Gain

Whenwetalkabouttheproportionalactionofacontroller,wegenerallyrefertotheproportionalgain.Theactionmeansthatthecontrollermovesin
proportiontotheerrorbetweensetpoint(SP)andprocessoutput(PV):

controlleroutput=K*error=K*(SPPV)

where the gain is denoted by the parameter K. Many terms have been used by different manufacturers to designate this action. It has been called
proportionalgain,gain,throttlingband,sensitivityandproportionalband.

ProportionalBand
Inpractice,thecontrolleroutputislimited,eitherbyitsownlimitationsorbythelimitationsofthecorrespondingactuator.Letumaxandumindenote
theminimumandmaximumoutputofthecontroller.Theproportionalbandofthecontrolleristhendefinedas:

Intheidealcase,acontrollercanhaveanunlimitedoutput.Theproportionalband(PB)isthendefinedas:

Thisdefinitionofproportionalbandisoftenusedinsteadofthecontrollergain.Thevalueisexpressedinpercent(%).

DirectActing/ReverseActing
SupposeaprocesswithacontrolleroutputCVandaprocessoutputPVisinsteadystateandkepttoacertainsetpointSP.Forproportionalcontrolthe
followingequationscanbefound:

PV=P(CO)
CV=K*error=K*(SPPV)

wherePistheprocessfunctionthatyieldsameasuredvariableasaresultofthecontrolleroutput.Ifthecontrolleroutputdecreasesasthemeasured
variable increases the controller is said to be direct acting. If the controller output increases as the measured variable increases, then it is
calledreverseacting.Inotherwords,thecontrollerisdirectactingifthegainKispositiveandreverseactingifthegainKisnegative.

This is not only valid for proportional control, but for all PID controllers in the 20sim library. If you need a reverse acting controller, simply use a
negativegain.

Offset
Ifyoulookattheequationfortheproportionalgain:

CV=K*error=K*(SPPV)

youwillnoticethattherehastobeanerrortoproduceacontrolleroutput.Thismeansthatwithproportionalcontrolonly,therewillalwaysbeasmall
offsetbetweenthesetpointandthemeasuredvariable.Toremovethisoffset,integralcontrolhastobeused.