This paper proposes the implementation, analysis and comparison of the control techniques Proportional, Integral and Derivative, Nonlinear Predictive, Fuzzy control and Sliding Mode Control technique applied to the speed control of an independent excited DC motor driven by a three-phase fully controlled rectifier of six pulses. The methodology proposes the design of the bench, modeling of the real system by the system identification method and the adjustments of the parameters of the controllers using an optimization process. Comparisons are made between the techniques, highlighting their characteristics and performances when executed under similar conditions. The robustness of each control, when acting on a nonlinear system, is investigated. All control techniques are applied in three different tests: (i) reference signal of step type without load application, (ii) reference signal with amplitude variation without load application and (iii) reference signal of step type with load application. The smallest value of the integral of the absolute percentage error for the first test is 2.01% with the Fuzzy control, for the second test is 3.34% with the nonlinear predictive control and for the third test it is 1.41% also with the nonlinear predictive control. The techniques present satisfactory performance in the execution of the proposed control, depending, therefore, on the analysis of the system to be implemented to determine the appropriate method.