Heli Project: Helicopter model control

Helicopter control system based on NI myDAQ

This article is to show one of the control systems I did during my postgraduate study. It controls a 3 degree-of-freedom helicopter, so that it flies with stable pitch degree and elevation degree and travel degree be controlled.

Hardware

Data Acquisition (DAQ) Module: National Instruments myDAQ

· Analog input: 2 channels, 200KS/s/ch, 16bit resolution

· Analog output: 2 channels, 200KS/s/ch, 16bit resolution

· 8 plug-and-play computer-based lab instruments

· Device specification: http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/print/p/lang/en/nid/210929

Signal Conditioning And Power Drive Module

Demonstration

Simulation

before tested on hardware, the system is simulated on Matlab and Simulink.
system structure

there are two main parts: Discrete Time (DT) controller and Continuous Time (CT) dynamics. DT controller detected current outputs and read reference inputs to obtain necessary output voltages. then, CT dynamics calculate fan power and hence future output obtained.

Integral control and Kalman filter in DT controller