Chapter 1

Introduction to Control systems
Outline
• Course Outline • Types of Control Systems
• Recommended Books • Analysis and Design Objectives
• Prerequisites of the subject • Example of a control system
• Assessments  • The Design Process  
• Introduction
• Definitions
2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 2
Course Outline
• Induction (ch 1)
• System Modelling (ch 2)
 Transfer Function
 Block Diagrams
 Signal Flow Graphs
• System Analysis (ch 3 and ch6)
 Time Domain Analysis
 Frequency Domain Analysis
• Stability system and the Root Locus (ch 4 and ch 5)
• System Design (ch 7)
 Compensation Techniques
 PID Control

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 3
Reference Books
1. Control Syste, ms Engineering, (6th or 7th Edition)By: Norman S. Nise.

2. Modern Control Engineering, (5th Edition), By: Katsuhiko Ogata.

3. Modern Control Systems, (12th Edition), By: Richard C. Dorf and Robert
H. Bishop.

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 4
Prerequisites
• For linear Control Theory
 Differential Equations
 Laplace Transform
 Basic Physics
 Ordinary and Semi‐logarithmic graph papers

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 5
Assessments 
• Continuous Assessment (60%) 
 3 Tests: 15%  
 2 Assignments and laboratory work: 20%
 1 Mid Exam: 25%

• Final exam: 40%

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 6
Introduction
What is Control System?

• A control System is a device (subsystem), or set of devices

(subsystems) interconnected to manage, command, direct

or regulate the behaviour of other device(s) or system(s).

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 7

Cont’d
• For example, a furnace produces heat as a result of the flow of
the fuel. In this process, the flow of the fuel is the input, and
heat to be controlled is the output. Then, a controller (control
system) regulates the amount of heat by regulating the flow of
the fuel.

Fig 1.1: Simplified description of a control system

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 8
Cont’d
• We build control systems for four primary reasons: Power amplification,
Remote control, and Convenience of input form, Compensation for
disturbances.

• Positioning of a Rader Antenna can be accomplished using a low‐power

rotation of a knob at the input, but it requires a large amount of power for its
rotation output. Here a control system is required to produce the power gain.

• A remote‐controlled robot arm can be used to pick up material in a radioactive  
environment.

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 9
Cont’d
• Control systems can also be used to provide convenience by
changing the form of the input. For example, in a temperature
control system, the input is a position on a thermostat. The
output is heat. Thus, a convenient position input yields a desired
thermal output.

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 10
Cont’d
• Another advantage of a control system is the ability to compensate for
disturbances. A system must be able to yield the correct output even
with a disturbance.

• For example, consider an antenna system that points in a commanded

direction. If wind forces the antenna from its commanded position, or
if noise enters internally, the system must be able to detect the
disturbance and correct the antenna’s position.

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 11
Definitions
• Plant –.  A plant may be a piece of equipment that performs a particular
operation. Any physical object to be controlled (such as a mechanical
device, a heating furnace, a chemical reactor, or a spacecraft) a plant.

• Process – any operation to be controlled. Examples are chemical,

economic, and biological processes.

• System – An interconnection of elements and devices for a desired

purpose. A system need not be physical.

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 12

Cont’d
• Controlled Variable– It is the quantity or condition that is measured and 
Controlled. Normally controlled variable is the output of the control 
system.

• Manipulated Variable– It is the quantity of the condition that is varied by 
the controller so as to affect the value of controlled variable.

• Control – Control means measuring the value of controlled variable of the 
system and applying the manipulated variable to the system to correct or 
limit  the deviation of the measured value from a desired value. 
2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 13
Cont’d
Manipulated Variable

Input
or Output
Set point Controller Process Or
or Controlled Variable
reference

Disturbances– A disturbance is a signal that tends to adversely affect the value of the
system. It is an unwanted input of the system.
• If a disturbance is generated within the system, it is called internal disturbance.
While an external disturbance is generated outside the system.

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 14
Types of Control System 
• Natural Control System
• Universe
• Human Body

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 15
Types of Control System 
• Manmade Control System
• Aeroplanes 
• Chemical Process

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 16
Types of Control System 
• Manual Control Systems
• Room Temperature regulation Via Electric Fan
• Water Level Control

• Automatic Control System
• Home Water Heating Systems (Geysers)
• Room Temperature regulation Via A.C
• Human Body Temperature Control

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 17
 Types of Control System 
Open‐Loop Control Systems utilize a controller or control actuator to obtain the
desired response.
• Output has no effect on the control action.
• In other words output is neither measured nor fed back.

Examples:‐ Washing Machine, Toaster, Electric Fan, microwave oven and so on.

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 18
 Types of Control System 
• Since in open loop control systems reference input is not compared
with measured output, for each reference input there is fixed
operating condition. Therefore, the accuracy of the system depends on
calibration.

• The performance of open loop system is severely affected by the

presence of disturbances, or variation in operating/ environmental
conditions.

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 19
 Types of Control System 
Closed‐Loop Control Systems utilizes feedback to compare the actual output
to the desired output response.

Examples:‐ Refrigerator, Electric Iron, Air conditioner

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 20
 Types of Control System 
Multivariable Control System

Outputs

Temp
Comparator
Humidity Controller Process
Pressure

Measurements

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 21
 Types of Control System 
• A system that maintains a prescribed relationship between the output and some
reference input by comparing them and using the difference (i.e. error) as a means
of control is called a feedback control system (Closed‐Loop Control Systems ).

Input + error Output

Controller Process
‐

Feedback

• Feedback can be positive or negative.

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 22
 Types of Control System 
• Advantages of Open‐loop control systems  greater accuracy 

 Simple and economical.  less sensitive to noise, disturbances, and 
 Easier to construct. changes in the environment. 

 Generally, open‐loop systems are stable • Disadvantages of closed‐loop control systems
• Disadvantages of Open‐loop control systems  more complex and expensive than open‐loop 
 Less accurate.  systems. 
 The system cannot correct for disturbance.  May lead to oscillatory output. 

• Advantages of closed‐loop control systems  Reduces the over all gain of the system.

 Able to compensate for disturbance.
2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 23
 Types of Control System 
Linear Vs Nonlinear Control System
• A Control System in which output varies linearly with the input is called a
linear control system.

u(t) Process y(t)

y(t )  2u(t )  1 y(t )  3u(t )  5

y=3*u(t)+5
y=-2*u(t)+1
35
5

30
0
25
-5

y(t)
20
y(t)

-10
15

-15
10

-20 5
0 2 4 6 8 10 0 2 4 6 8 10
u(t)
2/17/2018 By Awet Mana u(t) 24
 Types of Control System 
Linear Vs Nonlinear Control System

• When the input and output has nonlinear relationship the system is said
to be nonlinear.

Adhesion Characteristics of Road

0.4
Adhesion Coefficient

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08
Creep

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 25
 Types of Control System 
Time invariant vs Time variant

• When the characteristics of the system do not depend upon time

itself then the system is said to time invariant control system.

y(t )  2u(t )  1

• Time varying control system is a system in which one or more

parameters vary with time.

y(t )  2u(t )  3t

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 26
 Types of Control System 
Continuous Data Vs Discrete Data System

• In continuous data control system all system variables are function of a

continuous time t.
x(t)

• A discrete time control system involves one or more variables that are
known only at discrete time intervals.
X[n]

n
2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 27
 Types of Control System 
Deterministic vs Stochastic Control System

• A control System is deterministic if the response to input is predictable

and repeatable.
x(t) y(t)

t t

• If not, the control system is a stochastic control system

z(t)

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana
t 28
 Classification of Control Systems
Control Systems

Natural Man‐made

Manual Automatic

Open‐loop Closed‐loop

Non‐linear linear
Non‐linear linear

Time variant Time invariant
Time variant Time invariant
2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 29
Analysis and Design Objectives
• A control system is dynamic: It responds to an input by undergoing a transient response

before reaching a steady‐state response that generally resembles the input.

• Analysis is the process by which a system’s performance is determined. For example,

we evaluate its transient response and steady‐state error to determine if they meet the

desired specifications.

• Design is the process by which a system’s performance is created or changed. For example,

if a system’s transient response and steady‐state error are analyzed and found not to meet

the specifications, then we change parameters or add additional components to meet the

specifications.
2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 30
Cont’d
• The analysis and design objectives focus on transient response, steady‐
state response and stability of a control system.

• Two major measures of performance of a control system are :

1. the transient response and
2. the steady‐state error.

• For example, consider an elevator. When the fourth‐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.
2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 31
Cont’d
• The push of the fourth‐floor button is an input that represents
our desired output, shown as a step function in Figure below.

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 32
 Cont’d
• In our example, passenger comfort and passenger patience are
dependent upon the transient response.

• If this response is too fast, passenger comfort is sacrificed; if too slow,

passenger patience is sacrificed.

• The steady‐state error is another important performance specification

since passenger safety and convenience would be sacrificed if the
elevator did not level properly.

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 33
Cont’d
Stability of control systems

• The total response of a system is the sum of the natural (transient) response and the forced (steady‐
state) response .

• For a control system to be useful, the natural response must (1) eventually approach zero, thus leaving 
only the forced response, or (2) oscillate. 

• In some systems, however, the natural response grows without bound rather than diminish to zero or 
oscillate. 

• Eventually, the natural response is so much greater than the forced response that the system is no 
longer controlled. 

• This condition, called instability, could lead to self‐destruction of the physical device if limit stops are 
not part of the design. Stability is our third analysis and design objective. 

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 34
Cont’d
• For example, the elevator would crash through the floor or exit through
the ceiling; an aircraft would go into an uncontrollable roll; or an
antenna commanded to point to a target would rotate, line up with the
target, but then begin to oscillate about the target with growing
oscillations and increasing velocity until the motor or amplifiers reached
their output limits or until the antenna was damaged structurally.

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 35
 Example of a Control system (Position control System)
• The purpose of this system is to have the azimuth angle output of the antenna, ߠ௢ ሺ‫ݐ‬ሻ,
follow the input angle of the potentiometer,ߠ௢ ሺ‫ݐ‬ሻ.

Fig: Antenna azimuth position control system: a. system concept; b. detailed layout
2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 36
• A position control system converts a position input command to a position output response.
Position control systems find widespread applications in antennas, robot arms, and computer disk
drives.

 The input command is an angular displacement.

 The potentiometer converts the angular
displacement into a voltage.
 Similarly, the output angular displacement is
converted to a voltage by the potentiometer in
the feedback path.
 The signal and power amplifiers boost the
difference between the input and output
voltages.
 This amplified actuating signal drives the plant.

Fig: schematic of Antenna azimuth position control system

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 37
 Fig : Functional block diagram

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 38
• Fig: Response of a position control system, showing effect of high and low
controller gain on the output response

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 39
The Design Process 
• We establish an orderly sequence for the design of feedback control systems that will
be followed as we progress through the rest of the course.

Fig: The control system design process

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 40
 End of Chapter 1

2/17/2018 By Awet Mana 41