Computer-aided Control System Design Research Articles

CACSD-Frame for Robust Low-Complexity Control Law Design

Robust low-complexity control laws design is the ultimate goal which Computer-Aided Control System Design (CACSD) aims for. We recognize seven classes of services CACSD tools and environments have to support w.r.t. this view: physical system modelling with modelling uncertainty descriptions; mathematical system modelling with suited uncertainty models; system model analysis in state space, time- and frequency domain; control law synthesis; multiobjective (multicriteria and multimodel) synthesis-parameter tuning; nonlinear assessment via simulation; control code generation. We deal with state of the art aspects of such services and their integration within an interactively controlled automatic design feedback loop. This is illustrated by experience gained during the two-years GARTEUR a a Group for Aeronautics Research and Technology in Europe design challenge project on Robust Aircraft Flight Control, where 12 teams from 6 European countries demonstrated 11 different CACSD synthesis methods to design a landing-approach autopilot controller based on a Beluga-type aircraft model from Airbus Industries.

A Platform Neutral Computer Aided Control Engineering Environment

This paper proposes a computer aided control systems design environment based on an object-oriented component model. A document centered approach towards the process of computer-aided control systems design is taken. This paper examines current technologies for realizing such an environment which may be used platform neutrally, collaboratively and over a network.

NICONET: Network for Performant Numerical Software Development in Control Engineering

Robust and performant numerical software for control systems analysis and design, such as the SLICOT and RASP libraries, is an essential ingredient in modern computer aided control systems design. To avoid duplicating the implementation efforts and ensure a wider dissemination, the originators of the SLICOT and RASP libraries have agreed to combine their libraries and make the joint library freely available. To extend the scope of cooperation, a thematic network for numerics in control NICONET is set up. This paper motivates the need for such a network and describes the objectives, benefits and main network activities.

Computer Aided Control Systems Design for Hydraulic Drives

The design of hydraulic control systems is a complex and time-consuming task that, at the moment, cannot be automated completely. Nevertheless, important design subtasks like simulation or control concept selection can be efficiently supported by a computer. Prerequisite for a successful support is a well-founded analysis of a hydraulic system's structure.The paper in hand contributes right here. It provides a systematics for analyzing a hydraulic system at different structural levels and illustrates how structural information can be used within the design process. A further central matter of this paper is the automatic extraction of structural information from a circuit diagram by means of graph-theoretical investigations.

GAMMA-1PC As CACSD Tools for Practicing Engineers

GAMMA-1PC is a computer-aided control system design (CACSD) tools for controllers algorithms synthesis of multivariable plants by engineers-developers of control system. It does not require a knowledge of synthesis process: user points out a type of his problem (directive number) and enters, after computer request, an initial data: differential equations of plant, disturbance boundaries, tolerances on steadystate errors etc.A problem solution is performed automatically.The tools for modernization and an increase of directive quantity by a researcher are proposed. They contain the languages for building of directive user interface and directive software tools for calculation.Using GAMMA-1PC new solution of gyroplatform controller synthesis problem is derived.

Applying Object-Orientation to Developing an Integrated Environment for Computer-Aided Control System Design

Object-oriented analysis (OOA), design (OOD), and programming (OOP) have an increasing impact on CACSD. Many attempts have been made in the past to develop open, integrated CACSD environments. Based on the experience from implementing Leporello - a large scale environment for control system design, we decided to aim for a redevelopment with Oberon in a much simpler way. Starting from the main requirements for this new system, the implementation issues, i.e. development of the graphical user interfaces, tool integration, project management and project documentation with Oberon will be discussed by means of a concrete example - rapid prototyping of control systems for a servo system.

TDC: Computer Aided True Digital Control of Multivariable Delta Operator Systems

The paper describes new multivariablc delta operator options in the True Digital Control (TDC) Computer Aided Control System Design (CACSD) package. The TDC package, which is implemented within the MATLAB-SIMULINK™ software environment and takes full advantage of the new MATLAB graphical user interface, leads the user through all the stages in control system design, from initial SIMULINK simulation studies, through model identification and parameter estimation, to Proportional-Integral-Plus (PIP) control system design and evaluation based on Non-Minimum State Space (NMSS) methods using novel multi-objective optimisation within a Linear Quadratic (LQ) optimal control setting. The practical utility of the package is illustrated by two aerospace examples.

An Integrated Knowledge Engineering Approach to Process Modelling for CACSD

An integrated approach to process modelling on the basis of knowledge and experience from process engineers is suggested. This approach is designed in such a way that its implementation into an interactive computer program can be applied by process experts who usually have little or no experience in process modelling. 'Integrated' refers firstly to the idea to combine different types of process models into a single process modelling approach and secondly to the envisaged openness of the implementation towards existing computer aided control system design (CACSD) environments with respect to data and information exchange.

Rechnergestützter Entwurf robuster Regelungen/ Computer-aided design of robust control systems

Article Rechnergestützter Entwurf robuster Regelungen/ Computer-aided design of robust control systems was published on October 1, 1995 in the journal at - Automatisierungstechnik (volume 43, issue 10).

Hypermedia and animation in CACSD education

In this paper hypermedia and animation in computer‐aided control system design (CACSD) education is discussed. Hypermedia is seen as a conceptual framework for the TDP simulation software. Hypermedia and animation can provide new methods for ‘seeing’ how control systems behave. This can increase the researcher's or student's intuition of control methods such as H8‐theory, observer theory, state feedback, etc. As an example experiences from the TDP simulator for distributed parameter systems are presented. Individual tools for modelling, designing and simulating distributed parameter systems in TDP simulator are discussed. Special attention is paid to interfaces between these tools. Four simulation examples are presented and discussed.

The state of computer-aided control system design (CACSD)

Introduction to a special issue consisting of a sample of the broad range of research activities, seeking to provide theoretical foundations and software engineering tools to help control engineers understand and overcome challenges in building computer-controlled devices.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

PARSIM: a parallel optimization tool

Current computer-aided control system design environments seldom support optimization methods for controller design in a truly interactive manner. A prototype tool, called PARSIM, supporting parallel processing, optimization, and a graphical user interface is presented, addressing many of the problems inherent in current approaches to multiobjective optimization-based design methods. An XWindows interface is used to simplify problem formulation and control the optimization processes. Using a previously developed interface, it is shown how the computational burden may be alleviated by parallel processing. >

Open environments and object-oriented methods for computer-aided control system design

Two current trends in the computer industry are towards open systems and object-oriented methods. Both are important for computer-aided control system design. The success of computer-aided software engineering is attributed to its open environment, based on a reference model that involves a service-oriented framework serving a set of tools. An adaptation of this reference model is proposed for computer-aided engineering in general and computer-aided control engineering in particular. Object-oriented methods are described, and their roles in the framework services are considered. Their particular importance for the modelling services of a computer-aided control engineering environment is established. It is concluded that a combination of open environments and object-oriented methods provides a unique opportunity for progress in computer-aided control system design that needs to be grasped if the world-wide control community is to benefit.

Making advanced control work

The benefits which advanced control technology can bring are significant and varied. Benefits derive from greatly improved dynamic performance of aerospace systems or substantially improved profitability for process systems. An advanced controller on a catalytic cracking unit is quite capable of yielding extra profits of between $5 and $10 million per annum, for example. The fundamental principle underlying advanced control is that if one understands a system better one can make it perform better. The paper considers the evolution of successful implementations of advanced control, including hardware and software technology. It discusses the use of computer aided control system design.

Computer-Aided Control System Design and Control Performance for Active Vibration Control Systems Based on μ Synthesis Theory

The &lt;I&gt;H&lt;/I&gt;∞ control theory is currently the most powerful method for robust control theory, and is useful as well as practical because a great amount of software related to computer-aided control system design is available. However, it has some disadvantages in that the &lt;I&gt;H&lt;/I&gt;∞ control system is a conservative one and cannot deal with robust performance. This is due to maximum singular values. Doyle proposed a structured singular value instead of a maximum singular value. This is called ∞ synthesis theory and actively deals with robust performance using D-K iteration. This paper is concerned with computeraided design of active vibration control systems based on the μ synthesis theory. First, the paradigm of the μ synthesis theory is described concerning μ, robust performance, and D-K iteration. Next, the relationships between the μ controller, robust performance, nominal performance, and robust stability are discussed for vibration control systems.

A Learning Environment Coupld with a CACSD Pcakage

CACSD-Tools (Computer-Aided Control System Design) are increasingly used in Control Engineering Education. This paper presents AUTO-DIDACT, a research project which purpose is to integrate Learning Aids with a CACSD package. The pedagogical objective is both to help the student to develop a concrete approach of systems dynamic behaviour and to lead him to explore a wide variety of cause-effect relationships. AUTO-DIDACT contains an Exercise Base with short generic exercises and real applications problems (for the moment limited to aeronautic domain) and two Knowledge-Based-Systems in order to guide the student through the exercises and to help him to interpret graphic results.

Object-oriented programming in control system design: a survey

The object-oriented paradigm shows great potential as a means for revolutionizing software development. In the last decade, much research has been directed towards the development of design methods, languages, environments, reusable libraries of software components and database systems to support this paradigm. The first part of the paper presents the terminology of the object-oriented paradigm, reviews the state-of-the-art in object-oriented programming and discusses class libraries and object-oriented design. The second part of the paper discusses its application in the area of computer-aided control system design. It is argued that the adoption of these ideas will increase greatly the productivity of software developers in this field and improve the facilities that will be offered to users.

Computer-aided analysis and design of control systems using model approximation techniques

One of the objectives of this paper is to describe some of the available techniques and tools which are believed to be particularly useful in practical problems of model approximation. The issues and methods described are grouped under the following headings: (i) order-reduction algorithms, (ii) dominant pole selection, (iii) quality indices, (iv) open- and closed-loop optimization procedures, and (v) model validation. Another objective is to show that model approximation techniques can also be used in quite an effective way in the analysis and synthesis of control systems. It is shown, by way of examples, how the techniques and tools described in the first part of the paper may be used not only to compute reliable simplified models but also to obtain qualitative and quantitative information regarding the original system. In addition, an example is provided which illustrates how some of the tools and methods can be easily used in the design of reduced-order controllers. Examples taken from the models of a power system and a thermal power station are provided to illustrate the main points of the paper.

Parallel computing in CACSD

Computer-aided design of control systems via multiobjective optimisation is a computationally demanding task that may benefit from parallel processing techniques. In this paper, we report on a new parallel processing gateway that supports the use of parallel processing within the framework of an existing computer-aided control system design software package. In many control system design exercises which employ optimisation, the bulk of the computational effort is devoted to the evaluation of the objectives of the optimisation at each iteration. This paper demonstrates, with an example, how, using the gateway, parallel processing can be used within the framework of existing computer-aided control system design tools to compute these objective values.

Computer-Aided Control System Design and Control Performance for Active Vibration Control Systems with .MU. Synthesis Theory.

Computer-Aided Control System Design and Control Performance for Active Vibration Control Systems with .MU. Synthesis Theory.