Today's trend is toward a high level of manufacturing automation and design of smart products. All of these products or their manufacturing processes contain control systems. As indicated in a recent survey, both analog and digital control modes are used by the industry to implement controllers. Therefore, a good control systems education should contain courses both in digital and analog control theory supported by hands-on experiments. The previous mechanical engineering program has offered only an analog controls course with no laboratory. Because of the maximum credit limitations, a digital controls course cannot be added to the curriculum. To enhance students' learning, this project provides a set of laboratory experiments supplementing a hybrid analog/digital undergraduate control systems course is proposed. This approach enables the students to learn the most fundamental theory of both analog and digital control systems, as well as their actual physical implementation in a single course. Seven new experiments are introduced. The objectives are to provide a better understanding of the concepts of abstract control systems theory, highlight the differences and similarities between the digital and analog control modes, and teach the hardware/software implementation of the mathematical controller designs for both control modes. The equipment for the new laboratory includes servo fundamentals training units, function generators, oscilloscopes, and software for simulation, design and real-time control. All mechanical engineering students benefit from this project. Some of the experiments can also be used in motivational presentations to K 12 students. *
