Setpoint

How it is used

Used in process and machine control, on HMIs and in PID tuning. You enter, change, raise or lower a setpoint, and compare it with the actual value or process variable. It is often shortened to SP and is also written 'set point'.

Example sentences

1. The oven is at 172 degrees but the setpoint is 180, so it's still heating.

2. Operators can only change the setpoint within the limits we set on the HMI.

Common collocations

• temperature setpoint
• change the setpoint
• setpoint and actual value
• speed setpoint

Related terms

• process variableThe measured value of the quantity being controlled, such as the actual temperature, pressure or level, which the controller compares with the setpoint.
• PID controlA common feedback control method that calculates its output from three terms: proportional (the present error), integral (the error built up over time) and derivative (how fast the error is changing).
• feedbackInformation about the actual output of a system, such as the measured position or speed, that is sent back to the controller so it can correct any difference from the target.
• controllerThe device or program that makes control decisions: it reads measurements, compares them with what is wanted and sends commands to motors or other actuators.
• overshootThe amount by which a controlled value goes past its setpoint before settling, for example a temperature rising to 85 °C when the target is 80 °C. It is often given as a percentage.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• setpoint · Chemical Engineering

More terms: Control Systems

• closed-loop control
• open-loop control
• tune