Read the oscillation

Slow rolling oscillation = too much integral. Fast jitter = too much derivative amplifying noise.

Why it works

Each PID term fails with its own signature. Learning to read them turns tuning from guesswork into diagnosis.

Do it exactly

Estimate with the rule, then check it against the calculator that models it properly.

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More in Control Systems

• Sample at least twice the fastest signalTo capture a signal faithfully, sample above 2× its highest frequency — in practice 5–10×.
• Aliases fold around half the sample rateA tone above fs/2 reappears mirrored below it — 900 Hz sampled at 1 kHz reads as 100 Hz.
• Find the edge, then back offTuning by hand: raise proportional gain until the loop just oscillates, then halve it.
• One τ is 63%; five is settledA first-order system covers 63% of a step in one time constant and is effectively settled after …

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