EE481 Control Systems

Kunio Takaya
Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of Saskatchewan
October 15, 2009

Routh Hurwitz Stability Criterion

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University of Saskatchewan, Electrical Engineering

EE 481.3 Control Systems

April 2009, Kunio Takaya
Textbook: Norman S. Nise, Control Systems Engineering Fifth
Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2008, ISBN-13 978-0471-79475-2.
Marks: Midterm Exam: 30%, Final Exam 55%, and Assignments
15%
1. Modeling in the frequency domain
Laplace transform
Transfer functions
2. Modeling in the time domain
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 Linear differential equations

State-Space representation
3. Time response
Second-Order Systems
Poles and zeros
Time domain solution of state equations
4. Reduction of multiple subsystems
Block diagrams and Signal-Flow graphs
Masons rule
Similarity transformations
5. Stability
Routh-Hurwitz criterion
Stability in State-Space
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6. Steady-State errors
Steady-State error for unity gain feedback
Steady-State error for disturbance
7. Root Locus techniques
Sketching the root locus
Transient response design via gain adjustment
8. Design via root locus
Cascade compensation
Improving transient response and steady-state error
9. Frequency response techniques
Bode plots
Nyquist diagrams
Systems with time delay
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10. Design via frequency response

Lag compasation
Lead compensation
Classes: MWF 8:30-9:30 a.m. 2B01 Engineering
My office: 3B31
Email: kunio.takaya@usask.ca

Stability

The response of control systems consists of (1) natural response

and forced response, or (2) zero input response and zero state
response. For natural (zero input) response, a system is,
1. stable if the natural response approaches zero as time
approaches infinity.
2. unstable if the natural response approaches infinity as time
approaches infinity.
3. marginally stable if the natural response neither decays nor
grows but remians constant or oscillates.

For the total response, a system is

1. stable if every bounded input yields a bounded output.
2. unstable if any bounded input yields an unbounded output.

The Routh Hurwitz Stability Criterion

The Routh Hurwitz stability criterion is a tool to judge the

stability of a closed loop system without solving for the poles of the
closed loop system.

Generating a Routh-Hurwitz table

10

11

Example 6.1

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Any row of the Routh table may be multiplied by a positive

number.

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Interpreting the basic Routh table

The number of roots of the polynomial that are in the right half
plane is equal to the number of sign changes in the first column.
In Example 6.1,
s3

31

s2

103

s1

72

s0

103

There are two sign changes in the first column.

1 = 72

and

72 = 103

Therefore, two of the four roots of s3 + 10s2 + 31s + 1030 = 0 are in

the right half plane of s-plane.
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Special case 1: Zero in the first column

T (s) =

10
s5 + 2s4 + 3s3 + 6s2 + 5s + 3

When zero is resulted in the first column, replace 0 with a small .

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Examine the first column by assuming  is a either positive or

negative number.

Since there are two sign changes, the polynomial has two poles in
the right half plane.
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Special case 2: An entire row is zero.

T (s) =

10
s5 + 7s4 + 6s3 + 42s2 + 8s + 56

The row if s3 is entirely zero. Let the polynomial above (row of s4 )

be P (s). Then, differentiate P (s).

P (s)

s4 + 6s2 + 8
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dP (s)
ds

4s3 + 12

Then, replace the row of s3 with the coefficients of dP (s)/ds.

Then, proceed normally.

There are no sign changes, so the system T (s) is not unstable.

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More about the case of entire row is zero.

1. The row previous to the row of zeros contain the even
polynomial that is a factor of the original polynomial.
s4 + 6s2 + 8 = 0, in the example above.
2. The root to find is with respect to s2 , so s2 = a yields

s = a. Therefore, the roots are symmetric about the

imaginary axis. If s is complex, s = + j, its complex
conjugate is also a root, meaning symmetric about the real axis
(because the original polynominal is of real coefficients.)
3. Everything from the row containing the even polynomial down
to the end of the Routh table is a test of only the even
polynomial. In the above example, s4 + 6s2 + 8 = 0 has no
roots in RHP. Then, all has to be on the imaginary axis.

4
2
2
2
s + 6s + 8 = (s + 2)(s + 4) = 0 s = j 2, and j2.
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The above example has one root in LHP, and four roots on the
imaginary axis (marginally stable).

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Special case 2: One more example

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T (s) = 8
s + s7 + 12s6 + 22s5 + 39s4 + 59s3 + 48s2 + 38s + 20

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22

Stability Design for Feedback Systems

G(s)
K
T (s) =
= 3
1 + G(s)
s + 18s2 + 77s + K

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 If K > 1386, s1 term is negative. Hence, two poles are in the

right half plane (unstable).
If K < 1386, there are no sign changes. Hence, the feedback
system is stable.
If K = 1386, the row of s1 is zero. By replacing with the
coefficients of the dP (s)/ds, there are no sign changes. The
system T (s) is, however, marginally stable.

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Stability of a State Equation

Conversion from a state equation to a transfer function
The vector/matrix form of the state equation and output equation
for single input and single output is,

x = Ax + bu
y = cx + du
Take the Laplace transform,

sX(s) x(0) = AX(s) + bU (s)

Y (s) = cX(s) + dU (s)
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Transfer function assumes x(0) = 0.

sX(s) x(0) = AX(s) + bU (s)

Y (s) = cX(s) + dU (s)
sX(s) AX(s)

(sI A)X(s) = bU (s)

X(s)

(sI A)1 bU (s)

Y (s)

cX(s) + dU (s)

c(sI A)1 bU (s) + dU (s)

[c(sI A)1 b + d] U (s)

Therefore,
Y (s)
U (s)

c(sI A)1 b + d
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=
=

c(sI A)1 b, if d = 0
c adj(sI A) b
det(sI A)

Since
(sI A)1 =
The poles of the system

adj(sI A)
det(sI A)

Y (s)
are, therefore,
U (s)

det(sI A) = jsI Aj = 0
which is the eigen values of A.

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Example: Apply Routh-Hurwitz stability criterion.

x =

0
2
10

10

8
1 x + 0
u(t)
5 2
0
y = [1 0 0] x

1 0

sIA = s
0 1
0 0

0
2
1
10

8
1
= 2 s 8
5 2
10
5

det(sI A) = s3 6s2 7s 52

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s+2

The Routh table is,

s3

s2

s1

s0

26

26 0

Since there is one sign change, one of three poles is in the right half
plane (unstable).

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