Closed-Loop Control System

Definition - What does Closed-Loop Control System mean?

A closed-loop control system refers to a hardware or logical setup that regulates a process variable and automatically keeps a process to a desired state, according to inputs.

The alternative is an open-loop control system.

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Techopedia explains Closed-Loop Control System

The difference between the open-loop control system and the closed-loop control system is that the open-loop control system only takes in the input and produces the output.

With this in mind, it requires initial event-driven management to generate the model, whereas the closed-loop control system continually takes the output to direct further input.

That is what leads to the automation of the closed-loop control system model. One way to think about it in simplistic terms is that if the control system is open, the input flows through to the result and stops, but if the loop is closed, the system keeps looping without additional external direction.

Some use the example of a thermostat directing a heating and cooling system. In the open-loop case, the system would be programmed to complete one cycle and then wait for additional input.

In a closed-loop control system, the output would be processed back into the control loop and the machine would keep working on continual input.