CSE2608 Automatic Control
Chapter 1
Introduction to Control Systems
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Chapter Contents
1.1 Control Systems Terminologies
1.2 Control systems Classifications
1.2.1 Open-loop control systems
1.2.2 Closed-loop control systems
1.3 Automatic Control Applications
Appendix A The Laplace Transform
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1.1 Control Systems Terminologies
• Systems: A system is a combination of components that act together and
perform a certain objective.
• Examples: the system of interstate highways. We're having a new
computer system installed. In the body, a system is a set of organs or
structures that have a particular job to do: the digestive system.
• Control System: An interconnection of components forming a system
configuration that will provide a desired response. It can be described by a
block diagram as shown in Fig. 1.1.
• A system controlling the operation of another system.
• A system that can regulate itself and another system.
• A control system is a device, or set of devices to manage, command, direct or
regulate the behaviour of other device(s) or system(s).
Fig. 1.1 Simplified description of a control system or block diagram
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1.1 Control Systems Terminologies
• A process or plant: It is the portion of a system which is to be controlled. The
input-output relationship represent the cause and effect of the process as
shown in Fig. 1.2.(Example: an electric motor its control input is voltage and its
output is rotation).
• Disturbances: A disturbance is a signal that tends to adversely affect the value
of the output of a system. If a disturbance is generated within the system, it is
called internal, while an external disturbance is generated outside the system
and is an input.
• Controlled Variable: It is the quantity or condition that is measured and
controlled. the controlled variable is the output of the system.
• A controller: It is device that generates the plant input signals to produce the
desired outputs.
Fig. 1.2 A Process to be controlled
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1.1 Control Systems Terminologies
• The Manipulated Variable: It is the quantity or condition that is varied by the
controller so as to affect the value of the controlled variable.
• Control: It means measuring the value of the controlled variable of the system
and applying the manipulated variable to the system to correct or limit deviation
of the measured value from a desired value. In other words, make some object
(system, or plant) behave as we desire. Example: Room temperature control.
• Manual Control: Manual means done by hand. Example: room temperature
regulation via Electric Fan
• Automatic Control: It done by the system. Examples: room temperature
regulation Via A.C and laundry machine, It is convenient when dealing with
dangerous (hot/cold places, space, bomb removal).
• An Input Transducer: It is device that converts the form of the input to that
used by controller.
• Feedback Control: It refers to an operation that, in the presence of
disturbances, tends to reduce the difference between the output of a system
and some reference input and that does so on the basis of this difference.
• A manual Control Systems for regulating the level of fluid in a tank by adjusting
the output valve. The operator views the level of fluid through a port in the side
of the tank is shown in Fig. 1.3. An automatic Control Systems for regulating
the level of fluid in a tank is shown in Fig. 1.4.
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1.1 Control Systems Terminologies
• Examples:- Washing Machine, Toaster,
Electric Fan
• Manual Control
Fig. 1.3 Manual Liquid-level
control system
Fig. 1.4 Automatic Liquid-level control system
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1.2 Control systems Classifications
1.2.1 Open-loop control systems
Advantages:
• Simple construction, ease of maintenance, and less expensive.
• There is no stability concern.
• Convenient when output is hard to measure or measuring the output precisely
is economically not feasible. (For example, in the washer system, it would be
quite expensive to provide a device to measure the quality of the washer's
output, cleanliness of the clothes).
Disadvantages:
• Disturbances and changes in calibration cause errors, and the output may be
different from what is desired.
• Recalibration is necessary from time to time.
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1.2 Control systems Classifications
• Control System can be classified as follows:
Property Categories of Control Systems
Linearity linear system non-linear system
Time Variance time invariant system time varying system
# of Control single variable control
Multivariable Control system
Variables system
Classical representation State Space Representation
Representation
or (classical control) or (modern control)
Control Type manual control automatic control
closed-loop control
Control Action open-loop control
(feedback control)
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1.2 Control systems Classifications
1.2.1 Open-loop control systems
• It is the system in which the control action is independent of the output
as shown in Fig. 1.5. .(Example: to control the speed of an electric fan: the
input is the fan speed (off, 1, 2, ..), the fan switch (input transducer) converts
the speed into resistance which is converted to a voltage (Controller) that
controls the speed of the motor (Plant or Process).
Example: laundry machine
• A laundry machine washes clothes, by setting a program.
• A laundry machine does not measure how clean the clothes become.
• Control without measuring devices (sensors) are called open-loop control.
(a)
Program setting
Laundry Washed clothes
(Input) Machine (Output)
(b)
Fig. 1.5 (a) An open-loop system; (b) An open-loop system example.
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1.2 Control systems Classifications
1.2.1 Open-loop control systems
• Open-loop control systems. Those systems in which the output has no effect on
the control action are called open-loop control systems.
• In other words, in an open-loop control system the output is neither measured
nor fed back for comparison with the input.
• In the presence of disturbances, an open-loop control system will not perform
the desired task.
• Open-loop control can be used, in practice, only if the relationship between the
input and output is known and if there are neither internal nor external
disturbances.
• Examples:- Washing Machine, Toaster, Electric Fan
Fig. 1.5 (c) An open-loop system.
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1.2 Control systems Classifications
1.2.2 Closed-loop control systems
• It is the system in which the control action is dependent on the output or the
input depends on the output as shown in Fig. 1.6.
• The input transducer converts the form of the input to the form used by the
controller.
• An output transducer or sensor measures the output response and converts it
into the form used by the controller. For example, if the controller uses electric
signal to operate the valve of a temperature control system: the input position
can be converted to voltage by a potentiometer (Input transducer) and the
output temperature can be converted to voltage by a thermistor (Output
transducer or Sensor).
• Closed-loop control systems. Feedback control systems are often referred to as
closed-loop control systems.
• In practice, the terms feedback control and closed-loop control are used
interchangeably.
• In a closed-loop control system the actuating error signal, which is the
difference between the input signal and the feedback signal , is fed to the
controller so as to reduce the error and bring the output of the system to a
desired value.
• Examples:- Refrigerator, Iron
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1.2 Control systems Classifications
1.2.2 Closed-loop control systems
(a)
• A Servo System (or
servomechanism) is a feedback
control system in which the output
is some mechanical position,
velocity or acceleration. (b)
Fig. 1.6 (a) Closed-loop control system; (b) Servo System
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1.2 Control systems Classifications
1.2.2 Closed-loop control systems
Example 1.1
The student–teacher learning process is inherently a feedback process
intended to reduce the system error to a minimum. Construct a feedback model
of the learning process and identify each block of the system.
Solution
A feedback model is shown below
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1.2 Control systems Classifications
1.2.2 Closed-loop control systems
Example 1.2
A temperature control system operates by sensing the difference between the
thermostat setting and actual temperature and then opening a fuel valve an
amount proportional to this difference. Draw a functional closed - loop block
diagram identifying the input and output transducers, the controller, and the
plant. Further, identify the input and output signals of all subsystems previously
described..
Solution
A feedback model is shown below
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1.2 Control systems Classifications
1.2.2 Closed-loop control systems
Advantages:
• High accuracy
• Not sensitive to disturbance
• Controllable transient response
• Controllable steady state error
Disadvantages:
• More Complex, and More Expensive.
• Possibility of instability.
• Need for output measurement.
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1.3 Automatic Control Applications
Automatic control has played a vital role in the advance of engineering and
science.
• Applications:
– Robotic systems
– Aircraft
– Missile guidance systems
– Industrial processes
– Transportations
– Medicine
– Health
– Military
– … etc.
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Appendix A The Laplace Transform
• The Laplace Transform, F(s) of time function f(t) is given by:
• Examples of some standard functions are listed as:
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Appendix A The Laplace Transform
• Some Laplace Transform Theorems are listed as:
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