NI ELVIS II: Resources for Control Design and Mechatronics

Resources

	Curriculum Download labs and additional curriculum developed for NI ELVIS II			Webcast See how NI ELVIS II relates to controls system education
	Technical Resources Find useful resources and get started with NI ELVIS II			NI ELVIS II Guided Tour Discover more features of NI ELVIS II in this full-length presentation
	Buy the NI ELVIS II/Quanser Bundles Get purchasing details, explore the Electronics Education Platform, or view information from other National Instruments's academic partners			FAQ Learn the answers to common questions about the NI ELVIS II and controls system design

Visit ni.com/academic for additional teaching and research resources

Curriculum  

Quanser Inverted Pendulum Simple Modeling Sample Experiment
	Learn about a simple modeling system of a pendulum.  Observe the changes in the pendulum angle as you investigate the dampening of the system.  View Now.
Quanser Inverted Pendulum Balance Control Sample Experiment
	Learn about balance control of the inverted pendulum.  Observe the arm and pendulum angles as the pendulum inverts and balances itself.   View now.

Due to copyrighted nature of these Quanser experiments, we are only able to outline two specific experiments demonstrating the educational benefits of the NI ELVIS II and Quanser control plants.  The following labs are included in the full-featured version of the Quanser control bundles.

Quanser Rotary Inverted Pendulum Experiments

• Dampening in the system
• Measuring friction
• Coupling effect
• Pendulum moment of inertia
  
• Default balance control
• Custom balance controller
• Friction compensation with balance control
• Energy-based controller
• Hybrid swing-up control

Quanser DC Motor Control Pendulum Experiments

• Armature resistance
• Motor back-emf constant
• Motor transfer function model
• Motor model validation
  
• Heuristic PI control gains for speed control
• PI gain calculations
• Effects of set-point weight
• Effects of integrator anti-windup
• Triangular signals
  
• Stability margins
• Robust control gains
• Robustness using stability margins simulation
• Robustness using Nyquist method simulation
• Gain and delay stability margins

• Heuristic PD gains for motor position control
• PD gain implementation
• Disturbance effects

Quanser HVAC Control Pendulum Experiments

• Temperature control with a relay
• Mathematical model development

• Heuristic temperature control
• Effects of a lack of an anti-windup
• Effects of set-point weight
• PI Control gain implementation
  
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Webcast 

NI ELVIS II and Quanser Controls Design and Mechatronics Webcast

Learn about the NI ELVIS II and Quanser Controls Design platforms in a ten-minute webcast.

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Technical Resources 

Drivers

NI ELVIS II Drivers

Manuals

NI ELVIS II Manuals

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NI ELVIS II Guided Tour

NI ELVIS II Guided Tour

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Buy the NI ELVIS II and Quanser Bundles

Purchase the NI ELVIS II today or contact National Instruments to discuss placing an order. Quanser Academic Website

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Frequently Asked Questions  

How do I turn on the ELVIS II and Quanser plants?

Both the NI ELVIS II and the Quanser control plants need to be plugged in using their respective power cords.  The Quanser plants are not "hot-swappable," therefore slide in the plant into the PCI slot on the NI ELVIS II before powering on the NI ELVIS II.  Once the plant is firmly placed in the slot, notice the power switch at the back of the NI ELVIS II. Now plug in the Quanser plant, turn on the NI ELVIS II from the back, and then turn on the control plant by flipping the switch on top right of the NI ELVIS II to the on position.

Are the Quanser plants compatible with both NI ELVIS I and NI ELVIS II?

Yes, they are fully compatible with both NI ELVIS I and NI ELVIS II.  However, a different set of VIs are required for the NI ELVIS I and NI ELVIS II.  These VIs are provided by Quanser.

How are the Quanser experiments structured?

The Quanser experiments are customized based on the particular Quanser bundle you are using.  Students have a set of step-by-step instructions per each experiment, and each experiment builds on the prior experiment to give the students a progressive understanding of the different elements of controls theory.  During the experiments, students are presented with common challenges and are asked to address these challenges based on the knowledge they have acquired from the experiments and their classroom discussions.

Is there a lot of programming involved with the Quanser plants?

No, the VIs are already built and ready for use and no changes to the LabVIEW code is needed.  However, the users are able to manipulate the front panel controls and notice the changes in their experiments using the front panel indicators.  The Quanser plants allow the students to concentrate on learning controls theory rather than having to understand the underlying code.

Where can I get support for these products?

If you are experiencing unexpected behavior, it would be a good idea to double-check the parameters and steps outlined in the experiment instructions.  If the issue is still present, contact either National Instruments support or Quanser support.

The rotary plant is shaking a lot while it attempts to balance itself, why is this?

It could be due to either incorrect parameters in the VI, or the plant not being fully inserted into the PCI bus on the NI ELVIS II.  Make sure that your parameters are set correctly, and be sure that the leads at the end of the plant are inserted completely into the NI ELVIS II.  You should only see about a 1mm of pin lead from the PCI bus.

The fan does not turn on with the HVAC plant, why is this?

The fan should automatically turn on as soon as the HVAC plant is plugged in and the plant is powered on.  Make sure that both the NI ELVIS II and the plant are powered on.

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