PIDController

Tune Kp, Ki and Kd in a browser-based PID simulation with adjustable setpoint, gain, loss and noise, live charts, and JSON state import/export.

What this tool does

PIDController is an educational closed-loop simulation. Adjust proportional, integral, and derivative gains, then observe the response of a simplified first-order process through live values, a block diagram, and time-series charts.

Who this is for

Students learning how PID terms affect a control loop
Developers exploring gain, loss, noise, and setpoint changes
Teams teaching control concepts without hardware

How to use this tool

Set the target setpoint and Kp, Ki, and Kd gains
Adjust simulated system gain, loss, noise, and interval
Start, stop, or reset the run while watching process value, error, output, and P/I/D values
Copy the JSON state or paste JSON into the import area to restore a setup

Inputs

Inputs include setpoint, Kp, Ki, Kd, system gain, system loss, noise, and simulation interval. The sliders and numeric controls expose the supported ranges.

Outputs

The page shows live process values, error, controller output, proportional/integral/derivative contributions, a block diagram, and Chart.js time-series plots. JSON state can be copied or loaded from text.

Example use cases

Compare the effect of proportional, integral, and derivative gains
Observe how noise and system loss change the response
Share a reproducible teaching or tuning scenario as JSON

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Frequently asked questions

What do Kp, Ki, and Kd control?

Kp scales present error, Ki accumulates error over time, and Kd responds to error change. Their effects depend on the simplified simulated process.

Is this connected to a real controller?

No. It is a browser simulation of a simplified first-order process and does not connect to hardware or identify a real plant.

What does Noise represent?

Noise adds a simulated disturbance to the process response so you can observe how the controller behaves with imperfect measurements.

How do I save or share a setup?

Use the JSON export text and copy it to a note or message. Paste valid JSON into the import area and load it to restore numeric settings.

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