  This paper deals with the problem of control of partially known nonlinear
systems, which have an open-loop stable equilibrium, but we would like to add a
PI controller to regulate its behavior around another operating point. Our main
contribution is the identification of a class of systems for which a globally
stable PI can be designed knowing only the systems input matrix and measuring
only the actuated coordinates. The construction of the PI is done invoking
passivity theory. The difficulties encountered in the design of adaptive PI
controllers with the existing theoretical tools are also discussed. As an
illustration of the theory, we consider port--Hamiltonian systems and a class
of thermal processes.
