Here are my thoughts on the Proportional Control Systems material, etc.

• This week introduces students to proportional control systems
• This segment includes analysis of steady state error (i.e. how accurate is the system?) but it only does transient analysis for first order systems when time permits.  There was no transient analysis done in Spring 2008.  That's probably because the class was composed mostly of Civil Engineering students, and they do not have the differential equation emphasis that Mechanical and Chemical Engineering students have.
• Besides the theoretical analysis, the lab provides an opportunity to implement a proportional control system in LabVIEW.
• Labs
• The lab involves control of the height of the liquid level in a tube.
• Liquid is pumped into the tube using a pump where the applied DC voltage controls pump speed.  Students can get a rough calibration of flow rate as a function of applied pump voltage using obvious measurements.
• Liquid flows out of the tube through a small hole drilled into the bottom of the tube.
• Liquid level can be measured using a pressure transducer applied to the bottom of the tube.
• Here is a picture of the apparatus used.

• In-Class exercises
• Problem Control P101
• Class Notes - Good
• Some things to think about.
• Just need to have LabVIEW code ready.  If they have a good experience on the ON-OFF control in the previous week, then they can easily modify their code to implement a proportional control system.  That didn't work well this year, but it is easily cured next time.
• Sensors encountered to this point in the course.
• Thermocouples
• LM35s - giving two examples of sensors with voltage outputs
• Thermistor - giving an example of a sensor with a resistance change.
• AC Tachometers
• Pressure Sensors
• Strain Gages
• Light Sensors (Photovoltaic cells)