ME 311: Autumn 2021

Tutorial #5
Shashikanth Suryanarayanan, Abhishek Gupta

R∞
1. The (one-sided) Laplace Transform of a function f (t) is defined as L(f (t)) = 0
f (t)e−st dt. You may
assume the signal(s) assume(s) value of zero for t < 0.

Now if F1 (s) and F2 (s) are respectively the Laplace Transforms of f1 (t) and f2 (t), show that
Rt
L( 0 f1 (t)dt) = F1s(s)
2. Compute the Laplace Transforms of the signals:
(a) e−at us (t), where us (t) is the unit step function
(b) f (t) = te−at us (t), where us (t) is the unit step function

3. For each of the following, identify the functions whose Laplace Transforms are as listed below.
1
(a) s+1
1
(b) s2 +3s+2
1
(c) s2 +s+1
1
(d) s3 +11s2 +11s+10
1
(e) s(s+2)2

4. Show that the map G : u → y given by the nth order LCC ODE: y (n) (t) + an−1 y (n−1) (t) + · · · + a0 y(t) =
bm u(m) (t) + · · · + b0 u(t) is BIBO stable if and only if each of the roots of the characteristic polynomial
s2 + an−1 sn−1 + · · · + a0 has a negative real part. Note: You need to show the result both for the case
when the roots of the characteristic polynomial are distinct as well as for the case that some of the roots
of characteristic polynomial repeat.
5. For each of the following, arrive at the transfer function Gu→y (s), impulse, (unit) step responses and the
Frequency response. Hand-sketch the impulse, step responses vs t and frequence response (magnitude and
phase) vs ω. In your hand sketches pay attention to rise time, settling times, overshoots, envelopes, cut-off
frequency, slope of asymptotes, behaviour around cut-off frequencies etc.

You may use MATLAB to verify your sketches. In MATLAB, look at the functions impulse, step,
bode respectively for plotting, impulse, step and frequency responses.

(a) 0.5ẏ(t) + y(t) = u(t)

(b) 0.5ẏ(t) + y(t) = 0.05u̇(t) + u(t)
(c) ÿ(t) + 3ẏ(t) + 2y(t) = 2u(t)
(d) ÿ(t) + 2ẏ(t) + y(t) = u(t)
(e) ÿ(t) + ẏ(t) + y(t) = u(t)
(f) ÿ(t) + ẏ(t) + y(t) = 0.1u̇(t) + u(t)
(g) ÿ(t) + ẏ(t) + y(t) = u̇(t) + u(t)

1
 (h) ÿ(t) + ẏ(t) + y(t) = −u̇(t) + u(t)

6. Figure ?? shows six step responses (name them S1 through S6 top to bottom) and six bode magnitude
plots (name them B1 through B6 top to bottom). Match each of S1 through S6 and B1 through B6 with
one of the following LCC ODE/transfer function relationships. Your answer should be of the form e.g.,
G1 : S1, B4
• G1 : ÿ(t) + ẏ(t) + y(t) = u(t)
• G2 : ÿ(t) + 2ẏ(t) + 4y(t) = u̇(t) + u(t)
• G3 : ÿ(t) + 2.8ẏ(t) + 4y(t) = ü(t) + 1.2u̇(t) + 4u(t)
• G4 : ÿ(t) + ẏ(t) + y(t) = u̇(t) − u(t)
• G5 : ÿ(t) + 2ẏ(t) + 4y(t) = 3u̇(t) + u(t)
4 9
• G6 : G(s) = 0.2( s2 +2s+4 ) + 0.8( s2 +2s+9 )

7. Sketch, by hand the Bode Plots for LTI systems described by the following transfer functions.
1
(a) s
1
(b) s2
s
(c) 1 + 0.01s+1
(d) s52 1 + 0.01s+1
s

(e) s52 1 + 0.01s+1

s 100




s2 +14s+100

Verify your sketches against bode plots from MATLAB.

8. Consider an interconnection of LTI operators P and K (arising from now-should-be-familiar Cruise Con-
trol) shown in Figure ?? with P described by the relationship
EG
M v̇(t) = α(t) − FL (t)
R
and K described by the relationship
Z t
α(t) = KP e(t) + KI e(τ )dτ
0

(a) Obtain the relationship between {vdes (t), FL (t), n(t)} and v(t). Convince yourself that the map from
{vdes (t), FL (t), n(t)} → v(t) is an LTI map.
(b) What are the transfer functions for the maps Gvdes →v , GFL →v and Gn→v ?
(c) For E = 100, G = 3, R = 0.3, M = 1000
i. Plot the frequency response of the map Gα→v
ii. Choose KP and KI such that the transfer function Gvdes →v is described by
b1 s + b0
Gvdes →v (s) =
s2 + 2ζωn s + ωn2
with ωn = 0.5 and ζ = 0.7
iii. For the choice of KP and KI made in part (ii) above, compute v(t) for the choice of vdes =
20, FL (t) = 0, n(t) = sin(10t). How would you interpret your answer from a view of what it
means to the fundamental trade-off between reference tracking and disturbance rejection?

9. (Do not have to solve this for Tutorial submission but something to think about for those interested)
Consider the map G from u → y described by the linear, constant-coefficient ODE:
...
y (t) + 12ÿ(t) + 22ẏ(t) + 20y(t) = 20u(t) with initial conditions ÿ(0) = 0; ẏ(0) = 0; y(0) = 0

2
(a) Obtain the transfer function of G.
(b) Obtain the impulse response of G
(c) Obtain the response of G to the input u(t) = sin(2t)
(d) Provide a second-order ODE relationship G1 from u → y1 (t) such that ∀u(t), y1 (t) ≈ y(t).

3
 4

Figure 1: Step Responses and Bode Magnitudes

Figure 2: Cruise Control