An automatic tuning methodology for a unified dead-time compensator

•We propose an automatic tuning procedure for the FSP.•We perform a robust tuning analysis.•The robustness analysis is valid for stable and unstable plants.•We test the proposed strategy in simulated cases.•An experimental test is presented using an industrial hardware platform.

In this paper, an automatic tuning methodology for a modified Smith predictor control scheme is proposed. The main feature of the procedure is that it is applied in closed-loop (by either evaluating a set-point or a load disturbance step response) and it is suitable for self-regulating, integral and unstable processes. Further, the process parameter estimation technique is based on the evaluation of the integral of signals, thus making it inherently robust to measurement noise. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the methodology.