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vindaalex / multizone-thermostat

This is a home assistant custom component. It is a thermostat including various control options, such as: on-off, PID, weather controlled. The thermostat can be used in stand-alone mode or as zoned heating (master- satellites).
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What does PWM stand for? #34

Open peterwake opened 3 months ago

peterwake commented 3 months ago

In the README, and in the code, there's frequent reference to "pwm".. and I have been keen to know what this stands for.

Is it "pulse width modulation". In which case we could add to the README something like:

"PWM" stands for Pulse Width Modulation. Pulse Width Modulation is a technique often used in conjunction with PID controllers to regulate the amount of power delivered to a system, such as the heating elements in each zone of your underfloor heating system.

Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) is used to adjust the amount of power delivered to an electronic device by effectively turning the heating (or cooling) on and off at a "fast" rate. The "width" of the "on" time (the pulse) is varied (modulated) to represent a specific power delivery level. When the pulse is wider (meaning the device is on for a longer period), more power is delivered to the heating element, increasing the temperature. Conversely, a narrower pulse delivers less power, reducing the temperature.

In Combination with PID Controller: The PID controller calculates the difference between a desired setpoint (the target temperature) and the actual temperature measured by the sensors in each zone. Based on this difference (the error), and the rate of temperature change, the PID controller adjusts the PWM signal to increase or decrease the heat output, aiming to minimize the error over time and maintain a stable temperature in each zone.

The use of PWM in your underfloor heating system allows for precise control over the temperature in each zone by adjusting the duty cycle of the electrical power to the heating elements. This method is efficient and can lead to more uniform temperature control and potentially lower energy consumption, as it adjusts the heating output to the actual need in each zone.

vindaalex commented 2 months ago

Hi Peter,

Thank you for your contribution with explanatory notes. I have included them in the readme.