Step-by-step walkthroughs for process control tools, algorithms, and best practices.
Example 4.2 of Mathematics for Machine Learning states that |det A| is the volume of the parallelepiped spanned by the columns of A, but gives no proof. Here are three rigorous proofs: column operations, QR factorization, and the wedge-product (volume form) argument.
September 5, 2026
How a microcontroller with only two digital outputs and one digital input measures temperature — charge a capacitor through a thermistor, time how long it takes to reach the logic-1 threshold, discharge it, and repeat. Full derivation of both charge and discharge phases plus a working block-simulation model with automatic charge/discharge cycling.
August 29, 2026
A practical guide to USB-to-serial converter internals: USB-serial chips, TTL voltage levels (3.3V/5V), RS485 differential signaling, transceivers, and when to use each interface. Includes signal-chain diagrams for adapters and industrial gateways like the Moxa mGate 3270.
July 21, 2026
A small nudge to the input direction can flip the sign of an output. This is not a bug — it is the geometry of the 2×2 static gain matrix. We walk through the Bequette Module 13 LV distillation model, the SVD picture, and what it means for control pairing.
July 19, 2026
Full derivation of the cart-pole equations of motion, linearization at the upright equilibrium, and state-feedback design via pole placement and LQR for the Inverted Pendulum Simulator.
June 6, 2026
A derivation of Lyapunov-based model reference adaptive control for first-order SISO systems. Learn how to design controllers that adapt to unknown or changing plant parameters in real time.
May 23, 2026
Learn relay feedback auto-tuning to measure ultimate gain and period directly from a closed-loop experiment, then convert to PID gains using Ziegler–Nichols frequency-domain rules.
April 28, 2026
A hands-on walkthrough of PID controller tuning using the Ziegler-Nichols, Cohen-Coon, and IMC methods. Learn how to adapt gain parameters for first-order lag plus deadtime (FOLPD) processes.
April 27, 2026
How frequency-domain thinking guides PID tuning in practice — bandwidth, phase margin, and low-frequency gain explained through a worked FOLPD example.
January 29, 2025