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14

MATLAB as Interface for Intelligent Digital

Control of Dynamic Systems
João Viana da Fonseca Neto and Gustavo Araújo de Andrade
Federal University of Maranhão
Department of Electrical Engineering
Control Process Laboratory
Brazil

1. Introduction
Digital control systems have shown to the developers the features and their applications in a
wide variety of plants. Tools that help the developer to promote a design methodology that
is efficient and at the same time reliable, has gained ground in the market and attributions
of control engineers. Tasks such as data acquisition system, control design and system
implementation can become arduous if there are prerequisites for sensitivity and complexity
of the controller for these tasks take time and performance of the developer which will entail
additional costs to the final product. These tools provide the designer with the scientist and
the smooth progress of their work role has important and necessary in many areas will be
subject to this study. The integration of technologies to speed and lower costs as it relates the
design phases can be observed with a proper exploration of the work tool and how knowledge
of plant and control techniques that meet in a less costly the goal of being achieved whatever
the difficulties of the project. The choice of a tool properly can be a deciding factor in a
world where time and efficiency of processes is become extremely important because the
applications are growing in scale and more complex, Moudgalya (2007), Andrade (2010).
Intelligent Systems has considerable performance in accordance with plans and small large
and its design encompasses more robustness to the system as well as ease of expansion. The
mathematical simplicity that fuzzy systems can present and adaptability of neural networks
are adopted more frequently in the academy and the industry.
An approach of intelligent systems requires a systematic and efficient operation because one
works with a data stream that needs a consistency so that the iterations will be where made
all the decisions may have minimal accounting. A tool that can assist in the design of this
requirement is most welcome in engineering projects for control system parameter becomes
constant with time,S. Sumathi (2010).
The MATLAB software designers can provide facilities for development and interface with
different technologies for data acquisition through its communication protocols such as Serial
Interface, OPC, Ethernet and others. This work is mainly focused on a methodology design
of digital control systems using as development platform and implementing in software
MATLAB.

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2. Digital control and Data Acquisition Systems

The Data Acquisition System (DAS)is a key part to the project and implementation of digital
controllers for the nature of digital systems is based on sampled analog system, ie played
by the analog system a digital computer and its Since the interface Digital - Analog system
performs the control actions . The Figure 1 shows a diagram of a system digital control and
its special features such as the pool Analog - Digital and Digital - Analogue, responsible for
interfacing with the analog environment.

Fig. 1. Digital Control System Diagram

A digital control system is obtained from the reconstruction of analog signal contained in
nature. This reconstruction is related mainly with the data acquisition system which is also
involved modeling digital control system. Figure 2 illustrates the design of a system basic
data acquisition of an industry.

Fig. 2. DAQ System Diagram

The modern control concepts applied in the contemporary industry may be appropriated
to the development of academic research activities. The introduction of a methodology
parameters that specify and clarify the implementation of monitoring and control of dynamic
systems.
In Figures 1 and 2 are shown at different levels, primary architectures to industrial control
systems. In Figure 1 is exposed a system with minimal complexity, type SISO (Single Input
- Single Output) that can occur in n times or a more complex system can be mapped as a
black box system, where internal states of the process do not matter. In Figure 2 is noted,

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MATLAB as Interface
MATLAB as Interface for Control
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of Dynamic Systems Control of Dynamic Systems 2793

however, approach of discrete variables on the process that encompasses the entire plant
worrying about sub stages.
In this work is explored a way to conceptualize these types of sound architecture in a way
such that the system can be modeled and represented whatever its complexity, thus using a
powerful tool when it comes to development concepts and analysis.

3. Discrete models of dynamic systems

To be held control of dynamic systems, it is necessary in this environment, the perception of
some step that must be met for a procedure with minimum guarantees for the project. In the
following sections will show important steps as ways to implement them by programming or
graphical interface in MATLAB, Moudgalya (2007) and Charles L. Philips (1995).

3.1 Dynamic system identification tools

The identification of dynamic systems can be facilitated so as to make procedures the control
design more efficient from the standpoint of technical feasibility and cost. processes of various
types can be considered as chemical, mechanical or even behavior, used for macroeconomic
modeling systems.
The use of tools that comply with the practicality of applying the concept and system design
digital control is very suitable as mentioned before, so we introduce a way simple to obtain
mathematical models of whatever the process, however in the case of linear or linearized
process. To initiate an identification in the MATLAB we can proceed in two ways and the
designer must choose whichever is most convenient to your time and level of knowledge that
it is your process or your plan.
In Command Window use the following command to open the graphical user interface the
Identification Toolbox:

>> ident

will produce the screens shown in Figure 3, where you can begin the process of identification.

(a) Control to start Ident (b) Ident Main Screen

Fig. 3. Opening The Identification Tool Box - MATLAB

On these screens you can start importing the measurement data on the system or even with
knowledge in the previous system

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The main tool for modeling dynamic systems to digital control is the MATLAB Identification
Tool Box of, a feature that helps the designer to seamlessly and generates discrete polynomial
transfer functions and the user without the need of programming the algorithms used for
system identification. The IDENT from MATLAB Graphical User Interface is shown in Figures 4
and 3 and in this figure that can be seen are located to the left set of data and the right answer,
ie the model to be obtained.

(a) Ident GUI (b) Data - Time Response (c) Model- Time Response

(d) Model -Frequency Response

Fig. 4. Results From The Identification Tool Box - MATLAB

Still in Figure 4 can observe that the user can define various aspects modeling systems such as
filtering of data and type of modeling, as well as the analysis of response in time and frequency
of the system model, Gene F. Franklin (1998).
Through this tool we can get two different ID type models in the output. The model based on
parameters in the output shows a polynomial equation in discrete form
It should be added that among the numerous tools of identification, we will use polynomial
will be the identification, because it gives us a response in discrete time, which makes this
model implementable on digital computers. With the option to generate a polynomial model
identification as described in Eq.1.

Y (z) b + b1 z−1 + b2 z−2 + . . . bn z−n

G (z) = = 0 (1)
U (z) 1 + a1 z −1 + a2 z −2 + . . . a n z − n

3.2 The plant modeling

The estimation of parameters of the transfer function of the plant is performed with the
Toolbox Identification Systems MATLAB. Using the observations of voltage and temperature
measurements, table,we can get the parameters of a 2nd order transfer function.
In Figure 5 to represent the operation points thermal plant for a first evaluation of the
algorithm, shows the temperature behavior from departure to variations in operating points.

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of Dynamic Systems Control of Dynamic Systems 2815

The bands system operation are separated for purposes of calculation of the parameters of a
model of second order. The band Operation of this plant is between 580 and 60 0 as observed
in Figure 5.

3.2.1 Computational and hardware setups

It is understood by Hardware setups and computational specifications of the hardware and
and design specifications that are the model order and delay. Description of procedure for
conducting the experiment are presented in next sections.

3.2.2 OE model
Using Identification Toolbox to estimate the parameters of the discrete model OE (Output-Error)
operated in the delay is given by

B(q)
T (t) = ω (t) + e(t) (2)
F (q)
where

A(q) = 1 − 1.52q− 1 + 0.5336q−2

B(q) = 0.7426q−1 − 0.7187q−2

Considering the transfer function of the deterministic signal from the ω input we have

T (t) B(q)
= (3)
ω (t) F (q)

3.2.3 The transfer function and polynomial form

The transfer function in Z plane is given by

W (z) B(z) 0.7426z − 0.718

= = 2 (4)
Va (z) F (z) z − 1.52z + 0.5336
The poles of the transfer function in Z, pz1 = 0.9697 and pz1 = 0.5503is the positive axis that
divides the first and fourth quadrants. The zero is given by z = 0.9678 and is on top from one
pole to the nearest two decimal places.
Applying the transformation C2D command of Toolbox Control gives the model transfer
function continuously in the model time we have

T (s) B(s) 0.9852s − 0.03224

= = 2 (5)
Va (s) F (s) s + 0.628s + 0.01837
The poles of the transfer function at s,pc1 = −0.5973and pc2 = −0.0308. The zero at zc =
−0.0327 nearly cancels the effect pole pc2 .
The MATLAB scrip execution has to read the temperature signals and actuator to estimate
the parameters a mathematical model that represents the operating point system’s thermal
system.

Sys = OE(Data,[nb nf nk]

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where
Data is the object containing the information input and output system;
nb is the order of the polynomial B(q) from Equation 1;
n f is the order of the polynomial F (q) from Equation 1;
nk is the input delay

We can also order the knowledge to perform analysis in continuous time by following the
identification commands
M = idproc(type,value)
Thereby generating a frequency domain model type

1 + Tz s
G (s) = Kp e−Td s (6)
(1 + Tp1 s)(1 + Tp2 s)(1 + Tp3 s)

Where the parameters of the function idproc are inherent in the system type, order and
constant delay.
The graphs in Figure 5 are constructed in accordance with the instructions from design
requirements . The first statement stores the vector medt values of temperature around the
heat source (resistor) and the actuator speed ω. The third instruction is didactic and for
implementation is not required to be codified.

Fig. 5. Continuous Process Reaction Curve.

3.3 Model survey

The lifting of the method consists of parametric estimation conversion this model of transfer
function in Z.

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MATLAB as Interface
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3.3.1 Model discrete time

The procedure for the identification of parameters of discrete time is encoded in the script,
converting (describing) the discrete models in transfer function descriptions.
The Figure 5 shows the comparison of behavior temperature of the continuous model obtained
by the process reaction curve

3.3.2 Transfer functions

The purpose of the transfer functions we generate the files contains models of the objects
should be stored OE to conversion models.

3.3.3 Estimating parameters scripts

The establishment of a procedure for estimating parameters (connotation: scientific) or lifting
of a model (connotation: engineering) presented in this section consists of three steps. The
first step is the generation each measurement. The second step consists of estimating the
parameters of functions transfer. The third step is the analysis of the model have the impulse
response, Bode diagram and step.

3.4 A Platform to testing control systems

To validate our experiment we used a platform for experiments with micro digital circuits
processed with the support of micro controllers that can be easily programmed using
knowledge of language with C and a broad support to this type of application as in Ibrahim
(2006),Lewis (2001) and Wilmshurst (2007).
Using the Microchip PIC micro controller family we can turn our platform to run on following
code done in C programming language.

#device adc=10
#use delay(clock=4000000)
#fuses HS,NOWDT,PUT
#use rs232(baud=9600, xmit=PIN_C6,rcv=PIN_C7)
#include <mod_lcd.c>

main()
{
long int value=0;
float temp=0;
int i=0;
lcd_ini();
setup_timer_2 (T2_DIV_BY_16, 61, 1);
setup_ADC_ports (RA0_analog);
setup_adc(ADC_CLOCK_INTERNAL );
setup_ccp1(ccp_pwm);
set_pwm1_duty ( 0 );
setup_ccp2(ccp_pwm);
set_pwm2_duty ( 0 );
set_adc_channel(0);
printf ("%%------------ DAQ - System ------------ \r\n");
printf ("%%Temperature (žC) \r\n");
while(true){

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set_pwm1_duty(1023);
delay_ms(100);
value = read_adc();
temp = ((5*(float) value)/(1024))*16.09;
printf (" %f \r\n",temp);
printf (lcd_write,"Temp = %f ",temp);
lcd_write (’\f’);

if(temp>=60){
set_pwm2_duty ( 1023 );
}
if(temp<=58){
set_pwm2_duty ( 0 );
}
delay_ms(500);

}
}

The code shown above is the implementation of a system that simulates the temperature, in
the form of Hardware a thermal system with relative temperature variation in responses to
time much smaller.
The dynamics of this system is well demonstrated in Figure 6

Fig. 6. A Diagram to System Hardware

Where the basis for the system of change of temperature in an open environment that is cooler
acts as the system actuator. The control objective, as shown in the code is to keep a room
temperature at a desired track with minimal accuracy in the output signal.

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4. Implementing control systems on MATLAB

The MATLAB software provides support, form the implementation of acquisition system
data to design a control system, which becomes possible with methods of identification and
communication required in numerical methods implementation of a controller. This tool was
incorporated for the purpose to help engineers and scientists in projects and systems design
methods numeric, or for the resolution algorithms and systems simulation. In the following
sections will be shown tools that are part of the suite of applications such as MATLAB concepts
for implementation of digital control systems.

4.1 The serial interface

For the design of systems for data acquisition in MATLAB, an important tool are the
protocols for data communications in environments that are common industries. The
serial communication is known for its simplicity of connection and implementation in
both hardware and software because there are a wide variety software and programming
languages that provide libraries for development communication in serial protocol. In
MATLAB the simplicity of applying this tool can be translated by code shown below
Serial_Obj = Serial(’COM1’);
fopen(Serial_Obj);
var_read = fscanf(Serial_Obj)
fprintf(var_read,’Data Receiveve’);
fclose(Serial_Obj);
Delete(Serial_Obj);
With the above script you can communicate and receive data from an external device to your
computer. With communication with the external hardware can open, using the following
commands, send and receive data relevant to the control system

function send_data_tohard(data_ctrl,setpoint_ctrl)
fprintf(Serial_Obj,data_ctrl));
fprintf(Serial_Obj,setpoint_ctrl));

Therefore the system receives the data for the implementation of intelligent digital control
system:
function receiv_data_fromhard(data_ctrl,data_error)
data_ctrl = fscanf(Serial_Obj,’data_ctrl’);
data_error = fscanf(Serial_Obj,’data_error’);
Always observing that the variable Dataa_crtl is used for timing and appropriateness of
real-time system.

4.2 The user interface

The user interface development system shown in Figure 7 is used with supervisors and control
environment of the platform.
Using the anointing of the environment development of GUIDE MATLAB can therefore
obtain the convenience of the project environment be the same as the deployment
environment
In the source code below is observed in connection with the generation via the serial port
textbf GUID emph MATLAB.

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Fig. 7. Graphical Interface of the Platform System

function Button_01_Callback(hObject, eventdata, handles, varargin)

Serial_Obj=serial(’COM1’,’BaudRate’,9600);
opcon2 =get(handles.menu_01,’Value’);
opcon = get(handles.menu_01,’String’);

switch opcon{opcon2}
case ’COM1’
Serial_Obj.Port=’COM1’;
case ’COM2’
Serial_Obj.Port=’COM2’;
case ’COM3’
Serial_Obj.Port=’COM3’;
case ’COM4’
Serial_Obj.Port=’COM4’;
case ’COM5’
Serial_Obj.Port=’COM5’;
case ’COM6’
Serial_Obj.Port=’COM6’;
case ’COM7’
Serial_Obj.Port=’COM7’;
otherwise
errordlg(’Select a Valid Serial Port’,’Error’)

end

fopen(Serial_Obj);
if Serial_Obj.Status ==open

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set(handles.con_text,’String’,’Connected’);
end

4.3 Real time control

Digital Control Systems has its roots in the interface with the analog world and thus the delay
time this conversion to occur immediately. In real-time systems is a concern that the execution
time of a given instruction does not exceed a predetermined threshold. Converging, the
realtime systems are strictly necessary in digital control because it does necessary to guarantee
instruction execution control Uc within the limit of sampling system Ts where a failure of this
requirement may lead to instability as the plant design of discrete controllers is directly related
Ts variable.

4.4 Implementing intelligent systems

The implementation of intelligent systems through MATLAB may well become a very
profitable it facilitates the testing of new techniques that use features and tools already
implemented in this software. Techniques computational intelligence can withdraw from the
digital control system the important factor in the Ts , however the system still requires real
time control. Each execution cycle lets you have the need to perform numerical derivatives
and integrals and introducing a context of researching and mapping , which may require less
computational effort. The diagram shown in Figure 8

Fig. 8. Diagram of the General System

Itś possible conclude that with the development of both the hardware and software, these
systems are likely to become the largest presence within the control and automation

4.4.1 A fuzzy method implementation

As described in Ross (2004),S. Sumathi (2010) and Andrade (2010) the commitment of systems
based on fuzzy logic both in respect of the facility as implementation of policies that take into
account not only the performance of closed loop of industrial process control as well as the

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experience acquired human with the process that can be transferred directly to the core of the
Fuzzy Logic Controller(FLC) with its implementation process described in Figure 9

Fig. 9. Diagram of the General System

The consolidation of this type of system could provide designers with a feature not found on
controllers classical, ie the aforementioned expertise. To use the Fuzzy controller is needed for
the project prior knowledge on the implementation of systems based on fuzzy logic and can
be found in Andrade (2010) and especially in Zadeh (1965). In MATLAB the design begins
by checking the feasibility of the controller and can be done by graphical interface Fuzzy Logic
Toolbox with a significant help from MathWorks (2010).
To open the FLT (Fuzzy Logic Toolbox) typed:
>>fuzzy
and the following screen will open
However the system to be implemented with MATLAB using the serial communication is
necessary to implement the intelligent system in script and can be done as follows

error = data_ctrl;
NG(k) = trimf(error, [a_i b_i c_i]);
NS(k) = trimf(error, [a_i b_i c_i]);
ZR(k) = trimf(error, [a_i b_i c_i]);
PS(k) = trimf(error, [a_i b_i c_i]);
PB(k) = trimf(error, [a_i b_i c_i]);
chang_error = data_ctrl;
NL(k) = trimf(chang_error, [a_i b_i c_i]);
NS(k) = trimf(chang_error, [a_i b_i c_i]);
ZR(k) = trimf(chang_error, [a_i b_i c_i]);
PS(k) = trimf(chang_error, [a_i b_i c_i]);
PL(k) = trimf(chang_error, [a_i b_i c_i]);

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Fig. 10. The FLT Main Screen

Where Negative Large, Negative Small, ZeRo, Positive Small and Positive Large are linguistics
vary based on experience. The system output can be given as shown in Figure 9 with a bank
of rules based on Table 1 decision-making as an example

Error \ changingE rror NL NS ZR PS PL

NL PL PL PL PL NL
NS PS PS PS PS NS
ZR PS ZR ZR NS ZR
PS NS NS NS NS PS
PL NL NL NL NS PS

Table 1. The knowledge from the Rules of Decision System

And the controller output and results in a weighted sum that depends exclusively on the
method chosen.

5. Conclusion
With the aid of this important tool can facilitate the development of applications to interface
with and control devices industries. A overview of these tools has been shown here to that
may be developed to greater diversity of applications according to the need of the designer.
As an environment of the computational complex, MATLAB can provide solutions for
engineering, physics and mathematics with the use of its functions basic and therefore leaving
the search more efficient and less costly. This platform is an important and necessary tool, it
can lead a project, with integration between Software and Hardware, for a safe convergence of
results, thus integrating computational resources for simulation design and implementation
from a direct single platform.

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6. References
Andrade, G.A. Neto, J. L. L. (2010). A framework for modeling, digital control design
and simulations of dynamic, Computer Modelling and Simulation (UKSim), 2010 12th
International Conference on, IEEE Computer Society Digital Library.
Charles L. Philips, H. T. N. (1995). Digital Control Systems: Analisys and Design, third edition
edn, Prentice Hall.
Gene F. Franklin, J. David Powell, M. L. W. (1998). Digital Control of Dynamic Systems, 3rd edn,
Prentice Hall.
Ibrahim, D. (2006). Microcontroller Based Applied Digital Control, John Wiley and Sons.
Lewis, C. S. (2001). Programming Microcontrollers in C, 2nd edn, LLH Publishing.
MathWorks, T. (2010). Fuzzy Logic Tool Box : User’s Guide.
Moudgalya, K. (2007). Digital Control, John Wiley and Sons.
Ross, T. J. (2004). Fuzzy Logic With Engineering Applications, 2nd edn, John Wiley and Sons.
S. Sumathi, S. P. (2010). Computational Intelligence Paradigms: Theory and Applications Using
MATLAB, CRC Press.
Wilmshurst, T. (2007). Designing Embedded Systems with PIC Microcontrollers, Newnes.
Zadeh, L. A. (1965). Fuzzy sets, Information and Control Proceedings .

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MATLAB - A Ubiquitous Tool for the Practical Engineer
Edited by Prof. Clara Ionescu

ISBN 978-953-307-907-3
Hard cover, 564 pages
Publisher InTech
Published online 13, October, 2011
Published in print edition October, 2011

A well-known statement says that the PID controller is the “bread and butterâ€​ of the control engineer. This
is indeed true, from a scientific standpoint. However, nowadays, in the era of computer science, when the
paper and pencil have been replaced by the keyboard and the display of computers, one may equally say that
MATLAB is the “breadâ€​ in the above statement. MATLAB has became a de facto tool for the modern
system engineer. This book is written for both engineering students, as well as for practicing engineers. The
wide range of applications in which MATLAB is the working framework, shows that it is a powerful,
comprehensive and easy-to-use environment for performing technical computations. The book includes
various excellent applications in which MATLAB is employed: from pure algebraic computations to data
acquisition in real-life experiments, from control strategies to image processing algorithms, from graphical user
interface design for educational purposes to Simulink embedded systems.

How to reference
In order to correctly reference this scholarly work, feel free to copy and paste the following:

João Viana da Fonseca Neto and Gustavo Araújo de Andrade (2011). MATLAB as Interface for Intelligent
Digital Control of Dynamic Systems, MATLAB - A Ubiquitous Tool for the Practical Engineer, Prof. Clara
Ionescu (Ed.), ISBN: 978-953-307-907-3, InTech, Available from: http://www.intechopen.com/books/matlab-a-
ubiquitous-tool-for-the-practical-engineer/matlab-as-interface-for-intelligent-digital-control-of-dynamic-systems

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