Chapter 1 Introduction

Learning Outcomes
After completing this chapter, the student will be able to:
1. Define a control system and describe applications (Section 1.1)
2. Describe the basic features of control systems (Section 1.3)
3. Describe control systems analysis and design objectives (Section 1.4)
4. Describe a control system’s design process (Sections 1.5–1.6)
5. Describe the benefit from studying control systems (Section 1.7)

1.1 Introduction
Definition
A control system consists of subsystems and processes assembled to get a desired output and performance,
given a specified input.

Example: Elevator.
When the 4th-floor button is pressed on the first floor, the elevator rises to the fourth floor with a speed and
floor-leveling accuracy designed for passenger comfort.

Input: The push of the 4th floor button

Output: Elevator go to 4th floor

Elevator response
Measures of performance:
1. the transient response
2. the steady-state error.

Example:
Passenger comfort and passenger patience are dependent upon the transient response.
The steady-state error: passenger safety and convenience would be sacrificed if the elevator did not properly
level (i.e. error in the level).

Advantages of Control Systems

1. Power amplification
2. Remote control
3. Convenience of input form
4. Compensation for disturbances
1. Power amplification (low-power transformed into high-power)
In controlling big radar antenna, low-power rotation of a knob at the input, gives requires high-power that
rotate the very big antenna.

2. Remote control
A remote-controlled robot arm can be used to pick up material in a radioactive environment.

3. Convenience of input form

A temperature control system, the input is a position on a thermostat. The output is heat.

4. Compensation for disturbances

An antenna system: Wind forces the antenna from its desired position, (Antenna set at 45o, but wind push
antenna to 50o. Wind is the disturbance)
The system must be able to detect the disturbance and correct the position.

1.2 A History of Control Systems

(Please read yourself)

1.3 System Configurations

Two major configurations of control systems:
1. open loop,
2. closed loop.

1. Open-Loop Systems

Characteristic of an open-loop system:

• Cannot compensate for any disturbances
• Cannot correct from disturbances
Example: Open loop antenna. If the input is 40o, and the wind push the antenna to 50o. An open loop antenna
cannot correct this error of 10o.

2. Closed-Loop (Feedback Control) Systems

Sensor, measures the output response.

The closed-loop system compensates for disturbances by:
1. measuring the output response
2. feeding that measurement back through a feedback path
3. comparing that response to the input
Advantages of Closed-loop systems:
• Less sensitive to noise and disturbances
• More convenient and flexibility to control transient response and steady-state error

Disadvantages of closed-loop systems:

• More complex
• More expensive

Example
Open-loop toaster oven Closed-loop toaster oven
More complex
More expensive
Simple and inexpensive
(Sensor has to measure color and
humidity inside the toaster oven)