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Lecture 1

Control Theory involves managing a system's output to adhere to a specific reference value, with classifications based on operation, goal, and information use. Feedback control systems can be open-loop or closed-loop, with the latter using sensors to measure output and adjust accordingly. Key goals of control systems include stability, tracking, disturbance rejection, and robustness against changes in the system's dynamics.

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3 views

Lecture 1

Control Theory involves managing a system's output to adhere to a specific reference value, with classifications based on operation, goal, and information use. Feedback control systems can be open-loop or closed-loop, with the latter using sensors to measure output and adjust accordingly. Key goals of control systems include stability, tracking, disturbance rejection, and robustness against changes in the system's dynamics.

Uploaded by

maria reverte
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Control Theory and Self-Regulation (TCA - 22134)

Lecture 1: M1. Introduction to Feedback Control


Definitions and components
o Control:
o Process of making a system variable (output) adhere to a
particular value (reference)
o Dynamic system:
o Its state varies over time (time dependency)
o Can be modelled using differential equations (time
derivatives): first derivative (first order), second derivative
(second order), etc.
o Examples: swinging of a pendulum, charge/discharge of
RC circuits and temperature in a heated room.

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Some control classifications
o Operation:
o Manual (requires human action)
o Automatic (involves machines only)
o Goal:
o Regulator (steady output against disturbances)
o Tracking or servo (reference signal tracking)
o Use of information:
o Open-loop (controlled output is not measured)
o Closed-loop or feedback (controlled output is measured
and fed back to the controller)
o Feedforward (controller is fed with observations of the
future track/disturbances)
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Feedback control: example
o Example: feedback control of room temperature

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Feedback control: block diagram
o Component block diagram of an elementary feedback control

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Feedback control

o Process: component whose output is controlled


o Output: controlled variable of the process
o Actuator: device that can influence the output of the process (important properties: power, speed and reliability)
o Plant: process + actuator (simplification, usually modelled together)
o Disturbance: external factor/s that can influence the output of the process
o Controller: component that computes the control signal for the actuator depending on the difference between the
reference and the sensor measures
o Control signal: signal (typically electrical) that controls the actuator
o Sensor: device that measures the output (important properties: placement, accuracy, low noise, reliability and
linearity)
o Sensor noise: noise that is present in the sensor
o Reference: target value of the output
o Input filter: component that converts the physical variable into an electrical signal for the controller (e.g.,
transducer + amplifier + filters + ADC)
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Feedback control: example
In the room temperature example
o Process: house (room)
o Output: room temperature
o Actuator: gas valve + furnace
o Plant: (gas valve + furnace) + room
o Disturbance: heat loss
o Controller: thermostat
o Control signal: unknown
o Sensor: within thermostat
o Sensor noise: unknown
o Reference: desired temperature
o Input filter: not present

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Another example (hobby servo motor)

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(Images source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXURLvga8bQ)
A counterexample: stepper motors
o Not all control systems must be based on negative feedback, open-loop controllers are
acceptable (and even preferable) in many scenarios if the actuators are accurate and
the disturbances do not cause errors. An example are stepper motors in printers and
CNC machines.

o Stepper motors are DC electric motors that divide a full rotation into a number of equal
steps. The shaft can be commanded to rotate and hold at one of these steps without
any position sensor for feedback (an open-loop controller), as long as the motor is
correctly sized to the application in respect to torque and speed. (adapted from
Wikipedia)

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Feedback fundamentals
Typical goals in control systems:
o Stability: the system must be stable at all times. This is an absolute
requirement. Feedback control can stabilize systems that otherwise are
unstable (e.g., a Segway) but, on the other hand, it can cause instability in
systems that are otherwise stable.
o Tracking: the system output must track the reference signal as closely as
possible.
o Disturbance rejection: the system output must be as insensitive as
possible to disturbances.
o Robustness (must not be too sensitive to changes in the dynamics of the
physical system with respect to the mathematical model): the above goals
must be met even if the model used in the design is not completely accurate
(e.g., linear mathematical model of a non-linear physical system) or if the
dynamics of the physical system change over time.
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Summary
o Control is the process of making a system variable adhere to a particular value, called the reference
value. A system designed to follow a changing reference is called tracking control or a servo. A system
designed to maintain an output fixed regardless of the disturbances present is called a regulating control
or a regulator.
o Two kinds of control were defined and illustrated based on the information used in control and named by
the resulting structure. In open-loop control, the system does not measure the output and there is no
correction of the actuating signal to make that output conform to the reference signal. In closed-loop
control, the system includes a sensor to measure the output and uses feedback of the sensed value to
influence the control variable.
o A simple feedback system consists of the process (or plant = process + actuator) whose output is to be
controlled, the actuator whose output causes the process output to change, a reference command
signal, and output sensors that measure these signals, and the controller that implements the logic by
which the control signal that commands the actuator is calculated
o Block diagrams are helpful for visualizing system structure and the flow of information in control systems.
The most common block diagrams represent the mathematical relationships among the signals in a
control system
o A well-designed feedback control system will be stable, track a desired input or reference, reject
disturbances, and be insensitive (or robust) to changes in the mathematical model used for design.
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