Hi

Erik is dead right. Designing a PID control algorithm is easy...just need to code an appropriate form of the PID algorithm. Tuning it is the tough part. It requires good knowledge of control systems, lotsa experience, and quite a bit of trial & error.

If you have the time, budget and inclination to try it, an AI algorithm would be a perfect replacement of a controls expert :-))

I was recently in contact with a graduate student in a Texas univeristy, and I advised him on the use of a Genetic Algorithm to tune the parameters of a PID for controlling a motor. He was using a 68h11 microcontroller... I can't see why you can't do it using a 8051 and EEPROM :-))

Of course, it is a pretty esoteric subject, especially where embedded systems are concerned, but it is do-able and it would be one hell of an interesting project to do!
:-))

kundi