stable with the controller in automatic.
1. Stabilize the process with the controller in automatic.
2. Ensure that the recording is turned on, using the Scan & Record Data function
present in the Channels and View & Select Data pages. For more information, see
“Scan” on page 50.
3. Ensure steady state on the Process Variable.
4. Record about 20 seconds of steady state before changing the setpoint.
5. Change the controller setpoint by a few percent. This change in setpoint should be
large enough to have the Process Variable move more than five times the
amplitude of noise / disturbances on the Process Variable signal. A setpoint change
of 5% - 10% is normally sufficient.

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 Selecting Data from which to Tune

6. Wait for the Process Variable to steady out at the new setpoint.
7. If necessary, return the controller output to its original value.
8. Repeat these steps to obtain at least three sets of tuning data. This is necessary to
obtain a good average on the process dynamics and to be able to cast out bad test
data and still have test data left to tune from.
The following figure illustrates a typical setpoint change with the controller in automatic
to obtain tuning data. This test was performed on an integrating process.

Selecting Data from which to Tune

After three or more tuning tests have been recorded, the process of tuning can be done.
During the tuning process, the actual tune tests are selected from the recorded data by
using the View & Select Data page, and linked to TuneWizard's Tune Page. On the Tune
Page the analysis of test data is done and simulations of the control loop's performance is
given.

Selecting and Linking Tuning Data

Use the View & Select Data page to select an area of tuning data that you want
TuneWizard to tune from. Click the Link to Tuning Page button to link the tuning data to
the Tuning Page.

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Selecting Data from which to Tune

What to Tune From

Selecting good tuning data is the most important contribution to obtaining an accurate
set of controller settings. Be sure to select tuning data representing the "worst case", i.e.
highest process gain, longest dead time, and shortest time constant.
TuneWizard requires at least three scans of steady state data before the tuning test.
However, it is recommended that roughly the first fifth or first quarter of the selected test
data be steady state data. For a self-regulating process, the transient data should fill the
remainder of the selected test data with very little (if any) steady state data afterward.
For an integrating process, the second half of the data should consist only of fully
developed integrating action (a straight ramp).

Selecting Tuning Data on a Self-Regulating Process

1. Ensure that both the CO and PV were at steady state at the start of the selection.
2. About the first 20% - 25% of the selected data should be at steady state.
3. The remaining 75% - 80% of the selected data should contain the dynamic
movement of the Process Variable, with very little, if any, steady state at the end.
The following figure illustrates typical test data for tuning of a self-regulating process (0 -
24.16 sec):

Selecting Tuning Data on an Integrating Process

1. Ensure that both the CO and PV were at steady state at the start of the selection.
2. About the first 20% - 25% of the selected data should be at steady state.

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 Selecting Data from which to Tune

3. After the Controller Output change, there will be a transitional period. During this
period the Process Variable is developing into a ramp.
4. At least 50% of the data selection should have the period after the transition
where the PV is ramping at a constant rate.
The following figure illustrates typical test data for tuning of an integrating process (0 -
54.93 sec):

What Not to Tune From

• NEVER tune on data from a stiction test.
• NEVER tune on data from the first step in a hysteresis test - unless the process
displays negligible hysteresis.
• NEVER tune on process disturbance data. The CO always have to drive the PV, not
react to a PV change.
• NEVER tune on data where the Process Variable and/or Controller Output was not
at steady state prior to the tuning test.
• NEVER tune on data from an unstable / runaway process (for example temperature
control of an exothermic reaction)
Note: You can select data from the second step in a hysteresis test as tuning data.
TUNE FROM THE FASTEST DYNAMICS: The tuning data should be selected to include the
initial steady state, and then to concentrate on the area where the process dynamics are
the fastest. For a self-regulating loop, this will be early in the Process Variable response
curve. For an integrating process, this will be later in the response curve.

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Selecting Data from which to Tune

Difficult Processes
Two types of difficult process dynamics have been tuned on very successfully:
• Self-Regulating process with an initial fast response followed by a long, slow
response.
The main idea here is to select the initial fast dynamics and ignore the long slow
dynamics. If you include the slow dynamics too, TuneWizard might calculate tuning
settings that are too aggressive. The following figure illustrates a process with fast
and slow dynamics. The red selection lines show the data period that should be
used for tuning.

• Cyclic process.
This process type has a fast cyclic response combined with a slow lag response. The
fast dynamics up to the first peak should be selected for tuning. The following
figure illustrates a process with cyclic dynamics. The red selection lines show the
data period that should be used for tuning.

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 The Tuning Page

The Tuning Page

Once tuning data has been selected and linked to the tuning page, TuneWizard analyzes
the data, extracts the process characteristics, and calculates PID controller settings. The
process characteristics and PID settings are displayed on the Tuning Page.

User Guide Chapter 7: Diagnostic and Tuning Tests 93

The Tuning Page

Many sets of tuning data can be linked to the tuning page to obtain a good average model
of the process. It is strongly recommended to use at least three sets of tuning data
captured from different tuning tests so that TuneWizard can calculate averages and for
you to verify the process characteristics.

The Process Model and Tune Table

TuneWizard calculates the process characteristics for each set of tuning data. It displays
the process gain (Gp), dead time (td), and time constant (tau) for each set of tuning data.
If the process is an integrating process, TuneWizard displays the word "Integ" in the tau.
Above the table, the time unit of choice (minutes or seconds) is displayed. Gp, td, and tau
are the parameters that will be used in a "model" of the process.
For each set of tuning data, TuneWizard calculates P and I controller settings and a D
setting if the Use Derivative if Possible option is checked and if the criteria for using
derivative are met. TuneWizard will also calculate a filter setting unless the Use original
data and ignore any filter option is selected.
The last row on the Process Model and Tune table gives the averages of the Gp, td, tau, P,
I, D, and F values.

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 The Tuning Page

Accuracy of the Process Model

The graph on the upper-right shows TuneWizard's Actual Process and the Modeled
Response data. The calculate Gp, td, and tau are used as parameters in a process model.
The actual controller output signal recorded during the test is fed to this model of the
process. The output of the process model (which is a simulated process variable) is
superimposed as a red curve on the actual recorded process variable shown in blue.
You can judge the accuracy of the model by looking at the correlation between the actual
process variable and the modeled process variable. Modeling accuracy is negatively
affected by noise, process disturbances, hysteresis, stiction, and nonlinearity.
The Model Accuracy is also shown on the Tune Table in the Accuracy column. An accuracy
of 1 is very good and a lower number reflects a poorer fit. By default, TuneWizard does
not tune from data if the accuracy is less than 0.5. You can override this safety precaution
by checking the Allow tuning on bad models option in the Tuning menu. If you allow
tuning on bad models it is of the utmost importance to have a valid model of the process
for tuning. The cliché of garbage in - garbage out certainly applies to control loop tuning
too.
Note: The model should always fit the actual process data very closely in the area where
the process dynamics are the fastest. For a self-regulating loop, this will be early in
the first half of the process response curve. For an integrating process, this will be
in the last half of the response curve.
For more information, see “Examples of Good Models” on page 98 and “Examples of Bad
Models” on page 100.

Tuning Options
From the Tuning menu, you can select various tuning strategies as the basis for
calculating PID parameters:
• Tune for fast recovery after a disturbance (Disturbance Rejection)
• Tune for fast response to a setpoint change (Setpoint Tracking)
• Tune using the Internal Model Control (IMC) or Lambda tuning rules
• Tune a level control loop for Surge Tank applications
• You can also select an option to have TuneWizard override its internal safety
checks. This override is recommended only for very experienced control loop
tuners.

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The Tuning Page

The following figure illustrates the Tuning menu:

Use Derivative If Possible Option

The D setting will only be calculated if Use Derivative if Possible is checked and if it is
beneficial for the control loop to use derivative. It is not recommended to use derivative
on processes that have more than 1% noise on the process variable after filtering.
In most cases you should not filter a signal to reduce the noise just so that you can use
derivative control. The benefits of derivative control are mostly negated by the PV filter.

Tuning Slider
The Tune page has a slider for adjusting the Disturbance Rejection performance /
Setpoint Tracking performance / Closed Loop Time Constant - depending on the tuning
strategy selected on the Tuning menu. Use the slider to increase or decrease the control
loop speed or to increase or decrease control loop robustness. Remember that loops
tuned for fast response may go unstable far easier than loops tuned for slow response.

Controller Settings before Tuning

TuneWizard displays the original PID settings for easy comparison with the new settings.

Controller Settings after Tuning

TuneWizard updates these settings dynamically when you select different tuning models
if Override Calculated Settings are not checked.

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 A Proven Tuning Procedure

Load Settings into Controller

If you are connected via DDE, OPC or direct PLC link, you can download the PID and F
settings as displayed on the settings after tuning directly to the controller.

Testing PID Settings

You can test any combination of PID settings by checking the Override Calculated
Settings box and entering your own settings into the test boxes provided.

The Simulation Graphs

TuneWizard displays four windows to give you an insight into the control loop's
performance. These are:
• Robustness Analysis (Change in Gp or td before instability)
• Disturbance Rejection Simulation (constant setpoint with a load change while
controller is in automatic)
• Setpoint Change Simulation (setpoint change with controller in automatic)
• Variability and Valve Travel analysis
All the simulations are based on the selected process model and on the selected set of
PID and F parameters, or your own PID settings if the Override Calculated Settings option
is checked.

A Proven Tuning Procedure

To ensure a stable control loop:
1. Link at least three sets of tuning data to the Tune page. If the process model
accuracies are low (<0.85), do more tuning tests if necessary and link more sets of
tuning data to the Tune page.
2. Use the mouse to select the row with the averages of Gp, td, tau, P, I, D, and F.
TuneWizard will automatically copy these settings into the Controller Settings
after tuning fields.
3. Click the Override Calculated Settings box for testing these settings against all the
process models.
4. Select the process models one by one and ensure that the selected PID settings
have adequate robustness on all of the process models. That is, not one model
should have red robustness bars on the right hand side (After Tuning).

User Guide Chapter 7: Diagnostic and Tuning Tests 97

Examples of Good Models

5. If more robustness is required move the Performance Slider one notch to the right
and redo Steps 2 - 5.
6. Once the test PID are set to work all the models (no red robustness bars on the
right hand side), the test settings may be used in the controller.

Examples of Good Models

This section provides several examples of good models:
• “Excellent Process Model - I” on page 98
• “Excellent Process Model - II” on page 99
• “Disturbed Process” on page 99
• “Noisy Process” on page 100

Excellent Process Model - I

This test was done with the controller in manual. The process variable has very little noise
and the process itself is linear. The process model fits the actual data very closely. The
plot of the simulated PV is difficult to distinguish from the plot of actual test data.
The following figure illustrates an example of an excellent process model:

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 Examples of Good Models

Excellent Process Model - II

This test was done with the controller in auto. The process variable has very little noise,
the valve has no hysteresis or stiction, and the process is linear. The process model fits the
actual data very closely. The plot of the simulated PV is difficult to distinguish from the
plot of actual test data.
The following figure illustrates an excellent process model:

Disturbed Process
This test was done with the controller in manual. The process variable undergoes large
disturbances. The process model seems to be representative of the actual process - but,
obviously, the disturbances are not modeled. More tuning tests should be done so that a
representative average can be obtained.
The following figure illustrates a process model representative of process without
disturbances:

User Guide Chapter 7: Diagnostic and Tuning Tests 99

Examples of Bad Models

Noisy Process
This test was done with the controller in manual. The process variable is extremely noisy.
The process model seems to be representative of the actual process. More tuning tests
will have to be done to obtain representative average modeling parameters.
The following figure illustrates a process model fairly representative of actual process:

Examples of Bad Models

This section provides several examples of bad models:
• “Hysteresis in Process” on page 100
• “Nonlinear Process” on page 101
• “Process with Varying Dynamics - I” on page 102
• “Process with Varying Dynamics - II” on page 103

Hysteresis in Process
A few steps were done downwards and upwards with the controller in manual. The valve
in this process had about 3% hysteresis - this is apparent after the direction change. The
process model is not at all representative of the actual process. This data cannot be used
as tuning data.
Never tune from the first step after a change in controller output direction! The second
step in a hysteresis test can be tuned from, but the first or the last steps cannot be tuned
from.

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 Examples of Bad Models

The following figure illustrates a process model not at all representative of actual process:

Nonlinear Process
A few upward steps were done with the controller in manual. This process was nonlinear
- this is apparent from the increased process movement on similar valve movements. The
process model is not at all representative of the actual process. This data cannot be used
as tuning data.
Never tune from more than one step at a time if the process is nonlinear! Also, do not use
data from low process gain areas to tune from - the controller might run unstable in areas
where the process gain is high.
The following figure illustrates a process model not representative of actual process:

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Examples of Bad Models

Process with Varying Dynamics - I

One step was done with the controller in manual. This process consisted of a fast damper
and slow variable speed fan. The fast dynamics of the damper is virtually ignored by the
model. However, in actual operation, most of the control will be done by the damper. This
data cannot be used as tuning data as is - more emphasis needs to be placed on the fast
damper dynamics.
The following figure illustrates a process model not representative of the fast damper
dynamics:

To obtain a process model that is more representative of the fast fan dynamics, zoom into
the area where the damper dynamics are prominent. The following figure illustrates a
Process model more representative of the fast damper dynamics:

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 Examples of Bad Models

Process with Varying Dynamics - II

One step was done with the controller in manual. This process consisted of steam
pressure control in a paper dryer. The dynamics consisted of a fast self-regulating
response followed by a slow integrating response.
The fast initial dynamics of the reactor pressure is virtually ignored by the model.
However, in actual operation, most of the control will be done in the time scale of the fast
dynamics. This data cannot be used as tuning data as is - more emphasis needs to be
placed on the fast dynamics.
The following figure illustrates a process model not representative of the fast process
dynamics:

User Guide Chapter 7: Diagnostic and Tuning Tests 103

Simulation Plot Options

To obtain a process model that is more representative of the fast process dynamics, zoom
into the area where the initial dynamics are prominent. The following figure illustrates a
process model more representative of the fast process dynamics:

Notes:
• If your process models are inaccurate due to noise or disturbances, use six
different sets of test data to tune from. The calculated averages of six process
models are more likely to be representative of the actual process.
• With greatly varying dynamics (as in the previous two examples), you should select
the most conservative group of PID settings, i.e. lowest controller gain / largest
proportional band, longest integral time / lowest integral rate and select the
derivative setting paired with the integral setting you use.

Simulation Plot Options

Changing the Y-axis Scaling and Range
To change the range of the plot, select Data & Simulation Plots from the Options menu.
In the Y-axis Scaling box, select the zone to display a range zoomed between the
minimum and maximum y-values for the y-axis or enter your own ranges for PV and CO in
the Zoom between area. Click the Apply button to see the changes displayed on the plot,
or click the OK button to close the Options window while applying the changes. Click the
Cancel button to close the Options window without making the changes.

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 Process Model Options

Changing the Time Axis

To shorten or lengthen the time axis of a simulation, select Data & Simulation Plots from
the Options menu, select the desired multiplier from the Stretch Time Axis box. Click the
Apply button to see the changes displayed on the plot, click the OK button to close the
Options window while applying the changes. Click the Cancel button to close the Options
window without making the changes.

Changing the Step Size

Change the size of the controller output step, setpoint change, and disturbance. The step
size is limited to fall between -10% and 10% of range. Click the Apply button to see the
changes displayed on the plot, or click the OK button to close the Options window while
applying the changes. Click the Close button to close the Options window without making
the changes.

Process Model Options

TuneWizard auto-detects the type of process (i.e. self-regulating or integrating) and the
direction of the process (i.e. same direction as controller output or reverse). Sometimes,
due to noise, disturbances, or an incorrect test procedure, TuneWizard might identify an
incorrect process type and/or direction.

User Guide Chapter 7: Diagnostic and Tuning Tests 105

Process Model Options

To force TuneWizard to select one or the other process type or process direction, double-
click on the item in the Tune grid. TuneWizard displays a window on which the user can
force TuneWizard to choose a specific process type and direction or to let TuneWizard
decide which option fits closer. You can also force TuneWizard to use a specific process
gain, dead time and time constant.
The following figure illustrates the TuneWizard modeling options:

Clicking Apply to Model will update the tune grid, the process model simulation, and all
control loop simulations.

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Simulation and Reporting 8
The following sections provide information about various simulations and the reporting
capabilities provided by TuneWizard.

Tuning Simulations
The following figure illustrates several tuning simulations:

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Tuning Simulations

Robustness Simulation
On some processes, the process gain and dead time may vary widely depending on
operating conditions, valve position, etc. If a control loop does not have adequate
robustness it will become unstable if the process gain or dead time increases. Therefore,
it is necessary to always ensure that a control loop has sufficient robustness to tolerate
process changes.
TuneWizard provides an estimate of the robustness in the control loop with the process
as configured on the Process panel and the controller as configured on the Controller
panel.

The Robustness Plot

TuneWizard displays two sets of robustness bars. The set on the left indicates control
loop robustness with the original PID and F settings as they appear on the Channels page,
while the set on the right are with the new PID and F settings.
Both sets of robustness bars contain two individual robustness bars. The bar on the left
displays the possible increase in process gain before the control loop will become
unstable, while bar graph on the right displays the possible increase in dead time before
the control loop will become unstable.
For example: If the process gain is 1.5 and the robustness bar on gain shows 3, it means
that the control loop will run unstable if the process gain should increase by a factor of 3.
That is, the control loop will run unstable if the gain becomes greater than 4.5 (obtained
from 1.5 x 3).

Robustness Bars Color-Coding

The robustness bars change color for easy identification of problem conditions:
• Green bars show that the robustness is adequate.
• Yellow bars show the robustness is questionable.
• Red bars show that the robustness is too low.

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 Tuning Simulations

Recommend Robustness
It is recommended that a linear control loop should have a robustness factor of at least 3.
Control loops with a nonlinear process (where gain and / or dead time varies) should have
a minimum robustness as calculated below:
• Robustness on Dead Time >= 
(longest dead time / dead time of selected process model) * 3
• Robustness on Process Gain >= 
(highest process gain / process gain of selected process model) * 3

Increasing Robustness
The simplest way to increase the robustness is to slide the Disturbance Rejection slider on
the Tune page to the right.
Robustness can also be increased by decreasing the controller gain (or increasing the
proportional band). Controller gain has an effect on Gain and Dead Time robustness.
Adjusting the integral time has a more pronounced effect on Dead Time robustness, but it
will also influence the Gain robustness. If using derivative, keep the ratio of D to I
constant when adjusting I.

Disturbance Rejection Simulation

TuneWizard provides a simulation of the control loop's response to a load change with
the controller in automatic control mode.
TuneWizard displays two sets of lines: the blue lines model the process and controller's
response with the new PID settings, while the magenta lines model that with the original
PID settings. The upper graph displays the setpoint and the process response, while the
bottom graph displays the controller's actions.

Setpoint Change Simulation

TuneWizard provides a simulation of the control loop's response to a setpoint change
with the controller in automatic control mode.
TuneWizard displays two sets of lines: the blue lines model the process and controller's
response with the new PID settings, while the magenta lines model that with the original
PID settings. The upper graph displays the setpoint and the process response, while the
bottom graph displays the controller's actions.

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The Simulate Page

Variability and Valve Travel Simulation

TuneWizard produces this graph to provide insight into the loop's performance under
normal operating conditions, that is: constant setpoint and no disturbance, but with
measurement noise. The amplitude of the noise in this simulation is based on the level of
noise inferred from the PV in the tuning data.
This simulation is useful for trying out different PV filter time constants.

The Simulate Page

The TuneWizard Simulate page allows users to simulate the response of any control loop
with PID controller and self-regulating process with Gp, td and tau, or integrating process
with Gp and td. This page can be used for experimenting with different process models
and controller settings, and for doing what-if studies.

Simulating the Response of Any Control Loop

TuneWizard provides the facility to simulate the response of a control loop with any
simple process model and any set of PID parameters. Two control loops can be configured
and displayed simultaneously. Plots from the first control loop are colored magenta and
plots from the second loop are colored blue.

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 The Simulate Page

The time base of the process models are set according to the Options > Time Units menu
to set minutes or seconds, and the controller type is set according to the selections on
the Loop Details page.
To start the simulations with the same conditions as on the Tune page, click on the Copy
Settings from Tune Page button. If the Tuning page has a valid process model and tuning
parameters, these will be used as defaults for Control Loop 1. The original PID settings
entered on the Channels page and the process model on the Tune page will be used as
defaults for Control Loop 2.
To simulate the response of a control loop containing a self-regulating process, deselect
the Integrator option on the Process panel if it is selected. Then, enter the Process Gain
(Gp), Dead Time (td), and Time Constant (tau) of the process you wish to simulate into
the appropriate fields on the Process panel.
To simulate the response of a control loop containing an integrating process, select the
Integrator option on the Process panel if it is not selected. Then, enter the Process Gain
(Gp) and Dead Time (td) of the integrating process you wish to simulate into the
appropriate fields on the Process panel.
To simulate the response of the control loop with different P, I, and D controller
parameters, enter the desired parameters into the appropriate fields on the Controller
panel.

Simulation Graphs
TuneWizard displays the following simulations:
• Robustness Analyses
• Setpoint Change with Controller in Auto
• Disturbance Rejection with Controller in Auto
For more information about the graphs and how to interpret them, see “The Tuning
Page” on page 93 and the graphs described in other tuning topics.

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The Report Page

The Report Page

You can use the Report page for the following purposes:
• To create custom reports with TuneWizard.
By selecting which of the diagnostic and tuning analyses you want to print, you can
create your own customized reports for opening, editing, and printing with
Microsoft Word, an RTF editor, or a text editor such as Notepad.
• To keep notes about the control loop you are working on.
You can also select which notes will be printed as part of the report.
• To link files with miscellaneous test data to be printed in the report.
Any data file may be linked from the View & Select Data page to the Report page.
At the time of printing, you can select whether the files on the Report page should
be printed or not.
The following figure illustrates the Report page:

To create a report:
1. Do all necessary diagnostic analyses and tuning.
2. On the View & Select Data page, select data files to publish. and then click the Use
Data on Reports Page button.
3. Select the Report page from the explorer tree on the left.
4. Type control loop notes as required.

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 The Report Page

5. Check on or off the items to publish in the report.

6. Click the Generate Report button.
7. Specify the File name and Folder options in the TuneWizard: Save Report to File
window.
8. Click the OK button.
Depending on the file type selected in the Save Report As... dialog box, users can open,
edit, and print the report with Microsoft Word, an RTF editor, or a text editor.

User Guide Chapter 8: Simulation and Reporting 113

The Report Page

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Process and Control Theory 9

Processes
Industrial processes can, for the most part, be classified into two process types:
• Self-regulating Processes
• Integrating Processes
In turn, the process can be modeled (or characterized) with reasonable accuracy with
only a few parameters. TuneWizard extracts the process characteristics from data
obtained during the tuning test.

Self-Regulating Process
A self-regulating process (such as flow, temperature, and pressure) can be characterized
with three parameters:
• Process Gain (Gp)
• Dead Time (td)
• Time Constant (tau).

Process Gain (Gp)

The process gain is a measure of the sensitivity of the process. It indicates how much the
Process Variable responds to a change in Controller Output. Process gain is calculated by
dividing the change in process variable (dPV) by the change in controller output (dCO).
Gp = dPV / dCO

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Processes

where:
• Gp = process gain
• dPV = change in process variable in % of full scale
• dCO = change in controller output in %.
Note: To use the equation above, the change in process variable must be converted to
percentage of full scale and the change in controller output must be in percent.
The higher the process gain is, the lower the controller gain (or greater the proportional
band) should be.

Dead Time (td)

Dead time is the period of time the process takes to respond noticeably to a change in
Controller Output. Dead time's starting point is at the change in Controller Output, its end
point is less easy to determine. To find the point where dead time ends, draw a line
tangential to the maximum gradient of the process response curve and extend it to
intersect the original level of the process variable. The intersection of this line with the
original level of the process variable is the point where dead time is considered to have
ended.
The longer the dead time is, the lower the controller gain (or greater the proportional
band) and longer the integral time (or lower the integral rate) should be.

Time Constant (tau)

The time constant indicates the amount of time lag present in a process. Time lag refers
to the apparent sluggishness of a process to respond to controller output changes. The
time constant is measured as the time that elapsed between the end of dead time and
the process variable reaching 63.2% of its total change.
The longer the time constant is, the higher the controller gain (or smaller the
proportional band) and longer the integral time (or lower the integral rate) should be.

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 Processes

The following figure illustrates the characteristics of a self-regulating process following a

step change in controller output:

Integrating Process
An integrating process (level and some temperature processes) can be characterized with
two parameters:
• Process Gain (Gp)
• Dead Time (td)
On an integrating process, the process gain is determined by dividing the rate of change
of the process variable by the change in controller output. The rate of change of the
process variable is calculated by measuring the change in process variable (dPV) over a
few time units (dt) and then dividing the percentage change by the number of time units
over which the measured was taken.
Gp = dPV / (dCO * dt)

where:
• Gp = process gain
• dPV = change in process variable over a certain time period in % of full scale
• dCO = change in controller output in %
• dt = the time period over which dPV is being measured.

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Controllers

The following figure illustrates the characteristics of an integrating process following a

step change in controller output:

Controllers
By controller structure is meant the way in which the P, I, and D - modes are configured
inside the PID controller. It is sometimes also called the controller algorithm. Three
distinct controller structures are available:
• Series
• Ideal
• Parallel
Many controllers are available with only one fixed structure, but some PLC and DCS
systems allow a selection between different structures. You should be able to find the
controller structure used from the OEM documentation.

Series Controller Structure

Also called the Real, Interacting, or Classical structure. This structure was originally used
in pneumatic and electronic controllers. Most of the manual tuning rules (Ziegler-Nichols,
Cohen-Coon, Lambda, etc.) are based on this controller form.

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 Controllers

Mathematical form:

Diagrammatic form:

Ideal Controller Structure

Also called the Standard, ISA, or Noninteracting structure.
Mathematical form:

Diagrammatic form:

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Controllers

Parallel Controller Structure

Academic-type textbooks generally use this form of PID controller.
Mathematical form:

Diagrammatic form:

PID Units
Controller manufacturers do not all use the same units for the PID parameters. When
tuning PID controllers, you have to ensure that you are using the correct units when
calculating new settings for your controller.
The proportional units are:
• Gain
• Proportional Band = 100 / Gain
The integral units are:
• Minutes per Repeat
• Repeats per Minute = 1 / (Minutes / Repeat)
• Seconds per Repeat = 60 * (Minutes / Repeat)
• Repeats per Second = 1 / (Seconds / Repeat)
The derivative units are:
• Minutes
• Seconds = 60 * Minutes

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 Controllers

PID Multipliers
Some integer-based PLCs use multipliers to increase the resolution on its PID settings.
Then the number in the PLC's memory is different from the number one would normally
use. The relationship between the desired setting and the number actually used is:
Desired PID setting = PID setting in PLC memory, multiplied by the Multiplier.
For example:
• P setting in PLC = 50
• Multiplier for P = 0.01
• Actual controller gain = 50 * 0.01 = 0.5
Another example:
• You want an integral time of 0.1 minute
• The multiplier for I is 0.01
• The number you have to enter into the PLC is 0.1 / 0.01 = 10

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Controllers

122 Chapter 9: Process and Control Theory User Guide