Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology

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Automatic Control

COURSE LANGUAGE: English

YEAR OF THE DEGREE PROGRAMME (I, II, III): III

SEMESTER (I, II, ANNUAL): II

CFU: 9

REQUIRED PRELIMINARY COURSES (IF MENTIONED IN THE COURSE STRUCTURE “REGOLAMENTO”) 
Systems Theory.

PREREQUISITES (IF APPLICABLE) 
Basic knowledge of the analysis of continuous-time and discrete-time linear dynamic systems. Input–state–output and input–output representations. Use of Laplace, Zeta, and Fourier transforms, as well as software tools for the analysis and simulation of dynamic systems. 

LEARNING GOALS 
The course aims to introduce students to the design of feedback control laws for dynamic systems and to illustrate their possible applications. In particular, it explores in depth the main methodologies for the synthesis of linear control systems—both analog and digital—with state and output feedback. By the end of the course, students will be able to design linear controllers, also making use of software tools for the analysis, design, and simulation of control systems. 

EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES (DUBLIN DESCRIPTORS) 

Knowledge and understanding 
The educational program is designed to provide methodological tools for understanding the fundamental principles of automatic control and the effects of feedback on the dynamic characteristics of linear systems, or systems linearized around an equilibrium point. The course introduces the main methodologies for feedback control design—both analog and digital—in the time domain and in the transform domains. This knowledge will enable students to understand the main issues related to the use of different synthesis methods, depending on the required specifications and the characteristics of the processes to be controlled. 

Applying knowledge and understanding 
The acquired knowledge will enable students to formalize the performance specifications of a control system in both the time and transform domains. Based on these specifications and on the characteristics of the process to be controlled, students will be able to make design choices, that is, to design the control law using different synthesis methods. Matlab/Simulink software will be employed to support controller synthesis and to verify system performance. 

COURSE CONTENT/SYLLABUS 

  • Fundamental properties of feedback control systems: performance specifications in the time domain. 
  • Reachability and controllability in continuous and discrete time. Equilibrium-point control through state feedback. Output regulation via eigenvalue and gain assignment. 
  • Overview of analog and digital implementations of control systems. Sampled-data systems. Output regulation with integral action and state feedback in continuous and discrete time. 
  • Observability in continuous and discrete time. State observer. Eigenvalue separation and control with output feedback. 
  • Analysis of systems with output feedback: steady-state accuracy and system type, transient response. 
  • Closed-loop analysis using the root locus method. Design of control systems by means of root locus in continuous and discrete time. Typical controller structures. Control of unstable processes. 
  • Frequency-domain analysis of continuous-time systems: stability and robustness via the Nyquist criterion. Stability margins. 
  • Sensitivity functions. Relationships among the time-domain response, the open-loop frequency response, and the sensitivity functions. 
  • Design of control systems in the frequency domain using the loop-shaping method. Compensator networks. 
  • Design of digital controllers by discretization and directly in the discrete-time domain using the model-matching method. 
  • Issues in digital control implementation: structure of the control algorithm, anti-aliasing filtering, and considerations on the choice of the sampling period. 
  • PID controllers: performance analysis in the frequency domain and introduction to experimental tuning methods. 
  • Advanced control systems: Smith predictor, cascade control, and mixed feedback–feedforward control schemes. 

READINGS/BIBLIOGRAPHY 

  1. Franklin, D. Powell, A. Emami-Naeini, Feedback Control of Dynamic Systems, 8th Edition, Pearson.

Additional textbooks and/or lecture notes recommended by the instructor. 

TEACHING METHODS 
The instructor will employ: a) lectures for approximately 70% of the total class hours, and b) in-class exercises using the MATLAB/Simulink tool (https://www.mathworks.com/) for about 30% of the total class hours. 

EXAMINATION/EVALUATION CRITERIA 

Exam type:

  • Written and oral.

In case of a written exam, questions refer to:

  • Numerical exercises.

The written examination is intended to assess the student’s ability to design a controller, either analog or digital, for a linear dynamic system in the time and transform domains, based on assigned specifications and with the aid of Matlab/Simulink. The oral examination, which follows the written test, consists of a discussion on the theoretical topics covered during the lectures, aimed at verifying the student’s understanding of the concepts and contents of the course syllabus. 

Evaluation pattern: 
The result of the written examination is a prerequisite for admission to the oral examination. Passing the written test alone is not sufficient to pass the course.