2011 Third International Conference on Intelligent Human-Machine Systems and Cybernetics
Optimization of a Fuzzy Logic Controller using
Genetic Algorithms
Danilo Pelusi
University of Teramo
Coste Sant’Agostino, Teramo, Italy
Email: dpelusi@unite.it
Abstract—The design of a fuzzy controller suffers from choice
problems of fuzzy input and output membership functions and
rules inference system definition. Generally, such procedures
are implemented by trial and error iterations which do not
assure an optimal fuzzy controller design. Moreover the fuzzy
features of control system depend on the specific application of
fuzzy controller. There are several techniques reported in recent
literature that use Genetic Algorithms to optimize a fuzzy logic
controller. This paper proposes a methodology to optimize fuzzy
logic parameters based on Genetic Algorithms. The scheme is
applied to the problem of electrical signal frequency driving
for signals acquisition experiments. The fuzzy logic controller is
tuned by Genetic Algorithms to achieve the optimal parameters.
The tuning design approach offers a complete and fast way to
design an optimal fuzzy system. Moreover, the results show that
the optimized fuzzy controller gives better performance than a
conventional fuzzy controller also in terms of rise and settling
time.
I. I NTRODUCTION
Fuzzy logic controllers find application in many engineering
applications where the control systems are difficult to model.
The fuzzy techniques are applied in complicated and imprecise
processes for which either no mathematical model exists or the
mathematical model is severely nonlinear. The main feature of
a fuzzy system is the ability to reproduce the human behavior.
This one is achieved incorporating the human intelligence
into automatic control systems directly. On this way, a fuzzy
logic controller offers a more accurate and efficient approach.
Shiuh-Jer Huang and Ji-Shin Lee [15] proposed a stable self-
organizing fuzzy controller to manipulate the motion trajectory
of a 5-degrees-of-freedom robot. The experimental results
showed that this intelligent controller has a stable learning
ability and good motion control capability. Some authors
[6], [18] presented adaptive fuzzy logic controllers which
can perform some adaptive fuzzy inference processes using
various inference parameters such as the shape and location
of suitable membership functions. However, the selection of
high performance membership functions depends on human
experience and it assumes huge relevance for the design of
fuzzy controllers. The choice of the membership functions
requires tedious trial and error processes which do not fast
converge to the optimal solution. Genetic Algorithms [8] are
of help to solve this problem.
Genetic Algorithms are search algorithms based on mecha-
nism of natural selection and natural genetics [3]. The survival
of the fittest is assured by a random creation of a population
978-0-7695-4444-1/11 $26.00 © 2011 IEEE 143
DOI 10.1109/IHMSC.2011.105
thereafter improved through operations such as Reproduction,
Crossover and Mutation [9]. A Genetic Algorithm manipulates
the codings representing a parameters set to search a near
optimal solution [4], [16], [9]. Because the main design
problem of a fuzzy controller is the selection of optimized
membership functions and fuzzy rules base, some authors
used the Genetic Algorithms to find the optimal membership
functions and fuzzy rules. Kim Chwee Ng and Yun Li [9]
developed Genetic Algorithms for automatic design of high
performance fuzzy logic controllers for some engineering
control applications. The simultaneous tuning of fuzzy con-
trollers parameters, obtained by Genetic Algorithms applica-
tion, shown encouraging advantages [16]. The same approach
yielded good results on hydraulic control systems [19]. Khan
et al. [7] employed Genetic Algorithms in fuzzy controllers for
temperature control systems. Optimized fuzzy logic controllers
are also implemented to reduce the area space of the circuits
components in Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) [14].
In this paper, we propose an optimized fuzzy logic controller
for electrical signals parameters driving. Some acquisition
data experiments need of automatized and flexible control
electronics [1], [17]. We design an intelligent control system
for data acquisition. The tuning parameter is the frequency
of a low-pass filter. The scheme selects the membership
functions shape using the Genetic Algorithms. The model
is simulated through MATLAB Fuzzy Logic Toolbox and a
Genetic Algorithms library [5].
II. L OW- PASS FILTER DESIGN
The target of our model is to yield a suitable signal
frequency which depends on a specific input reference value.
To define the frequency value, we design a low-pass filter (see
Fig. 1) and define the following transfer function:
−R4 /R1
T (s) = (1)
s2 R3 R4 C2 C5 + sC5 (R3 + R4 + RR3 R1 4 ) + 1
√
where ω0 = 1/ R3 R4 C2 C5 is the cutoff frequency. We
consider R1 = R3 = R4 = R and C2 = C5 = C, therefore
the (1) becomes:
−1
T (s) = (2)
s2 R2 C 2 + 3sRC + 1
with ω0 = 1/RC.
 Assuming a fixed value of capacitance C, the cutoff fre-
quency value is defined by resistance R. From the Fig. 1
we can note that the resistor is a potentiometer, i.e. a three-
terminal resistor with a sliding contact that forms an adjustable
voltage divider. Among the various type of programmable
devices, a suitable choice could be the DS1867 programmable
trimmer [2]. On this way, the model tunes the value of
cutoff frequency, driving the filter. We proposed such filter
to implement antialias filters in data-acquisition systems [1],
[17]. Anti-aliasing filters [10] are used before a signal sampler,
to restrict the bandwidth of a signal to approximately satisfy
the sampling theorem [13].
III. F UZZY LOGIC CONTROLLER
The fuzzy logic controller is characterized by Gaussian
membership functions. This is a suitable choice for high
performance of our tuning control system. The Gaussian
membership functions are defined by:
µ ¶
(x − α)2
µ(x) = exp − (3)
2σ 2
where the parameters α and σ define the features of fuzzy sets.
These parameters are optimized by a Genetic Algorithm imple-
mented in a user-defined MATLAB function (GA.m block in
the block diagram of Fig. 2). The fuzzy logic controller block
contains a reference to a fuzzy logic inference system. The
inference system has two inputs and one output. The first input
is the error signal ee which indicates the difference between
the desired frequency and the actual filter cutoff frequency.
The other input is the error derivative signal de achieved by
differentiating the error signal before passing it to the fuzzy
logic controller block.
The model uses the most commonly seen fuzzy methodol-
ogy: the Mamdani fuzzy inference method [11]. Such method
attempts to solve control problems by a set of linguistic
rules obtained from experienced human operators. The main
feature of such technique is that both the antecedents and
the consequents of the rules are expressed as linguistic con-
straints. As a consequence, the Mamdani method can provide
a highly intuitive knowledge base that is easy to understand
and maintain. In our problem, the input/output mapping must
be acquired from data.
The rules of the fuzzy inference system are shown in
Table I. The definition of these rules come from experimental
experiences and trial and error procedures. One of the most
time consuming part of designing a fuzzy logic controller is the
definition of rules base. However, the choice of seven member-
ship functions for each input and output is a good compromise
between rules precision and computational complexity.
IV. O PTIMIZATION OF CONTROLLER
The tuning approach employs the use of MATLAB M-files
and functions to manipulate the fuzzy inference system. This
system is continuously modified to find an optimal solution.
The block named GA.m of Fig. 2 contains a MATLAB
M-file that implements the search algorithm to obtain optimal
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Fig. 1. Low-pass filter schematic
parameters. The scheme searches the best values of parameters
α and σ of (3), in [−1, 1] and [0.02, 0.12] respectively. Note
that σ determines the amount of overlapping. This feature is
very important for a distinctive fuzzy decision making.
The model generates randomly the parameters α, σ and the
fuzzy inputs of controller. Such parameters modify the central
point and the shape of membership functions. The output of
fuzzy controller is adjusted over a range of 0-255 by the Gain
block. The output of this block changes the value of resistance
R of low-pass filter and as a consequence the frequency to
tune. Such value is compared with the reference frequency and
the model computes the error and the derivative error. These
values are adjusted over a range of 0-200 for the first one
and 0-15 for the second one. The new inputs are sent to the
fuzzy controller and the process begins again. The suitability
of the ranges of the scaling gains was determined from the
prior hand tuning of the controller.
To evaluate the performance of the controller, it is necessary
to define a fitness function. The target of our controller is to
drive the output of the process to achieve the desired frequency
in the shortest time possible. Because the task of defining a
fitness function depends on application, we define:
A
f (x) = (4)
(1 + x)4
where x is the performance index defined as
n
X £ ¤
x= i ee(i)2 + de(i)2 (5)
i=1
and A is a nonnegative constant and appropriately chosen so
that f will not be too small. Moreover, n is the finish time
and i is the time index. The model minimizes the function f
defined in 4 through the application of Genetic Algorithms.
The Genetic Algorithms process converges quickly to the
optimal solution.
V. R ESULTS
The model yields the optimal fuzzy sets and rules to drive
the low pass filter of Fig. 1. For specific application such as
[1], [17], the value of capacitance C must be fixed to 470pF .
Moreover, the resistance value changes from 400Ω to 10KΩ.
This values define the cutoff frequency ω0 of low-pass filter.
 TABLE IV
O PTIMAL MEMBERSHIP FUNCTIONS PARAMETERS OF OUTPUT POSITION

NB NM NS ZE PS PM PB
α -0.96 -0.62 -0.35 -0.01 0.37 0.64 1.00
σ 0.04 0.04 0.08 0.10 0.10 0.12 0.09

Fig. 2. Model for optimal fuzzy logic controller

TABLE I
F UZZY LOGIC RULES

de \ ee NB NM NS ZE PS PM PB
NB PB PB PM PS ZE NS NM
NM PM PM PS PS ZE ZE NS
NS PS PS ZE ZE NS NM NB
ZE NB NM NS ZE PS PM PB Fig. 3. Optimal membership functions of input ee
PS NS NS ZE ZE PS PM PB
PM NM NM NS NS ZE ZE PS
PB NB NB NM NS ZE PS PM

TABLE II
O PTIMAL MEMBERSHIP FUNCTIONS PARAMETERS OF INPUT EE

NB NM NS ZE PS PM PB
α -0.96 -0.65 -0.33 0.04 0.37 0.66 0.96
σ 0.11 0.10 0.04 0.10 0.05 0.09 0.11

TABLE III
O PTIMAL MEMBERSHIP FUNCTIONS PARAMETERS OF INPUT DE
Fig. 4. Optimal membership functions of input de
NB NM NS ZE PS PM PB
α -0.96 -0.62 -0.29 -0.04 0.34 0.68 0.95
σ 0.02 0.08 0.11 0.07 0.06 0.09 0.04

The scheme optimizes the parameters α and σ of each

membership functions of the input and output sets. The results
are shown in the Tables II, III and IV.
The optimized membership functions of input are shown
in Fig. 3 and 4. Note that the NM (Negative Medium)
and PS (Positive Small) membership functions of input de
are smoother than input ee. Moreover, the optimal Gaussian
membership functions of output variable position (see Fig. 5) Fig. 5. Optimal membership functions of output position
define with good precision the contact position of potentiome-
ter.
The Table V shows the optimized fuzzy rules. We can VI. C ONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK
deduce that the trial and error technique can be improved. The The main crux of fuzzy systems is the choice of membership
tuning approach through Genetic Algorithm assures a fast and functions and the definition of rules inference system. This
good definition of fuzzy rules. Moreover, the simulation shows search can be made by tedious trial and error procedures
that the optimized fuzzy controller gives better performance on the base of the specific problem knowledge. Moreover,
than a conventional fuzzy controller also in terms of rise time such process could employ many time without to obtain good
and settling time. results.

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 TABLE V
O PTIMIZED FUZZY LOGIC RULES [7] S. Khan et al., Design and Implementation of an Optimal Fuzzy Logic
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on hardware microcontroller, for example on a controller of
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time experimental setup to test the performance of our optimal
fuzzy controller.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The author would like to thank the AMICA team of Astro-
nomical Observatory ”Collurania” of Teramo for the precious
suggestions and for the support.

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