Introduction

In recent years, control systems have assumed an increasingly

important role in the development and advancement of modern
civilisation and technology. Practically, every aspect of our day-to-
day activities is affected by some type of control systems.
For instance, automatic control air-conditioner controlled the
temperature and the humidity in house and building to give
comfortable life to the users. 
Control systems play very important role in many modern
manufacturing industries such as automatic assembly system,
computer control, machine-tool control, transportation systems,
robotics ,home appliances and many others.
Hence for an Engineer it is absolutely necessary to get familiar
with analysis and designing methods of such control systems
 Definition of a system
• A system an arrangement of physical components connected
or related in such a manner as to form and/or act as an entire
unit.
• The word, control means regulate, direct or command.
• Hence, control system can be defined as an arrangement of
physical components connected or related in such a
manner as to command, direct or regulate itself or another
system.
Systems
 What is Control and Control System?

• Control is the process of causing a system variable to conform

to some desired value.
• Manual control Automatic control (involving machines only—
the topic in this course).
• A Control system is an interconnection of components forming
a system configuration that will provide a desired system
response.
• Types of control
– Open-loop control
– Closed-loop (feedback) control *
 What is Control?
Manual versus Automatic Control
• Control is the process of causing a system variable (ex.temperature, position)
to conform to some desired value called reference value.
• Example: driving a car implies controlling the vehicle to follow the desired
path and arrive safely at a planned destination

• If you drive the car yourself, you are performing a manual control of the car.
If you design a machine (or use a computer) to do it, then you build an
automatic control system
 Examples of control system

1. Driving speed can be maintained by controlling pressure

on the accelerator pedal. This automobile driving
system(accelerator ,carburetor and engine
vehicle)constitutes a control system.

i/p signal Accelerator, linkages and Engine vehicle

Speed
(o/p
(force) carburetor
signal)
Rate of fuel flow controlled
variable
Ex:2, Automatic washing machine

A control system which is calibrated by estimating any

combination of input quantities such as
• Amount of detergent
• Amount of bleach
• Cycle time
• Amount of water
• Temperature of water
 Classification of Control System
Three basic types,
• Man made control system (Vehicles, heaters etc)
• Natural control system (All biological system ;
systems inside human body. Ex: respiration
system , secretion glands(which secretes the
sweat and regulate the body temperature)
• Combination of above two(Ex: Man driving an
automobile)
 Classification depending on the objective,
system

Linear Non linear

Time invariant Time variant

Discrete Continuous

Stochastic Deterministic

Lumped Distributed
parameter parameter
 Advantages of Control System
We build control systems for four primary reasons:
• Power amplification (gain)
ex: Positioning a large radar antenna by low-power rotation of a knob.
ex: Opening and closing valves
• Remote control
ex: Robot arm used to pick up radioactive material.
ex: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.
ex: Remote Terminal Unit in oil production
• Convenience of input form
ex: Changing room temperature by thermostat position.
ex: Quality Control using limit switch
• Compensation for disturbances
ex: Controlling antenna position in the presence of large wind disturbance
torque.
ex: Control Inventory under variable demand
 OPEN LOOP SYSTEM
A system in which control action is totally
independent on the output of system is
called as an open loop system.

Reference Controller Plant Controlled

Input r(t) U(t) Output c (t)
 OPEN LOOP SYSTEM - EXAMPLE
• Tube light
• Fan with regulator
• Temperature controlled Electric Iron
 CLOSE LOOP SYSTEM
A system in which control action is somehow
dependent on the output of system is called
as close loop system.

FEED FORWORD PATH

Reference Error Manipulated
Input Signal Signal
R(t) E(t) U(t)
Command Reference Controlled
X Controller Plant
Input Transducer Output c (t)

Feedback C(t)
Signal B(t) Feedback
Element
FEEDBACK PATH
 Open loop Vs Close loop
Open Loop System Close Loop System
No feedback , No feedback Feedback element Present
Element
No error detector Error detector present
Inaccurate Accurate
Highly sensitive to parameter Less sensitive to parameter
change change

Small bandwidth Large bandwidth

May become unstable Stable
Economical Costly
Advantages and Disadvantages
 Feed forward and feedback control system

• Simplified block diagram of feed forward and feedback

control system
 Comparison of Feedback & Feed forward Control

Feedforward (FF) Control

– Advantages:
• Takes corrective action before the process is upset
• Theoretically capable of "perfect control“
• Does not affect system stability
• Can minimize the transient error
– Disadvantages:
• Disturbance must be measured (capital, operating costs)
• Since open loop limitations in functional accuracy.
• Requires more knowledge of the process to be controlled (process
model)
• Ideal controllers that result in "perfect control”: may be physically
unrealizable. Use practical controllers such as lead-lag units
 Comparison of Feedback & Feed forward Control

Feedback (FB) Control

– Advantages
• Corrective action occurs regardless of the source and type of disturbances.
• Requires little knowledge about the process (For example, a process model
is not necessary).
• Versatile and robust (Conditions change? May have to re-tune controller).
– Disadvantages
• FB control takes no corrective action until a deviation in the controlled
variable occurs.
• FB control is incapable of correcting a deviation from set point at the time
of its detection.
• Theoretically not capable of achieving “perfect control.”
• For frequent and severe disturbances, process may not settle out.
The control system design process