The most-read stories from April and May reflect a strong focus on fundamentals, data readiness and practical paths to modernization.
April and May’s most-read stories on Control Engineering highlight an industry mastering core fundamentals while preparing for a more autonomous future. Readers prioritized technical depth in process control, particularly around PID tuning calculations and performance limits, alongside tutorials on SCADA lifecycle standards and automatic gain control.
The rankings also reveal a strategic shift toward data readiness and interoperability. From digital twins and industrial AI to breaking down data silos and improving maintenance data capture, the focus has moved toward ensuring digital transformation delivers measurable value. Combined with interest in agile project management and a tribute to the legacy of industry leader Rick Pierro, these top articles reflect a community focused on bridging the gap between reliable, time-tested engineering and the next generation of smart manufacturing.
1. PID spotlight, part 27: Calculating PID tuning constants
Here are tuning calculations for fast, moderate and slow tuning of PID controllers for all lag/deadtime ratios.
2. Rick Pierro, Superior Controls co-founder, dies at 66
Rick Pierro, co-founder of Superior Controls (now part of E Tech Group), served in multiple positions in the Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) and was a Control Engineering Editorial Advisory Board member, among other industry achievements. Superior Controls was System Integrator of the Year for 2012.
3. Tutorial: Inside look at the ISA112 SCADA lifecycle standard
SCADA lifecycle standard, ISA112, part 1, standardizes terms and provides a diagram for the lifecycle of a supervisory control and data acquisition system, as explained by a committee member at the ScadaFest 2026 event by Trihedral.
4. PID spotlight, part 28: How well will my PID controller work?
What measures of PID controller performance should we care about? How do our tuning choices affect performance? Does the process lag/deadtime ratio limit how well a PID controller can perform, and can we estimate performance?
5. Automatic gain control: control theory case study, advice
This tutorial on closed-loop control for optical communications can be appropriate for other control applications. The amplifier used in fiber-optic communication behaves differently than an electronic amplifier; to maintain a constant gain requires using a type of closed-loop control – automatic gain control (AGC).
6. How to add automation efficiency with agile project management
Elements of agile project management can help certain automation projects; see how in this upgrade of human-machine interface (HMI) software, programmable logic controller (PLC) programming and more.
7. Industrial AI, performance optimization, better OT data needed
“Powering your performance: Process opening keynote” explained how the next generation of industrial operations must be agile, efficient and increasingly autonomous at Aspen Technologies “Optimize 26” conference and training keynote May 11, 2026.
8. Ctrl+Alt+Mfg Ep. 14: From data silos to smart factories, with John Dyck of CESMII and John Harrington of HighByte
As manufacturers scale digital transformation, siloed data remains a barrier. CESMII’s John Dyck and HighByte’s John Harrington explain why interoperability is becoming a business imperative and could be the missing link between industrial data, AI and real manufacturing value.
9. Digital twins deliver new capabilities, value for industrial applications
Digital twins can create a shared reality for operations, as part of an open digital ecosystem, as experts discussed at ARC Leadership Forum, 2026. See recommendations on how to received concrete benefits.
10. Ctrl+Alt+Mfg Ep. 13: Bad data, broken maintenance, with Paul Ross of Limble and Ross Fergerson of RBC Bearings
Manufacturers are eager to deploy AI, predictive maintenance and more advanced digital tools, but many still lack the reliable maintenance data needed to make those investments pay off. Paul Ross of Limble and Ross Fergerson of RBC Bearings explain why technician-friendly systems, stronger data capture and a phased CMMS rollout can help plants reduce downtime and move beyond reactive maintenance.
Check out the top articles from April here.
