Optimizing the Control Signal Applied to a Hydraulic Proportional Valve

Many existing electronic controls used in hydraulic systems utilize a microcontroller with associated electronic drive buffer and multiple closed loop feedback paths. One of the common feedback paths is through sensing the electrical current supplied to the solenoid for the proportional valve. Use of pulse-width-modulation (PWM) is typically utilized to minimize power dissipation in the electronic drive buffer and to facilitate integration with the microcontroller.