An optimization framework for designing robust cascade biquad feedback controllers on active noise cancellation headphones

Abstract

This work proposes an efficient and effective method to design the fixed feedback controller directly on active noise cancellation headphones by using the measured frequency response of the secondary path. The designed controller comprises several biquad filters whose parameters can be solved by a two-stage optimization strategy composed of the genetic algorithm and the simplex method. The construction of the loss function for this optimization follows the traditional H2/H∞ method, which takes noise reduction, waterbed effect, and robustness all into consideration. Simulation and experimental results show that the controller optimized by the proposed method can achieve good noise reduction performance with acceptable waterbed lifting while ensuring robustness to plant variations.