Robust output stabilization: improving performance via supervisory control

We analyze robust stability, in an input-output sense, of switched stable systems. The primary goal (and contribution) of this paper is to design switching strategies to guarantee that input-output stable systems remain so under switching. We propose two types of {\em supervisors}: dwell-time and hysteresis based. While our results are stated as tools of analysis they serve a clear purpose in design: to improve performance. In that respect, we illustrate the utility of our findings by concisely addressing a problem of observer design for Lur'e-type systems; in particular, we design a hybrid observer that ensures ``fast'' convergence with ``low'' overshoots. As a second application of our main results we use hybrid control in the context of synchronization of chaotic oscillators with the goal of reducing control effort; an originality of the hybrid control in this context with respect to other contributions in the area is that it exploits the structure and chaotic behavior (boundedness of solutions) of Lorenz oscillators.Comment: Short version submitted to IEEE TA

A graph theoretic approach to input-to-state stability of switched systems

This article deals with input-to-state stability (ISS) of discrete-time switched systems. Given a family of nonlinear systems with exogenous inputs, we present a class of switching signals under which the resulting switched system is ISS. We allow non-ISS systems in the family and our analysis involves graph-theoretic arguments. A weighted digraph is associated to the switched system, and a switching signal is expressed as an infinite walk on this digraph, both in a natural way. Our class of stabilizing switching signals (infinite walks) is periodic in nature and affords simple algorithmic construction.Comment: 14 pages, 1 figur

A recent electronic control circuit to a throttle device

The main objective of this paper is to conceive a recent electronic control circuit to the throttle device. The throttle mechanical actuator is the most important part in an automotive gasoline engine. Among the different control strategies recently reported, an easy to implement control scheme is an open research topic in the analog electronic engineering field. Hence, by using the nonlinear dwell switching control theory, an analog electronic control unit is proposed to manipulate an automotive throttle plate. Due to the switching mechanism is commuting between a stable and an unstable controllers, the resultant closed-loop system is enough robust to the control objective This fact is experimentally evidenced. The proposed electronic controller uses operational amplifiers along with an Arduino unit. This unit is just employed to generate the related switching signal that can be replaced by using, for instance, the timer IC555. Thus, this study is a contribution on design and realization of an electronic control circuit to the throttle device.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Tools for Stability of Switching Linear Systems: Gain Automata and Delay Compensation.

The topic of this paper is the analysis of stability for a class of switched linear systems, modeled by hybrid automata. In each location of the hybrid automaton the dynamics is assumed to be linear and asymptotically stable; the guards on the transitions are hyperplanes in the state space. For each location an estimate is made of the gain via a Lyapunov function for the dynamics in that location, given a pair of ingoing and outgoing transitions. It is shown how to obtain the best possible estimate by optimizing the Lyapunov function. The estimated gains are used in defining a so-called gain automaton that forms the basis of an algorithmic criterion for the stability of the hybrid automaton. The associated gain automaton provides a systematic tool to detect potential sources of instability as well as an indication on to how to stabilize the hybrid systems by requiring appropriate delays for specific transitions