ME451 16March2010

Root Locus Notes

For the closed-loop, feedback system below,
R(s) C(s)
k G (s )

H (s )

The transfer function is:

C (s) kG ( s )
T (s) = =
R( s ) 1 + kG ( s ) H ( s )
whose characteristic equation is
1 + kG ( s ) H ( s ) = 0
The solutions of this characteristic equation are the roots of the characteristic polynomial. These
roots are also called the closed-loop poles of the system and are the eigenvalues that govern the
character of the system’s dynamic response.
The objective of Root Locus analysis is to graphically follow the complex values of the roots as
the parameter (gain) k is varied from zero to infinity.

The Trick:
Rewrite the characteristic equation as
kG ( s ) H ( s ) = !1
and notice that this equation involves complex value functions requires (2) conditions
a) Magnitude Condition: kG ( s ) H ( s ) = 1 , and
b) Angle Condition: angle(kG ( s ) H ( s ) ) = 180 ± n(360) degrees
The angle condition is particularly easy to evaluate graphically. The parameter (gain) k must be
positive real but the function G ( s ) H ( s ) has a complex value. For any complex s ,
m
! (s + z i )
N ( s ) i =1
G (s) H (s) = = n
D( s) ! (s + p j )
j =1

where the system’s “open-loop” zeros are located at the complex values z i and the “open-loop”
poles are located at the complex values p j .
The angle of the open-loop function

angle(G ( s ) H ( s ) ) = ! angle(s + z i )" ! angle(s + p j )

m n

i =1 j =1

Every point in the complex plane that satisfies angle(kG ( s ) H ( s ) ) = 180 o ± n(360 o ) is a root of
the characteristic polynomial and “on the root locus”.

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ME451 16March2010

Graphical computation of a pole or zero angle

s s

! !
-a
Angle of vector “s” Angle of vector “(s+a)”

Construction of a Root Locus Diagram

For 1 + kG ( s ) H ( s ) = 0 , use the Root Locus Construction Rules ( k ! 0 ) to sketch the root loci.
1. The number of Root Loci branches equals the order of the characteristic equation, max(n,m).
2. The Root Loci are symmetric with respect to the real axis of the s-plane. (In general, the root
loci are symmetric with respect to axes of symmetry of the roots of D(s) and N(s) .
3. The Root Loci includes the real axis to the left of an odd number of roots of D(s ) and N (s )
(poles and zeros of G ( s ) H ( s ) ).
4. The Root Loci start ( k = 0 ) at the poles of G(s)H(s) (roots of D(s) ) and end ( k = ! ) at the
zeros of G(s)H(s) (roots of N(s) ).
5. For large values of s, the Root Loci are asymptotic to asymptotes with angles,

" = "a =
(2k + 1)180 O for n ! m and k = 0,1,2, … , {n ! m ! 1}
n!m
The intersection of the asymptotes lies on the real axis at

s =#a =
! n poles of G(s) H (s) " ! m zeros of G(s) H (s) "
n-m
6. a)Breakaway points occur along a root locus at a relative maximum value of k..
b)Breakin points occur along a root locus at a relative minimum value of k.
7. The intersection of the root loci with the imaginary axis and the corresponding values of k are
given by the Routh Hurwitz criterion.
8. a) The angle of departure, ! d , from a complex root of D(s) (an open-loop pole)is

" [! d + angles from other poles ] # " [angles from zeros ] = 180 o
b) The angle of arrival, ! a , at a complex root of N(s) (an open-loop zero) is

! [angles from poles ] " ! [# a + angles from other zeros ] = 180o

!1 ! D( s)
9. The magnitude of the parameter k = =
G(s) H (s) N (s)

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ME451 16March2010

General Parametric Design Problem

1) Start with a characteristic equation with a variable parameter, A . Factor the characteristic
polynomial terms that include the parameter A from the rest of the terms so that it takes the form
D( s ) + AN ( s ) = 0

where D( s ) = s n + a n !1 s n !1 + … + a1 s + a 0 and N ( s ) = s m + a m !1 s m !1 + … + a1 s + a 0 .

2) Convert to the Control Design Problem.

N (s) N (s)
1+ A = 0 and note that is equivalent to G(s)H(s) in the text.
D( s) D( s)
3) Proceed with the normal root locus construction methods.
Example:
Find the Root Locus for 0 " a < ! from the transfer function
3s + 2
T (s) =
s + ( 6 + a ) s 2 + 11s + 6
3

1) Rearrange the characteristic (denominator) polynomial so that the characteristic equation

becomes
!" s 3 + 6s 2 + 11s + 6 #$ + a !" s 2 #$ = 0
Or…
!" s 2 #$
1+ a 3 =0
!" s + 6s 2 + 11s + 6 #$

Now continue with the root locus rules on the previous page to sketch the Root Locus for
varying parameter a.