On general systems with network-enhanced complexities

In recent years, the study of networked control systems (NCSs) has gradually become an active research area due to the advantages of using networked media in many aspects such as the ease of maintenance and installation, the large flexibility and the low cost. It is well known that the devices in networks are mutually connected via communication cables that are of limited capacity. Therefore, some network-induced phenomena have inevitably emerged in the areas of signal processing and control engineering. These phenomena include, but are not limited to, network-induced communication delays, missing data, signal quantization, saturations, and channel fading. It is of great importance to understand how these phenomena influence the closed-loop stability and performance properties

Control and filtering of time-varying linear systems via parameter dependent Lyapunov functions

The main contribution of this dissertation is to propose conditions for linear filter and controller design, considering both robust and parameter dependent structures, for discrete time-varying systems. The controllers, or filters, are obtained through the solution of optimization problems, formulated in terms of bilinear matrix inequalities, using a method that alternates convex optimization problems described in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Both affine and multi-affine in different instants of time (path dependent) Lyapunov functions were used to obtain the design conditions, as well as extra variables introduced by the Finsler\u27s lemma. Design problems that take into account an H-infinity guaranteed cost were investigated, providing robustness with respect to unstructured uncertainties. Numerical simulations show the efficiency of the proposed methods in terms of H-infinity performance when compared with other strategies from the literature

Delay-Based Controller Design for Continuous-Time and Hybrid Applications

Motivated by the availability of different types of delays in embedded systems and biological circuits, the objective of this work is to study the benefits that delay can provide in simplifying the implementation of controllers for continuous-time systems. Given a continuous-time linear time-invariant (LTI) controller, we propose three methods to approximate this controller arbitrarily precisely by a simple controller composed of delay blocks, a few integrators and possibly a unity feedback. Different problems associated with the approximation procedures, such as finding the optimal number of delay blocks or studying the robustness of the designed controller with respect to delay values, are then investigated. We also study the design of an LTI continuous-time controller satisfying given control objectives whose delay-based implementation needs the least number of delay blocks. A direct application of this work is in the sampled-data control of a real-time embedded system, where the sampling frequency is relatively high and/or the output of the system is sampled irregularly. Based on our results on delay-based controller design, we propose a digital-control scheme that can implement every continuous-time stabilizing (LTI) controller. Unlike a typical sampled-data controller, the hybrid controller introduced here -— consisting of an ideal sampler, a digital controller, a number of modified second-order holds and possibly a unity feedback -— is robust to sampling jitter and can operate at arbitrarily high sampling frequencies without requiring expensive, high-precision computation

Synthesis of embedded control systems with high sampling frequencies

Motivated by current technological advances in the design of real-time embedded systems, this work deals with the digital control of a continuous-time linear time-invariant (LTI) system whose output can be sampled at a high frequency. Since a typical sampled-data controller operating at a high sampling frequency needs heavy (high-precision) computation to alleviate its sensitivity to measurement and computational errors, the objective is to design a robust hybrid controller for high-frequency applications with limited computational power. To this end, we exploit our recent results on delay-based controller design and propose a digital-control scheme that can implement every continuous-time stabilizing (LTI) controller. This robust hybrid controller, which consists of an ideal sampler, a digital controller, a number of modified second-order holds and possibly a unity feedback, can operate at arbitrarily high sampling frequencies without requiring expensive, high-precision computation. We also discuss how to find a continuous-time LTI controller satisfying prescribed design specifications so that its corresponding digital controller requires the least processing time

Measurements, Models, Systems and Design

531 s.

A review of convex approaches for control, observation and safety of linear parameter varying and Takagi-Sugeno systems

This paper provides a review about the concept of convex systems based on Takagi-Sugeno, linear parameter varying (LPV) and quasi-LPV modeling. These paradigms are capable of hiding the nonlinearities by means of an equivalent description which uses a set of linear models interpolated by appropriately defined weighing functions. Convex systems have become very popular since they allow applying extended linear techniques based on linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) to complex nonlinear systems. This survey aims at providing the reader with a significant overview of the existing LMI-based techniques for convex systems in the fields of control, observation and safety. Firstly, a detailed review of stability, feedback, tracking and model predictive control (MPC) convex controllers is considered. Secondly, the problem of state estimation is addressed through the design of proportional, proportional-integral, unknown input and descriptor observers. Finally, safety of convex systems is discussed by describing popular techniques for fault diagnosis and fault tolerant control (FTC).Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Decentralized robust set-valued state estimation in networked multiple sensor systems

AbstractThis paper addresses a decentralized robust set-valued state estimation problem for a class of uncertain systems via a data-rate constrained sensor network. The uncertainties of the systems satisfy an energy-type constraint known as an integral quadratic constraint. The sensor network consists of spatially distributed sensors and a fusion center where set-valued state estimation is carried out. The communications from the sensors to the fusion center are through data-rate constrained communication channels. We propose a state estimation scheme which involves coders that are implemented in the sensors, and a decoder–estimator that is located at the fusion center. Their construction is based on the robust Kalman filtering techniques. The robust set-valued state estimation results of this paper involve the solution of a jump Riccati differential equation and the solution of a set of jump state equations

Discrete Time Systems

Discrete-Time Systems comprehend an important and broad research field. The consolidation of digital-based computational means in the present, pushes a technological tool into the field with a tremendous impact in areas like Control, Signal Processing, Communications, System Modelling and related Applications. This book attempts to give a scope in the wide area of Discrete-Time Systems. Their contents are grouped conveniently in sections according to significant areas, namely Filtering, Fixed and Adaptive Control Systems, Stability Problems and Miscellaneous Applications. We think that the contribution of the book enlarges the field of the Discrete-Time Systems with signification in the present state-of-the-art. Despite the vertiginous advance in the field, we also believe that the topics described here allow us also to look through some main tendencies in the next years in the research area