Dynamic Effects of

Feedback Control
Robert Stengel
Robotics and Intelligent Systems MAE 345,
Princeton University, 2013"
Inner, Middle, and Outer
Feedback Control Loops"
Step Response of Linear, TimeInvariant (LTI) Systems"
Position and Rate Control"
Transient and Steady-State
Response to Sinusoidal Inputs"
Copyright 2013 by Robert Stengel. All rights reserved. For educational use only.!
http://www.princeton.edu/~stengel/MAE345.html!

Outer-to-Inner-Loop
Control Hierarchy"

Inner Loop"
Small Amplitude"
Fast Response"
High Bandwidth"

Middle Loop"
Moderate Amplitude"
Medium Response"
Moderate Bandwidth"

Outer Loop"
Large Amplitude"
Slow Response"
Low Bandwidth"

Feedback"
Error between command and
feedback signal drives next
inner-most loop"

Outer-to-Inner-Loop
Control Hierarchy of an
Industrial Robot"
Inner Loop"
Focus on control
of individual joints"

Middle Loop"
Focus on operation of the robot"

Outer Loop"
Focus on goals for robot operation"

Inner-Loop Feedback Control"

Feedback control design must account for
actuator-system-sensor dynamics"

Single-Input/Single-Output Example, with forward

and feedback control logic ( compensation )"

Thermostatic Temperature Control "

Dynamics"

Delays"
Dead Zones"
Saturation"
Coupling"

Structure"

Layout"
Insulation"
Circulation"
Multiple Spaces"

External Effects"

Solar Radiation"
Air Temperature"
Wind"
Rain, Humidity"

... all controlled by a simple (but nonlinear) on/off switch"

Thermostat Control Logic"

Control Law [i.e., logic that drives the control variable, u(t)] "

1 (on), e(t) > 0

u(t) =
0 (off ), e(t) 0
where
e(t) = yc (t) y(t) = uc (t) ub (t)

yc: Desired output

variable (command)"
y: Actual output"
u: Control variable
(forcing function)"
e: Control error"

Thermostat Control Logic"

1 (on), e(t) > 0
u(t) =
0 (off ), e(t) 0

...but control signal would chatter with slightest

change of temperature "
Solution: Introduce hysteresis to slow the
switching cycle "

1 (on), e(t) T > 0

u(t) =
0 (off ), e(t) + T 0

Thermostat Control Logic

with Hysteresis"
Hysteresis introduces a lag
in the response"
System response is called a
limit cycle"
Cooling control is similar
with sign reversal "

Speed Control of
Direct-Current Motor"

Angular Rate"

Linear Feedback Control Law (c = Control Gain)"

u(t) = c e(t)
where
e(t) = yc (t) y(t)

How would y(t) be measured?"

Characteristics of the Model"

Simplified Dynamic Model"

Rotary inertia, J, is the sum of motor and load inertias"
Internal damping neglected"
Output speed, y(t), rad/s, is an integral of the control
input, u(t)!
Motor control torque is proportional to u(t) "
Desired speed, yc(t), rad/s, is constant"

Model of Dynamics
and Speed Control"
First-order LTI ordinary differential equation"

dy(t) 1
c
c
= u(t) = e(t) = [ yc (t) y(t)], y ( 0 ) given
dt
J
J
J
Integral of the equation, with y(0) = 0"
t

1
c
c
y(t) = u(t)dt = e(t)dt =
J0
J0
J

[ y (t) y(t)] dt
c

Direct integration of yc(t)"

Negative feedback of y(t)"

Step Response of
Speed Controller"
Step input :

Solution of the integral"

0, t < 0
yC (t) =
1, t 0

c
t

t
y(t) = yc 1 exp J = yc 1 exp t = yc 1 exp

where"
= c/J = eigenvalue or
root of the system (rad/sec)"
= J/c = time constant of
the response (sec)"
What does the shaft angle
response look like?!

Angle Control of
Direct-Current Motor"

Angular Position"

Simplified Dynamic Model"

Rotary inertia, J, is the sum of motor and load inertias"
Output angle, y(t), is a double integral of the control, u(t)!
Desired angle, yc(t), is constant"
Feedback Control Law"

u(t) = c e(t)
where
e(t) = yc (t) y(t)

How would y(t) be measured?"

Model of Dynamics and Angle Control"

Output angle, y(t), as a function of time"

t t

1
c
y(t) = u(t) dt dt =
J00
J

t t

c
e(t)
dt
dt
=
0 0
J

t t

[y

y(t)] dt dt

0 0

Associated 2nd-order, linear, time-invariant

ordinary differential equation "

d 2 y(t)
c

=
y(t)
=
[ yc y(t)]
dt 2
J

Model of Dynamics and Angle Control"

Corresponding set of 1st-order equations, with"
Angle: "
" x1(t) = y(t)!
Angular rate:! x2(t) = dy(t)/dt "

x1 (t) = x2 (t)
u(t) c
c
x2 (t) =
= [ yc y(t)] = [ yc x1 (t)]
J
J
J

State-Space Model
of the DC Motor"
Open-loop dynamic equation"

x1 (t) 0 1 x1 (t)

x2 (t) 0 0 x2 (t)

0
+
u(t)
1 / J

Feedback control law!

u(t) = c [ yc (t) y1 (t)] = c [ yc (t) x1 (t)]

Closed-loop dynamic equation"

x1 (t) 0

=
x2 (t) c / J

1 x1 (t)

0 x2 (t)

0
+
yc
c / J

Step Response with

Angle Feedback"
x1 (t) 0

=
x2 (t) c / J

1 x1 (t)

0 x2 (t)

% Step Response of Undamped Angle Control"

"
F1 = [0 1;-1 0];"
G1 = [0;1];"
F2 = [0 1;-0.5 0];"
G2 = [0;0.5];"
F3 = [0 1;-0.25 0];"
G3 = [0;0.25];"
Hx = [1 0;0 1];"
"
Sys1 = ss(F1,G1,Hx,0);"
Sys2 = ss(F2,G2,Hx,0);"
Sys3 = ss(F3,G3,Hx,0);"
"
step(Sys1,Sys2,Sys3)"

0
+
yc
c / J

c/J = 1, 0.5, and 0.25!

"

What Went Wrong?"

No damping!"
Solution: Add rate feedback in
the control law!
Control law with
rate feedback!

u(t) = c1 [ yc (t) y1 (t)] c2 y2 (t)

Closed-loop dynamic equation!

x1 (t)
0

=
x2 (t) c1 / J

x1 (t) 0
+

c2 / J x2 (t) c1 / J

yc

Alternative Implementations
of Rate Feedback"
u(t) = c1 [ y c (t) y1 (t)] c 2 y 2 (t) = c1 [ y c (t) y1 (t)] c 2

dy1 (t)
dt

One input, two outputs!

One input, one output!

Step Response with Angle and

Rate Feedback"
c1 /J = 1 "
c2 /J = 0, 1.414, 2.828"
% Step Response of Damped "
Angle Control"
"
F1 = [0 1;-1 0];"
G1 = [0;1];"
"
F1a = [0 1;-1 -1.414];"
F1b = [0 1;-1 -2.828];"
"
Hx = [1 0;0 1];"
"
Sys1 = ss(F1,G1,Hx,0);"
Sys2 = ss(F1a,G1,Hx,0);"
Sys3 = ss(F1b,G1,Hx,0);"
"
step(Sys1,Sys2,Sys3)"

LTI Model with Feedback Control"

Command input, uc, has dimensions of u!

u(t) = u c (t) Cy(t)

x (t) = F x(t) + Gu(t) + Lw(t)

y(t) = H x x(t) + H u u(t)

Effect of Feedback Control

on the LTI Model"
x (t) = F x(t) + G u(t) = F x(t) + G [ u c (t) Cy(t)]
= Fopen loop x(t) + G {u c (t) C [ H x x(t)]}

= [ F GCH x ] x(t) + G u c (t)

Fclosed loop x(t) + G u c (t)

Feedback modifies the stability matrix

of the closed-loop system"
Convergence or divergence"
Envelope of transient response!

LTI Model with Feedback Control

and Command Gain"
Command input, yc, is shaped by Cc!

u(t) = u c (t) Cy(t)

= C c y c (t) Cy(t)

Effect of Command Gain on LTI Model "

x (t) = F x(t) + G u(t) = F x(t) + G {C c y c (t) Cy(t)}
= F x(t) + G {C c y c (t) C [ H x x(t)]}
= [ F GCH x ] x(t) + GC c y c (t)

Steady-state response of the system! x (t) = 0

x * (t) = [ F GCH x ] GC c y c * (t)

1

Command gain adjusts the steady-state response"

Has no effect on the stability of the system!

Response to Sine Wave

Input with Angle Feedback:
No Damping"
yc (t) = sin ( t ) = sin ( 6.28 t ) , deg

c1 /J = 1; c2 /J = 0"
Why are there 2
oscillations in the
output?"
Undamped
transient response
to the input!
Long-term dynamic
response to the
input!

System has a natural

frequency of
oscillation, n"
Long-term response
to a sine wave is a
sine wave!

Response to Sine
Wave Input with
Rate Damping"
c1 /J = 1; c2 /J = 1.414"

yc (t) = sin ( t ) = sin ( 6.28 t ) , deg

c1 /J = 1; c2 /J = 2.828"

With damping, transient response decays"

In this case, damping has negligible effect on long-term response!

System Dynamics Produces

Differences in Amplitude and
Phase Angle of Input and Output"
Amplitude Ratio (AR) =
Phase Angle = 360

y peak
yC peak

t peak
Period

, deg

Amplitude ratio and phase

angle characterize the
system model!

Effect of Input Frequency

on Output Amplitude and
Phase Angle"
y (t) = sin ( t / 6.28 ) , deg
c

With low input

frequency, input
and output
amplitudes are
about the same"
Lag of angle
output oscillation,
compared to input,
is small"
Rate oscillation
leads angle
oscillation by ~90
deg!

c1 /J = 1; c2 /J = 1.414"

At Higher Frequency, Phase Angle Lag Increases"

c1 /J = 1; c2 /J = 1.414"

c1 /J = 1; c2 /J = 1.414"

yc (t) = sin ( 6.28 t ) , deg

y c (t) = sin( t ), deg

At Even Higher Frequency,

Amplitude Ratio Decreases"

Frequency
Response of the
DC Motor with
Feedback
Control "
! Long-term response
to sinusoidal inputs
over range of
frequencies"
! Determine
experimentally or "
! from the transfer
function"

! Transfer function
based on the
Laplace transform
of the system "
! Frequency response
depicted in the
Bode Plot!

Next Time:
Analog and Digital
Control Systems

Supplemental Material!

LTI Control with

Forward-Loop Gain"
u(t) = C [ y c (t) y(t)]

x (t) = F x(t) + Gu(t) + Lw(t)

y(t) = H x x(t) + H u u(t)

With Cc = C, command input, yc, has dimensions of y!