Neuromorphic Automatic Reset PI Controller for Simultaneous Anti-Windup and Dead-Zone Compensation: Initial Results

Abstract

Actuator saturation in systems regulated by proportional-integral (PI) controllers causes integrator ‘windup’ and, consequently, a deterioration in performance. Conventional PI control configurations with automatic reset address this problem by introducing a saturation model that limits the integral action. This article proposes an anti-windup PI control scheme based on neuromorphic control (NC), in which conventional saturation is replaced by a neuron. This element fulfils a dual function: thanks to its pulse-based operation, it inherently imposes saturation when the input exceeds the pulse amplitude, whilst mitigating the effects of the dead zone without requiring explicit modelling. By addressing both non-linearities through a single element, the overall control architecture remains remarkably simple. Simulations results on a direct current (DC) motor demonstrate the simplicity and effectiveness of the proposed strategy in a non-linear actuator with dead-zone and saturation.