2/25/2015

EE110, S15: Circuits and Systems, Lecture 7

Prof. Ping Hsu
Step response of a system

Step Response
2

Step Response of a system is its response (i.e. its output) to a unit

step input.
X ( s)

1
s

x(t ) u (t )

H(s)

Y ( s) H (s)

1
s

y (t )

Step Response of H(s)

Step response is a common way of characterizing a system. From

observing the step response, one can tell many characteristic of the
system such as: stability, fast, slow, oscillatory, etc..

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Step Response of a first-order system.

3

First-order system basic form:

Y ( s) H ( s) X ( s)

H ( s)

b
sa

A
b 1 A1

2
sa
( s a ) s s

y (t ) L1 Y ( s ) A1 u (t ) A2 e at u(t )

1.5

where
A1 sY ( s ) s 0

A2 ( s a )Y ( s ) s a
y (t ) y step (t )

b / a1

b
a

y ( t)

b
a

0.5
0

b
(1 e at ) u(t )
a

10

A stable first-order system of the basic form (above) is

exponentially converging to the steady state value b/a.

Example of a first order system with a transfer function of the form.

H ( s)

b
sa

I(s)

Y ( s)
1/( sC )
b

,
X ( s ) R 1/( sC ) s a
1
where a b
RC

1
sC

H ( s)

Y(s)

The step response of the circuit is:

1.5

b
y (t ) ystep (t ) (1 e at ) u(t ) (1 e at ) u (t )
a

1
y( t)
0.5

The output voltage converges to b/a =1.

10

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DC Gain of H(s) = H(0)

5

The steady state value of the step response of the transfer function H ( s )
lim ystep (t )

b
sa

b
b
(1 e at ) u(t )
a
a

This result can be directly obtained by using the Final Value Theorem.
The steady state value of the step response of any stable transfer function
H(s) is
1
yss lim y step (t ) lim sYstep ( s ) lim sH ( s ) lim H ( s ) H (0)
t
s 0
s s 0

s 0
Time domain value

Freq. domain value

H(0) is also known as the DC gain of the system. Since steady state
of the input (i.e. the unit step function) is a DC value of 1 and the
steady state value (like a DC value) of the output is H(0)1=H(0).

DC Gain of H(s) = H(0)

6

Example: The input to the following transfer function is (3+e-t)u(t).

Find the steady state value of the output.
H ( s)

3s 12
s 3 6 s 2 11s 6

Solution: This H(s) has three poles: -1, -2, -3 and they are all in the LeftHalf s-plane) of H(s) so the system is stable. For a stable system, its DC
gain is H(0). The DC steady state value of the input is.
uss lim (3 e t )u (t ) 3
t

So,

Yss H (0) 3

12
3 6
6

x (t ) (3 e t )u (t )

H(s)

yss

3H(0)=6

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Step Response of a second-order system

7

Second-order system basic form:

H ( s)

02
s 2 20 s 02

where o is the natural frequency,

(zeta) is the damping ratio.
Any 2nd order system without zero can be put into this basic form,
e.g.,
1
1
H ( s) 2

2 s 2s 4
(2)2
1 1
H ( s) 2
2
2 4 s 2(0.5)(2) s (2)
H ( s)

2s 4s 8
2

o =2 and =0.5 in this case. The leading term (1/8) is a

scaling factor.

Step Response of a second-order system

8

An RLC circuit example:

H ( s)

02
1/( sC )
1
1/( LC )

R sL 1/( sC ) LCs 2 RCs 1 s 2 ( R / L) s 1/( LC ) s 2 20 s 02

where 0 1/ LC and

R C
2 L

Step Response:
Y ( s) H ( s) X ( s)

02
1

( s 20 s 02 ) s
2

Remark: The DC gain of this circuit is H(0)=1.

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Step Response of a second-order system

9

When taking the inverse Laplace transform of Y(s),

Y (s) H ( s) X (s)

02
1

( s 20 s 02 ) s
2

we need to consider three cases:

Case 1: >1. Distinct pole case. Over-damped system.
Case 2: =1. Repeat pole case. Critically-damped system
.
Case 3: <1. Complex pole case. Under-damped system.

Case 1: >1 (Distinct pole case, >1) Over-damped system

Y ( s) H ( s) X ( s)

02
1

( s 20 s 02 ) s
2

02
s ( s p1 )( s p2 )

A0
A1
A2

s
s p1 s p2

x
p1

x
p2

o
s-plane

where A0, A1, A2, p1, p2 are all real

2nd

An over-damped
order systems step
response is exponential (similar to that of
a 1st-order system).

Amplitude

y(t) A0 u(t) A1 e p1t u(t) A2 e p2t u(t)

10

Step Response

1.5

Step Response:

0.5

10

15

20

25

(=2, o=1)

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Case 2: >1 (Repeated pole case, =1) Critically-damped system.

j

02
1
Y ( s) H ( s) X ( s) 2

( s 20 s 02 ) s

xx
p1= p2

02

A
A1
A2

s ( s p1 )( s p2 ) s
s p1 s p1 2
where p1 0

s-plane

Step Response

1.5

y(t ) A0 u(t ) A1 A2 t e p1t u(t )

Amplitude

Step Response:
1

0.5

10

15

20

25

Red: =1, o=1 (critically=damped)

Blue: =2, o=1 (over-damped)

11

Case 2: <1 (Complex pole case, <1) Under-damped system.

Y (s) H ( s) X (s)

02
1

( s 20 s 02 ) s
2

cos

poles of H (s) : p1,2 0 j0 1 2

Step Response:

y (t ) 1

1
1 2

e o t sin d t
Step Response

or

1.2

1
1

e o t cos d t

Amplitude

y (t ) 1
where

cos( ) or cos ( ),
1

d o
12

90

d is called damped natural frequency.)

0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0

10

15

20

25

Black : =0.5, o=1 (under-damped)

Red: =1, o=1 (critically-damped)
Blue: =2, o=1 (over-damped)

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Step Response of 2nd Order Systems

13

You can also express the step response using the transform functions
coefficients directly, (rather than the standard form using and ).
Over-damped case:

step
ab
b at
a bt
response

y (t ) 1
H ( s)
e
e
ba
ba
s a s b

Critically-damped case:
H ( s)

a2

s a

y (t ) 1 e

at

ate

at

Under-damped case:
H ( s)

-b

(under-damped)

a 2 b2

s a

b
o

-a

step
response

a 2 b2 at

y (t ) 1
e sin bt
b
step
response

b2

b
where tan 1
a

Step Response of 2nd Order Systems

14

For all three cases, the bigger o is, the faster the
systems response.

constant
lines

For under-damped systems (case 3), the damping

ratio (or the angle on the s-plane) determines how
oscillatory the response is. The following figure
shows the step response of a system with o=1 and
=1, 0.8, 0.5, 0.3 and 0.1 (the most oscillatory one).
d is the oscillation frequency.

=0.5

=0.9

A m p lit u d e

n=0.25
.
n=0.5
n=0.75
.
n=1

1.5
1

constant
o curves

0.5
0

=0.7

Step Response

=0.2

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

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Percentage of overshoot
15

Percentage of overshoot (P) of a step response is the percentage of the output

that goes beyond the steady state value.
P

yover
yss

yover
yss

Percentage of overshoot (P) of a step response

is related to the damping ratio by

Pe
2

1.729

1 2

Step Response

0.1

0.729

=0.1
=0.3

1.5
A m p lit u d e

1.372
1.163

0.3

0.372

0.5

0.163

0.5

0.8

0.015

1.0

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Step Response vs. pole location

1.5
y ( t)

y ( t)

0.5
0

More
oscillatory
(lower
damping)

1.5

Higher
Frequency

y ( t)

0.5

1.5
y ( t)

0 1 2 3 4 5
t

1
0.5
0

0 1 2 3 4 5
t
1.5

Faster converging

y ( t)

1
0.5
0

0 1 2 3 4 5
t

1.5

Single pole
case
16

y ( t)

1
0

y ( t)

0.5

-5

0 1 2 3 4 5
t

y ( t)

0.5
0

0 1 2 3 4 5
t

j7
0 1 2 3 4 5
t

2
1.5
1
0.5
0

j5

0 1 2 3 4 5
t
1.5

y ( t)

0.5
0

0 1 2 3 4 5
t

0.5

2
1.5
1
0.5
0

0 1 2 3 4 5
t
2
1.5
1.5
1
1
y ( t) 1
y ( t)
y ( t)
0.5
0.5
0.5
0
0
0
0 1 2 3 4 5
0 1 2 3 4 5
0 1 2 3 4 5
t
t
t
1.5
1.5
2
1.5
1
1
y ( t)
y ( t)
y ( t) 1
0.5
0.5
0.5
0
0
0
0 1 2 3 4 5
0 1 2 3 4 5
0 1 2 3 4 5
t
t
t
1.5
1.5
y ( t)

0.5

y ( t)

1.5

1
0

1
0

0 1 2 3 4 5
t

1.5

1
0

y ( t)

0.5

0 1 2 3 4 5
t

1.5
y ( t)

1.5

0 1 2 3 4 5
t

-3

j3
j

1
0.5
0

0 1 2 3 4 5
t

-1

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2nd Order Mechanical System Example:

Car Suspension System (Shock Absorber)
17

Newton's Law:
d2y
dy
k ( y x ) b y x
dt 2
dt
Laplace transform:
m

mY ( s ) s 2 k Y ( s ) X ( s ) bs Y ( s ) X ( s )
Transfer Function:
H ( s)

( s z1 )
Y ( s)
b1 s b2

b1
X ( s ) s 2 a1s a2
( s p1 )( s p2 )

2013 National Technology and Science Press. All rights reserved.

Pavement Models
18

2013 National Technology and Science Press. All rights reserved.

2/25/2015

Cars Response to Driving over 10-cm Curb

19

Design objective:

Newton's Law:

Find the proper spring (k)

and damper (b) so that the
system is critically damped.

d2y
dy
k ( y x ) b y x
dt 2
dt
Transfer Function:
( s z1 )
b s b2
Y ( s)
H ( s)
2 1
b1
( s p1 )( s p2 )
X ( s ) s a1 s a2
m

2013 National Technology and Science Press. All rights reserved.

Cars Response to Driving over 10-cm Deep Pothole

20

y(t) L1 H (s)X(s) , X(s)

10
(1 e0.2 s )u(t)
s

2013 National Technology and Science Press. All rights reserved.

10