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LEARNING MODULE

Automation & Control

Make motion intelligent with sensing, feedback, controllers, safe limits, and electronic timing.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

Discover how automated systems know what to do, measure what happened, and react to errors.

Read in sequence when you want a guided course, or open a published lesson directly. Titles marked “In editorial review” belong to the approved catalogue but are not presented as finished manuscripts.

MODULE LEARNING PATH

  1. 01 Where Automatic Positioning Is UsefulIn editorial review Recognize machine-alignment and positioning problems beyond solar arrays.
  2. 02 Open-Loop Commands Versus Real FeedbackIn editorial review See the difference between a target and a measured machine position.
  3. 03 Finding the Sun: Calculation Versus Light SensorsIn editorial review Compare solar-position prediction with measurement from a partitioned dome.
  4. 04 Measuring Angle and Travel With Simple SensorsIn editorial review Understand position feedback, potentiometers and practical sensor choices.
  5. 05 Connecting Analog Sensors to a ControllerIn editorial review Learn how ADC loading and sensor response affect measured values.
  6. 06 One Drive or Many Drives?In editorial review Compare centralized motion and distributed actuators.
  7. 07 Limits, Faults and Independent StopsIn editorial review Understand why commanding zero motion and detecting end travel are not the same as protection.
  8. 08 Safe Operation in Wind and Long-Term MaintenanceIn editorial review Learn how operating conditions, inspections and reliability shape automation systems.
  9. 09 Choosing a Controller and Its EnclosureIn editorial review Understand input counts, motor outputs, communications, power and cabling.

  1. 10 How a Stepper Motor Takes StepsIn editorial review Understand changing phase currents and full-step/half-step sequences.
  2. 11 Microstepping, Speed and Torque LimitsIn editorial review Learn how microsteps are created and why performance changes with speed.
  3. 12 Why Steppers Lose PositionIn editorial review Compare commanded motion, observed motion and feedback loops.
  4. 13 Understanding the NE555 TimerIn editorial review See internal thresholds and how a one-shot pulse is generated.
  5. 14 NE555 Repeating Timing and ResetIn editorial review Learn astable charge/discharge cycles and independent reset behavior.
  6. 15 How a Servo Reaches a Target PositionIn editorial review Understand command pulses, feedback error and stall-current limitations.
  7. 16 How a BLDC Motor Knows When to SwitchIn editorial review Learn six-step commutation and Hall-sector signals.
  8. 17 Sensorless BLDC Motors and Switching Dead TimeIn editorial review Understand back-EMF sensing and why opposing switches need separation in time.

  1. 18 Selecting a Sun-Direction Sensor Compare calculation, quadrant shading, angled photodiodes and projected-spot methods before choosing the sensor head.
  2. 19 From Photodiodes to a Controller Design the current-to-voltage, ADC, multiplexing, wiring and calibration chain for many optical channels.