PID Controller Tuning Lab
Tune proportional, integral and derivative gains on a real first-order plant, watch the closed-loop step response redraw with a sweeping time marker, and read off the true overshoot, settling time and steady-state error.
Tune the proportional, integral and derivative gains and watch the closed-loop step response redraw, with a live sweep marker and the true overshoot, settling time and steady-state error.
τ·dy/dt = -y + K·u, controller u = Kpe + Ki∫e dt - Kd·dy/dt (derivative on measurement), e = setpoint - y, integrated numerically (Euler, dt=0.02s)About the PID Controller Tuning Lab
Free pid controller tuning lab. Tune proportional, integral and derivative gains on a real first-order plant, watch the closed-loop step response redraw with a sweeping time marker, and read off the true overshoot, settling time and steady-state error. Drag, change the sliders and see the result live. No sign-up, works on phone and computer. Built for engineering, the pid controller tuning lab runs instantly in your browser: change a setting or drag an object and the result updates at once, so you learn by trying things out rather than only reading about them.
Tune proportional, integral and derivative gains on a real first-order plant, watch the closed-loop step response redraw with a sweeping time marker, and read off the true overshoot, settling time and steady-state error. Use it to explore engineering ideas at your own pace, then check what you found against the key ideas further down this page.
How to use the PID Controller Tuning Lab
- Use the controls to change Proportional Kp, Integral Ki, Derivative Kd. The simulation reacts instantly.
- Press "Reset to defaults", "Lab report" to start, reset or change what is happening.
- Where you see a glowing handle, object, weight or atom, drag it with your mouse or finger. Everything responds in real time.
- Watch the readouts and graphs update as you experiment, and compare what you see with the key ideas below.
Things to try
- Try the well-damped challenge: overshoot below 10%, settling time below 10 s.
- Try the integral-action challenge: steady-state error below 1% while keeping overshoot below 25%.
- Push Kp very high alone and watch the oscillation grow.
- Add derivative gain to tame an overshoot without giving up speed.
Key ideas you can learn
- A PID controller drives a plant using u = Kp·e + Ki·∫e dt + Kd·de/dt, where e is the error between setpoint and measured output.
- Raising Kp alone speeds up the response and shrinks steady-state error, but too much Kp causes overshoot and eventually oscillation.
- Integral action (Ki) is the only term that can drive steady-state error to exactly zero, because it keeps accumulating as long as any error remains - but too much Ki adds overshoot and lag ('integral windup').
- Derivative action (Kd) reacts to the rate of change of error, adding damping that can reduce overshoot from aggressive Kp or Ki - but too much Kd amplifies any noise in the measurement.
Where this is used in the real world
Control engineers tune exactly these three gains on real temperature loops, flow loops, motor speed controllers, drone stabilization and robotic arm position control, balancing response speed against overshoot and steady-state accuracy.
Who is this simulation for?
Engineering and technology students, makers, robotics clubs and teachers of design and technology. It gives a hands-on feel for how machines behave before you build a real one.
For teachers: project it on the board, let students predict what will happen, then run it together. For students: change one thing at a time and write down what changes.
Frequently asked questions
Why does proportional control alone almost always leave a steady-state error on this kind of plant?
With pure proportional control, the controller output is u=Kp·e, and at steady state y settles wherever e becomes just small enough that Kp·e·K exactly balances the plant's natural decay - since e can never reach exactly zero without a control action to sustain it, a permanent offset (steady-state error) remains unless integral action is added to keep pushing once error is small.
Why can adding too much integral gain actually make the response worse instead of better?
Integral action keeps accumulating even while the output is overshooting toward the setpoint, so by the time the output arrives at the setpoint the accumulated integral term is still pushing it further, causing it to overshoot and then have to unwind that same accumulated term before it can settle - producing larger overshoot and a longer, more oscillatory settling process.
Is the PID Controller Tuning Lab free to use?
Yes. It is completely free, with no signup, no download and no ads inside the simulation. It runs in your web browser.
Does the PID Controller Tuning Lab work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. It uses touch as well as the mouse, so you can drag objects with your finger. A larger screen makes the controls easier to see.