LEVEL CONTROL SYSTEM USING PI CONTROLLER AND NODE-RED PLATFORM

Authors

  • Geronimo Barbosa Alexandre Federal Institute of Paraiba https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0378-0108
  • Carlos Augusto Leal Memoria Federal Institute of Paraiba
  • Ian Rolim de Medeiros Federal Institute of Paraiba
  • Emanoel Raimundo Queiroz Chaves Junior Federal Institute of Paraiba

Abstract

This paper presents the development and implementation of an automatic water level control system for a reservoir using a Proportional-Integral (PI) controller embedded in an Arduino microcontroller. The system comprises an HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor for level measurement, a hydraulic pump driven by Pulse Width Modulation (PWM), and an L298N H-bridge for the power interface. The control algorithm was implemented in discrete time with a sampling period of 200 ms, incorporating an average of multiple readings for sensor noise reduction, a dead zone to mitigate oscillations near the setpoint, and integral term limiting to prevent saturation (anti-windup). The system allows the selection of different reference values (10 cm, 15 cm, and 20 cm), as well as activation, deactivation, and reset commands via serial communication. For real-time supervision and data analysis, integration with the Node-RED platform was utilized, enabling the visualization of process variables such as measured level, error, integral term, and the applied PWM signal. Experimental results demonstrate that the PI controller provided stability, low oscillation, and elimination of steady-state error, highlighting the viability of the solution for educational applications and low-cost automation systems.

Author Biographies

  • Geronimo Barbosa Alexandre, Federal Institute of Paraiba

    Alexandre a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering (UFCG, 2013) and a Master's degree in Automation and Control Engineering (2016) from the Federal University of Campina Grande. He worked as an electrical systems protection engineer (2013-2014) and as a consultant and designer of kaolin drying plants using solar and diesel energy (2014-2015). Alexandre is a B-4 level EBTT professor at the Federal Institute of Paraíba, Cajazeiras Campus (2021-Present). His areas of interest include: process automation and control, fault diagnosis in sensors and actuators, modeling and simulation of industrial processes, intelligent automation, industrial informatics, smart grids, embedded systems, electrical projects, and applications of alternative energy sources.

  • Carlos Augusto Leal Memoria , Federal Institute of Paraiba

    Graduando em Engenharia de Controle e Automação pelo IFPB Campus Cajazeiras.

  • Ian Rolim de Medeiros , Federal Institute of Paraiba

    Graduando em Engenharia de Controle e Automação pelo IFPB Campus Cajazeiras.

  • Emanoel Raimundo Queiroz Chaves Junior , Federal Institute of Paraiba

    He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (2012), a master's degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (2015), and a doctorate in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (2019). He has worked as a Professor of Basic, Technical and Technological Education at the Federal Institute of Paraíba (IFPB), Cajazeiras campus, since May 2022. His areas of expertise are: robust control, fault-tolerant control, fuzzy systems, linear matrix inequalities, and industrial automation.

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Published

2026-05-07

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 1 (2026): Publicação Contínua

Section

Artigos

License

Licença Creative Commons
Este obra está licenciado com uma Licença Creative Commons Atribuição 4.0 Internacional.