Direct Torque Control (DTC) is a motor control technique used in electric drives. Implementations of DTC can differ substantially depending on the system architecture. Two broad categories of implementation involve utilizing processing power akin to that found in sophisticated mobile devices versus employing specialized, purpose-built hardware for control logic. This dichotomy represents a divergence in control strategy focusing on software programmability versus hardware efficiency.
The selection of a particular architecture impacts performance characteristics, development time, and cost. Software-centric approaches offer greater flexibility in adapting to changing system requirements and implementing advanced control algorithms. Conversely, hardware-centric approaches often exhibit superior real-time performance and lower power consumption due to dedicated processing capabilities. Historically, cost considerations have heavily influenced the decision, but as embedded processing power has become more affordable, software-centric approaches have gained traction.