ME211 Control System Engineering

Dr Syed Irtiza Ali Shah

Introduction to
Controls
REF: TEXTBOOK CHAPTER 1 (TCH1)

Lecture notes by Dr Syed Irtiza Ali Shah

Where we are
Last time
◦ Applications of Controls Engineering
◦ System Definition & Advantages
◦ System Configuration
◦ Performance Measures
◦ Design Criteria or Objectives
Now
◦ System Modelling, Analysis and Design, Test Inputs, An Example

Lecture notes by Dr Syed Irtiza Ali Shah

 Review: Design Criteria or Objectives
Stability
◦ Total response= natural + forced response; natural response must diminish to
almost zero with time
◦ A system must be stable in order to produce proper transient and steady state
response
Transient Response
◦ Effect of both natural and transient response immediately after input, till steady
state is achieved
◦ Transient response is important because it affects the speed of the system and
influences human patience and comfort, besides affecting physical factors like
mechanical stress
Steady State Response
◦ Response of the system, once transients have died (natural response diminished)
◦ It determines the accuracy of the control system; i.e how closely the output
matches the desired response

Lecture notes by Dr Syed Irtiza Ali Shah

An Example: Antenna Azimuth Position Control

Simple forward path gain (P) controller decreases steady state

error but transient response is compromised. More advanced
controller is PID which can control transients, steady state and
ensures stability

Lecture notes by Dr Syed Irtiza Ali Shah

 Modelling, Analysis & Design
Mathematical model of the physical system is developed using
◦ First Principles (e.g Newton’s laws, Euler laws, Ohms law, Hooks law, Kirchoff’s
voltage and current laws for closed paths and nodes, etc)

Modeling may be done using 3 approaches

◦ Capturing differential equations of the system
◦ Taking Laplace transforms of diffrl eqns: Transfer function approach
◦ Representing nth order diffr eqns as n simultaneous 1st order eqns: State Space

A typical analysis task could be to determine transient response of

the system, with various types of test inputs
Typical design tasks could be to
◦ determine system parameters to meet desired transient response
◦ or to reduce steady state error by certain percent

Lecture notes by Dr Syed Irtiza Ali Shah

Test inputs for Analysis & Design

Lecture notes by Dr Syed Irtiza Ali Shah

 Steps for Control System Design
Step 1: Determine a physical system and
specifications from requirements
Step 2: Draw a functional block diagram
Step 3: Represent the physical system as a schematic SYSTEM
MODELLING
Step 4: Use the schematic to obtain a mathematical
model, such as a block diagram
Step 5: Reduce the block diagram

Step 6: Analyze and design the system to meet

specified requirements and specifications that ANALYSIS
include stability, transient response, and steady- & DESIGN
state performance.

Lecture notes by Dr Syed Irtiza Ali Shah

Antenna Azimuth Position Control

SYSTEM
MODELLING
ANALYSIS
& DESIGN

Lecture notes by Dr Syed Irtiza Ali Shah

Computer Aided Tools
For modelling, analysis and design we use
Matlab and its Control system Toolbox
◦ Tutorial at Appendix B
Simulink: Graphical user interface
◦ Tutorial at Appendix C
Labview (alternative to Matlab & Simulink)
◦ Tutorial at Appendix D

Lecture notes by Dr Syed Irtiza Ali Shah

Summary
Antenna position control example
System Modelling, Analysis and Design
Test input for analysis and design
Steps for control system design
Computer aided tools for Controls

Reading Assignment:
◦ Chapter 1: Review Questions with solution

Next Time:
◦ Chapter 2: Modelling in frequency domain

Lecture notes by Dr Syed Irtiza Ali Shah