Neuro-controller for a XY Positioning Table

This paper presents control designs using neural networks (NN) for a XY positioning table. The proposed neurocontroller is composed of an outer PD tracking loop for stabilization of the fast flexible-mode dynamics and an NN inner loop used to compensate for the system nonlinearities. A tuning algorithm is given for the NN weights, so that the NN compensation scheme becomes adaptive, guaranteeing small tracking errors and bounded weight estimates. Formal nonlinear stability proofs are given to show that the tracking error is small. The proposed neuro-controller is implemented and tested on an IBM PC-based XY positioning table, and is applicable to many precision XY tables. The algorithm, simulation, and experimental results are described. The experimental results are shown to be superior to those of conventional control.