What does gain mean?

The number the error is multiplied by in a controller. Too small and the correction is sluggish; too big and the system overshoots and oscillates.

Also written as: gains

In a lesson

The gain is one number, and it decides whether a controller is sluggish, good, or shaking itself to pieces. Engineers spend real time on it. In this lesson you measure what it does.

Learn it

• Taught in 3.3 Tuning the gain Control, Robot club

Used in

• F9.5 CPU performance
• F11.3 Social engineering
• F12.1 Impacts of technology
• F12.7 AI, robots and bias
• F12.8 Technology, jobs and daily life
• F13.6 Long answer questions
• F13.8 Revision that works
• 2.5 Drift and correction
• 3.2 Proportional control
• 3.4 Controlling speed

and 39 more lessons.

All glossary terms