An Automatic Control System for Changing Feeds Based on Fuzzy PID and Laser Ranging

A feed is a core equipment in radio astronomy. Reliable change and accurate location of a feed are crucial to the detection of weak radio signals. This paper describes an automatic control system of changing feeds of a 25m large-scale radio telescope based on laser ranging and fuzzy PID. The system has achieved remote control capable of high-frequency positioning, efficient accurate location, real-time data collection, and site monitoring. Besides introducing the configuration of the hardware system, we present the fuzzy PID control algorithm and laser locating technique. Our simulations indicate that the performance of the fuzzy PID controller is better than a conventional PID controller, as the fuzzy PID controller has fast response, small overshoot, and strong robustness, so it can improve the precision and stability of locating a feed with laser.