ControlsLab

The controls engineering simulator that fits in your pocket. Tune PID gains, visualize poles, explore time responses and Bode plots — all in real time.

ControlsLab is a professional-grade system dynamics and controls simulator designed for engineering students, educators, and practicing engineers.

Simulate a mass-spring-damper system in real time. Adjust parameters with intuitive sliders and instantly see how the system responds - no coding required, no MATLAB license needed.

FREE FEATURES

SYSTEM SIMULATION

• Mass, damping, and spring parameter control
• Step, ramp, parabolic, and sinusoidal inputs
• Adjustable initial conditions x(0) and dx(0)
• Input signal overlay on time response plot

VISUALIZATION

• Live time-domain response plot
• S-plane pole visualization
• System stability classification
• Overdamped, underdamped, critically damped detection

ANALYSIS MODES

• Open-loop mode: plant driven directly by input
• Closed-loop mode: negative feedback with configurable setpoint

PRO FEATURES - $4.99 One-time purchase, no subscription

PID CONTROLLER

• Full negative feedback implementation
• P, PI, PD, and PID controller types
• Live Kp, Ki, Kd gain tuning with instant response
• Adjustable reference setpoint

FREQUENCY DOMAIN

• Bode plot: magnitude (dB) and phase (degrees)
• Logarithmic frequency axis
• Natural frequency, damping ratio, and bandwidth readouts

WHO IS THIS FOR?

• Undergraduate engineering students studying dynamic systems and feedback control
• Graduate students reviewing control theory
• Professors and educators demonstrating system behavior in lectures
• Practicing engineers doing quick back-of-envelope system analysis
• Anyone curious about how control systems work

ControlsLab turns abstract differential equations into visual, interactive experiences. Move a slider and watch poles migrate across the S-plane. Toggle a controller and see overshoot disappear in real time.

No prior programming experience required.