Loop performance monitoring and diagnostics training on real-time control-quality software - 2 days in the classroom or 20 hours online, learning the TAD algorithm to isolate oscillating and sluggish PID loops and correct them with online adaptive control.
The MON300 loop performance monitoring course teaches process control, instrument, and DCS/PLC personnel to detect and correct deteriorating PID loops before they cost the plant money. Chemical plants run anywhere from about 50 PIDs in small plants to over 2000 PIDs in large refineries and integrated petrochemical complexes, including cascades, override controllers, model-based controllers, and multivariable controllers. Even well-tuned loops slowly deteriorate: oscillations that start with small amplitudes can grow large over time, or a controller can turn sluggish as process and operating conditions change, and either failure mode erodes control quality and profit.
MON300 runs as 2 days of classroom training or 20 hours online, and covers the technology and application of APROMON, PiControl's control performance monitoring software, which identifies poorly controlling PIDs — single, cascade, override, and complex loops — running online over OPC and generating control quality reports. Integrated with APROMON is TAD (True Amplitude Detection), a breakthrough algorithm that accurately isolates oscillating or sluggish controllers. The course also covers online adaptive control: connecting APROMON to the DCS or PLC over OPC and designing DCS/PLC-resident logic that triggers automatic corrective action the moment a loop starts to degrade.
MON300 moves from the causes of process oscillation and control quality statistics, through hands-on PITOPS simulation labs, into applied APROMON deployment and online adaptive control. After completing the course, attendees can install and run APROMON at any plant, use the TAD algorithm to isolate an oscillating or sluggish controller from hundreds of loops, and connect the monitoring software to the DCS or PLC over OPC so degrading loops trigger automatic corrective action instead of waiting for the next scheduled audit.
The course covers the following topics.
Once these topics are complete, engineers choose the delivery format that fits their schedule and plant access, and can begin deploying APROMON on their own loops immediately after.
MON300 is built for the people responsible for control loop performance across a plant: process control engineers, advanced process control engineers, instrument engineers, lab technicians, DCS/PLC technicians, managers, and supervisors. A 2-year or 4-year degree in engineering or operations and/or a few months of plant or engineering experience is desirable, but the course does not require prior monitoring or statistics experience to follow the material.
Learn the TAD algorithm to isolate oscillating and sluggish controllers among hundreds of loops, then deploy APROMON-OPC and DCS-resident logic to trigger corrective action automatically.
Build the data foundation control quality monitoring depends on: valve movement diagnostics, sensor checks, and OPC connectivity between APROMON and the control system.
Use quantified control-quality data and grading reports to prioritize which loops to fix first, justify monitoring or automation investments, and track fewer alarms and shutdowns over time.
MON300 also suits full teams from a single plant. Group participation works well when a team is responsible for a site-wide loop performance audit or an APROMON rollout, and companies use the course for control-room readiness, digital transformation and Industry 4.0 initiatives, and regulatory or quality compliance programs. Onsite corporate training is available on request so a team trains together on its own loops and its own OPC environment.
Hands-on practice separates a working diagnostics course from a lecture on statistics. MON300 uses APROMON, PiControl's online control performance monitoring software, for every lab from the first session: attendees calculate control quality criteria on real loop data, then apply the TAD (True Amplitude Detection) algorithm to isolate exactly which loops are oscillating, which are sluggish, and which have a sticking valve, rather than guessing from a noisy trend by eye.
The course also trains engineers on PITOPS, PiControl's closed-loop system identification software, to simulate different oscillation cases, excessive valve movement, and sluggish control before those same fault patterns are diagnosed live in APROMON. Attendees then set up OPC servers to simulate a real-plant environment, deploy APROMON-OPC in online/real-time mode, and design the DCS/PLC-resident logic that turns a TAD alert into automatic online adaptive control. Engineers who monitor loops at scale continue with the same software after the course.
MON300 attendees receive a PiControl MON300 Completion Certificate, which supports professional development records and can be added to a resume or LinkedIn profile. Diagnostic skill is measured against real cases run in APROMON and APROMON-OPC, not a written exam alone, so attendees leave with practical experience isolating oscillating and sluggish loops with the TAD algorithm rather than just the theory behind it.
Attendees also receive digital training materials, temporary software access to APROMON and PITOPS, and follow-up guidance after the course. Engineers who want to continue building on the plant's control foundation before or after MON300 can start with PID100 or APC200.
Short answers to the questions engineers ask most before enrolling in the MON300 loop performance monitoring course.
Request course info for MON300 to give your engineering team the ability to detect, isolate, and correct deteriorating PID loops with APROMON, PITOPS, and the TAD algorithm, finishing with a completion certificate. Online, 2-day classroom, and onsite formats are available, so teams in any location or time zone can start.
Supporting resources: explore APROMON, explore PITOPS, or browse the full training catalog. Questions: [email protected], Tel: (832) 495 6436.