Block Diagrams

And
The stability of linear
feedback systems.
Problems to be solved in class
The concept of stability.
The stability of a cone.

Control Systems 21
 Bounded Input - Bounded Output
criterion

An unconstrained linear system is stable

if the output response is bounded for all
bounded inputs.

Note:
By a bounded input, we mean an input
variable that stays within upper and lower
limits for all values of time

Control Systems 22
 Example: BI-BO criterion

Q.If the step function is applied at the input of

continuous system and the output remains below
a certain level for all time, is the system stable?

A.The system is not necessarily stable since the output

must be bounded for every bounded input.
A bounded output to one specific bounded input
does not ensure stability.

Control Systems 23
 Example: BI-BO criterion

Q. If the step function is applied at the input of

continuous system and the output is of the form
y = t, is the system stable or unstable?

Control Systems 24
 Example: BI-BO criterion

Q. If the step function is applied at the input of

continuous system and the output is of the form
y = t, is the system stable or unstable?

A. This system is unstable since a bounded input

produced an unbounded output.

Control Systems 25
 Impulse response criterion

A linear system is stable if and only if the

absolute value of its impulse response, g(t),
integrated over an infinite range, is finite.

 g(t) dt  
0

Control Systems 26
Example:Impulse response criterion

Determine if the impulse response represents

a stable or an unstable systems.

Control Systems 27
Example:Impulse response criterion

Determine if the impulse response represents

a stable or an unstable systems.

Control Systems 28
Example:Impulse response criterion

Determine if the impulse response represents

a stable or an unstable systems.

Control Systems 29
Example:Impulse response criterion

Determine if the impulse response represents

a stable or an unstable systems.

Control Systems 30
Example:Impulse response criterion

Determine if the impulse response represents

a stable or an unstable systems.

Control Systems 31
Characteristic root locations criterion

A system is stable if all the poles of the

transfer function have negative real parts.

Stability in the s-plane.

Control Systems 32
 Stable system

A necessary and sufficient condition for a

feedback system to be stable is that all the poles
of the transfer function have negative real parts.

This means that all the poles are in the left-hand

s-plane.

Control Systems 33
Stable system

Control Systems 34
Stable system

Control Systems 35
• Determine in each case if the set of roots
represents, stable, marginally stable, or
unstable systems.
a) -1, -2 e) -2 + j, -2 - j, 2j, -2j
b) -1, +1 f) 2,-1,-3
c) -3,-2,0 g) -6,-4,7
d) -1 + j, -1- j h) -2 + 3j, -2 -3j, -2

Control Systems 36
• Determine in each case if the set of roots
represents, stable, marginally stable, or
unstable systems.
a) -1, -2 e) -2 + j, -2 - j, 2j, -2j
b) -1, +1 f) 2,-1,-3
c) -3,-2,0 g) -6,-4,7
d) -1 + j, -1- j h) -2 + 3j, -2 -3j, -2

Control Systems 37
 Marginally stable

If there are any poles on the jω-axis (with none

on the right hand side), then the system is
considered marginally stable.

Control Systems 38
Marginally stable

Control Systems 39
 Unstable

If there are one or more poles in the right-

hand s-plane or there are repeated roots
on the jω-axis, the system is unstable.

Control Systems 40
Unstable

Control Systems 41
 Example: Poles and zeros

Q. A system has poles at -1 and -5 and

zeros at 1 and -2. Is the system
stable?

Control Systems 42
 Example: Poles and zeros

Q. A system has poles at -1 and -5 and

zeros at 1 and -2. Is the system stable?

A. The system is stable since the poles are

roots of the system characteristic equation
which have negative real parts.
The fact that the system has a zero with a
positive real part does not affect its stability.

Control Systems 43
Example: Characteristic equation

Q. Determine if the system with the

following characteristic equation is
stable:
(s+1)(s+2)(s-3) = 0

Control Systems 44
 Example: Characteristic equation

Q. Determine if the system with the

following characteristic equation is
stable:
(s+1)(s+2)(s-3) = 0

A. This characteristic equation has the roots

-1,-2, and 3 and therefore represent an
unstable systems since there is a positive
real root.
Control Systems 45
 Example: integrator

Q. The differential equation of an integrator

may be written as follows:
dy/dt = x
Determine if an integrator is stable.

Control Systems 46
 Example: integrator


y(t)   x(t)dt
0

1
Y(s)  X(s)
s
 Y(s) 1
 s s1  0  0  j0
X(s) s

Control Systems 47
 Example: integrator

Q. The differential equation of an integrator may be written

as follows:
dy/dt = x
Determine if an integrator is stable.

A. The characteristic equation of his system is s = 0. Since the

root does not have a negative real part, an integrator is not
stable.
Since it has no roots with positive real parts, integrator is
marginally stable

Control Systems 48
 Stability in the s-plane.

STABLE NOT STABLE

Control Systems 49
Control Systems 50
The Routh-Hurwitz Stability Criterion.
 The Routh-Hurwitz rule

an s  an1s
n n1
 an2s n2
 ...... a1s  a0  0, an  0

• Rule
If any of the coefficients ai, i = 0,1,2,…,n-1
are zero or negative, the system is not stable.
It can be either unstable or neutrally stable.

Control Systems 52
Example: The Routh-Hurwitz rule 1

a) 4s4 + 3s3 + 2s + 1 = 0

b) 2s3 - s2 + s + 5 = 0

A necessary condition for stability is that all

coefficients of the characteristic equation
must be positive.

Control Systems 53
 System with time delay

• Can the continuous system stability

criteria be applied to continuous system
with time delay?

s2 + s + e-sT = 0

s2 + s + 1 - sT = 0

s2 + (1 - T)s + 1 = 0
Control Systems 54
Taylor series of e-sT

Control Systems 55
 s2 + (1 - T)s + 1 = 0

For the stable system the time delay must be

T < 1.

Control Systems 56
 Necessary but not sufficient

Necessary condition: system is stable

s3+s2+2s+8=0 all positive coefficients

But not sufficient condition: system is unstable

(s + 2)(s - 0.5 - j 15)(s - 0.5 + j 15) = 0

Control Systems 57
Control Systems 58
Control Systems 59
 Routh-Hurwitz Criterion

• The Routh-Hurwitz criterion states that the

number of roots of q(s) with positive real
parts is equal to the number of changes in
sign of the first column of the Routh array.

Control Systems 61
Equivalent closed-loop
transfer function

Control Systems 62
Initial layout for Routh table

Control Systems 63
Completed Routh table

Control Systems 64
Control Systems 65
Completed Routh table

Control Systems 66
 Ordering the coefficients of the
characteristic equation.
an s  an1s
n n1
 an2s n2
 ...... a1s  a0  0

s n
an a n2 a n4 
 n 1
a n 1 a n 3 a n 5 
s

Control Systems 67
 The Routh-Hurwitz array

sn an an2 an4
sn1 an1 an3 an5
n2
s bn1 bn3 bn5
s n3
c n1 c n3 c n1

s 0 hn1
Control Systems 68
The algorithm for the entries in the array

an1an2  an an3 1 an an2

bn1  
an1 an1 an1 an3

 1 an an  4
bn  3 
an 1 an 1 an  5

 1 an 1 an  3
cn 1 
bn 1 bn 1 bn  3
Control Systems 69
 Four distinct cases of the first
column array
1. No element in the first column is zero.

2. There is a zero in the first column and in this row.

3. There is a zero in the first column and the other zero

in this row.

4. As in the previous case, but with repeated roots on

the j-axis.

Control Systems 70
 Case1. No element in the first
column is zero
q(s)  a2 s  a1 s  a0
2

2
s a2 a0
s1 a1 0
0
s b1 0

a1a0  (0)a2  1 a2 a0
b1    a0
a1 a1 a1 0
Control Systems 71
 Second-order system

q(s)  a2 s  a1 s  a0
2

The requirement for a stable second-order system is that

all the coefficients be positive or all coefficients be negative.

Control Systems 72
 Third-order system
q(s)  a3 s 3  a2 s 2  a1 s  a0

3
s a3 a1
2
s a2 a0
s b1
1
0
0 c 0
s 1
Control Systems 73
 Third-order system
q(s)  a3 s 3  a2 s 2  a1 s  a0

a2 a1  a0 a3 c1 
b1a0
 a0
b1 
a2 b1

For system to be stable, it is necessary and sufficient

that the coefficients a0 ,a1, a2, a3 be positive
and a2a1 > a0a3.
Control Systems 74
 Unstable system
q(s)  s3  s2  2s  24
3
s 1 2
2
 s 1 24
s1 22 0
s0 24 0

q(s)  (s 1 j 7)(s 1 j 7)

 Two roots of q(s) lie in the right-hand s-plane.

Control Systems 75
Two changes in sign

Control Systems 76
 Case 2: There is a zero in the first
column and in this row.
q( s )  s 4  s 3  s 2  s  K

s4 1 1 K
s3 1 1 0
 K K
s 
2
K 0 c1  
s1 c1 0 0  
s0 K 0 0

The system is unstable for all values of gain K.

Control Systems 77
Case 3:A zero in the first column and the
other zero in this row.
q(s)  s3  2s2  4s  K
For a stable system:
3

s 1 4 0<K<8

2
s 2 K
1 8K For a marginal stability: K=8
s 0
2 U(s) = 2s2 + 8 = 2 (s + j2)(s - j2)
0
s K 0
q(s)  (s  2)(s  j2)(s  j2)
Control Systems 78
Case 4: Repeated roots on the j-axis.

q(s)  s5  s4  2s3  2s2  s 1 (s 1)(s  j)(s  j)(s  j)(s  j)

5
s 1 2 1
4
s 1 2 1
s   0
3

s2 1 1 The impulse responds of the system

s1  0
increases with time as t sin(t+).

0
s 1 The R-H criteria will not reveal this form
Control Systems 79
 Ex.4 A six-legged micro robot
It is equipped with sensor network that includes 150
sensors of 12 different types. The legs are instrumented
so that the robot can determine the lay of the terrain,
the surface texture, hardness, and color.

Control Systems 80
Micro robot

Control Systems 81
 Micro robot
q(s)  s  s  4s  24s  3s  63
5 4 3 2

s5 1 4 3
s4 1 24 63
s3 20 60 0
s2 21 63 0
s1 0 0 0

The auxiliary polynomial:

U (s)  21s 2  63  21(s 2  3)  21(s  j 3)(s  j 3)
Control Systems 82
 The auxiliary polynomial

• The equation that immediately precedes

the zero entry in the Routh array.

Control Systems 83
 Micro robot
q( s)
 s 3
 s 2
 s  21
s 3
2

s3 1 1
s2 1 21
s  1 j 6
s 20
1
0
s0 21 0


The robot is using flexible legs with high-gain
controllers that may become unstable and oscillate.
Control Systems 84
 Welding control.

K(s  a)
1 G(s)  1
s(s  1)(s  2)(s  3)

q(s)  s  6s 11s  (K  6)s  Ka  0

4 3 2


Control Systems 85
s4 1 11 Ka 60  K b1 (K  6)  6Ka
b1  c1 
s3 6 K6 6 b1
s2 b1 Ka
s1 c1
s0 Ka  c1  0
(K  60)(K  6)  36Ka  0
(60  K)(K  6)
a
36K
If K  40 then a  0.639

Control Systems 86
The Routh-Hurwitz criterion

Control Systems 87
 Relative Stability

• Further characterization of the degree of

stability of a stable closed loop system.

• Can be measured by the relative real part

of each root or pair of roots.

Control Systems 88
Root r2 is relatively more stable than roots r1 and r1’.

Control Systems 89
 Axis shift
q( s )  s 3  4s 2  6s  4
(sn  1) 3  4(sn  1) 2  6(sn  1)  4  sn  sn  sn  1
3 2

3
sn 1 1
2
sn 1 1
sn 0 0
1

s 1 0
0
n

U (sn )  sn  1  (sn  j)(sn  j)  (s  1  j)(s  1  j)

2


Control Systems 90
Control Systems 91
Stability of a second-order system

x1  3x1  x2

x2  1x2  Kx1  Ku

Control Systems 92
 Flow graph diagram

1
L1  s

L2  3s 1
2
L3  Ks

  1  ( L1  L2  L3 )  L1 L2  1  (s 1  3s 1  Ks 2 )  (3s 2 )

s  2s  (K  3)  0
2
K3 for stability

Control Systems 93
 Block diagram model.

1 1
G1 ( s)  G2 (s) 
s 1 s 3

KG1 (s)G2 (s)

T(s) 
1 KG1 (s)G2 (s)

(s) 1 KG1(s)G2 (s)  0
 (s)  (s  1)(s  3)  K  s  2s  ( K  3)  0
2

K3 for stability

Control Systems 94
 Tracked vehicle turning control.

Select K and a so that the system is stable and ess≤ 24%

of a ramp command.

Control Systems 95
 Characteristic equation:

1 Gc (s)G(s)  0
K(s  a)
1 0
s(s  1)(s  2)(s  5)
s  8s  17s  (K  10)s  Ka  0
4 3 2


Control Systems 96
 Routh array

s4 1 17 Ka 126  K b1 (K  10)  8Ka

b1  c1 
s3 6 K  10 8 b1

s2 b1 Ka
s1 c1  126  K b1 (K  10)  8Ka
b1  c1 
s0 Ka 8 b1




Control Systems 97
Ramp response for a=0.6 and K=70

Control Systems 98
 The steady-state error

1
E(s)  R(s)
1 Gc (s)G(s)
s(s  1)(s  2)(s  5) A
E(s) 
s(s  1)(s  2)(s  5)  K(s  a) s 2

10A
ess (t)  lim sE(s)  for s  0
aK

 Control Systems 99
 The closed-loop T(s)

70s  42
T(s)  4
s  8s3  17s2  80s  42
s  7.08
s  0.58
s  0.17  3.2 j
s  0.17  3.2 j

 Control Systems 100

The stable region
K  126
Ka  0
(K  10)(126  K)  64Ka  0

A
ess   0.24
Ka

10
Ka  42
K  70 a  0.6

Control Systems 101