EEL 4610 Fall 2003

COURSE INFORMATION

Instructor
Haniph A. Latchman
Phone (352) 392-4950
Fax (352) 392-0044
Email: latchman@list.ufl.edu


Honor Code

All students admitted to the University of Florida have signed a statement of academic honesty committing themselves to be honest in all academic work and understanding that failure to comply with this committment will result in disciplinary action. This statement is a reminder to updhold your obligation as a student at the University of Flordia, and to be honest in all work submitted and exams taken in this class and all others. For more information, please see the academic honor code.

Course Objectives and Overview

State Variables and Control (EEL 4610) is an introductory course on the analysis and design of Linear Control Systems using state space system representations - the so-called Modern Control Theory.

Although no longer 'modern' in a strict chronological sense, the major results being derived in the decades surrounding the 1960's, the label of 'modern control' has been maintained in the control community for historical reasons. The book first presents the key highlights of the classical theory as it applies to single-input single-output (SISO) systems and attempts to introduce in a gradual manner some of the 'modern' approaches to control system analysis and design, using the state-space methods of modern control theory. The course also shows how the classical frequency domain analysis and design techniques extend naturally to the case of MIMO systems using eigenfunctions rather than simple transfer functions. The material thus lays the foundation for addressing more advanced material in robustness analysis and robust controller design for MIMO systems.

The fundamental aim of the course is to provide a coherent development of the major results in modern control theory. This treatment is intended to be at a level appropriate for a second course in linear systems theory by undergraduate seniors who have had a typical course in classical linear control theory. We consider such topics as the relationships between the classical SISO transfer function and the MIMO transfer matrices, and their associated state space system models, as well as the concepts of system modes and state transformations. The book also explores the concepts of controllability and observability and minimality, as well as state observers and state re-construction. State space design methods such as full state feedback, linear quadratic state feedback (LQSF) and linear quadratic gaussian (LQG) control are also presented. Finally the book highlights the robustness concerns using state feedback and presents the loop transfer recovery (LTR) method. An introductory treatment of Robust Control Theory -- the post-modern or neo-classical control approach is also included.


Catalog Description

EEl 4610 Pre-requisites: Circuits II (EEL 3112) and Signals and Systems (EEL 3135). Catlog Description: Development of state-variable approach to linear continuous-time and discrete-time systems with emphasis on the design of feedback control system including stabilizing compensators, state estimators and controllers for tracking and disturbance rejection.

An undergraduate course in electrical circuits and signals and systems provides suitable background for some of the material to be covered in the course. Specifically, it would be helpful for students to have a sound grasp of the concepts of transfer functions, time and frequency response, and Laplace transform analysis. A basic knowledge of z-transforms and solving difference equations would also be helpful in the discrete-time material. Basic Linear Algebra and Matrix Theory concepts will also be used throughout this course.


Course Materials

A comprehensive set of notes will be provided for this course. The recommended text is Modern Control Theory by William Brogan

Electronic copies of the course syllabus, notes and other course information will be accessible via the World Wide Web (WWW) using WEBCT. The class website will also provide a comprehensive environment for collaborative and interactive learning - using the concept of Asynchrononous Learning Networks (ALN).

To access the class home page you will need to create a class account for EEL4610. To do this, visit http://latchman.list.ufl.edu and select EEL 4610 from the FALL 2003 course list. Here you can create an account for yourself and you can proceed to the login page and then go to the class home page.


Grading

Grades are based on the following weights.

Midterm Exam: 20%
Final Exam: 35%
Assignments: 20%
Participation 5%
Term Paper/Project: 20 %

Final letter grades will be assigned at the end of the semester and will depend on absolute and relative student and class performance.

Assignments

Homework and other assignments will be given periodically and will be due within the first 5 minutes of class on the designated due-date. Use regular-size paper, staple the sheets together, fold and put your name and homework number at the top. Late homework will be accepted only in exceptional circumstances which need to be discussed with the Instructor for approval. Homework assignments will not be given over the phone. Graded homework will be returned in class and/or placed in the receptacle on the 4th floor of the New Engineering Building.


Exams

The midterm exam and the final exam will be given in class and dates for these will be announced in class. The final exam will be comprehensive, but with emphasis on material covered since the midterm exam. An announcement will be made to indicate whether the examinations will be closed-book, open-book or limited-notes.


Final Project

All students will be required to complete a final project or term paper as part of the requirements of this course. The project may take the form of a programming project, a simulation or other quantitative experimental study, or a critical review a relevant paper, or some combination of these. The project may be done individually or in teams of two or more students, provided that the work is compartmentalized to clearly identify the contribution of each participant. All projects must deal with come aspect of control systems using state variable methods.

It is recommended that each student should select a project or paper topic that is of interest to him/her and one that can be completed in a timely manner using readily available resources. In some cases, the resources of the Laboratory for Information Systems and Telecommunications (LIST) may be used, especially if the selected project is relevant to on-going LIST research. The project must be completed in the allotted time; incomplete grades will not be given just to allow extra time to work on the project. All projects must be approved by the instructor. Each student or team must submit a brief project proposal (no more than three pages) that outlines project objectives, required resources, work plan, and deliverables. Project proposals are due within the first three weeks of classes. You are encouraged to discuss project/paper ideas with the instructor and to submit your proposal as early as possible. If a student cannot find an appropriate topic, one will be assigned.

Examples of Projects

  • Matlab Simulation study of robustness and stability
  • Extension of an EEL 4657 Lab project
  • Critical review of a relevant paper highlighting advantages and disadvantages, strengths and weaknesses, and proposing alternative approaches.
  • A comprehensive discussion of a major control system such as that used in aircraft autopilots, or chemical process plants or even in intelligent building systems and heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, featuring state space examples

    Project reports should be presented in a professional manner. Students working in teams may submit multiple reports or a single report as agreed with the instructor on project approval. All reports must be typed and neatly formatted. A cover page that indicates project title, course, student name(s) and ID number(s) and date, must be included. Neatness, spelling, grammar, writing style, presentation and clarity will be considered in grading. Any texts, papers, manuals, reports, or other sources must be appropriately acknowledged. Please use the standard IEEE Journal paper format for the final papers. Neatly drawn figures and graphs should be used where appropriate. Target lengths for the project report is about 10-15 pages. Please do not copy material directly from reference sources. Give proper citations for all references and explictly identify the source of direct quotations.

    Additional Reading Materials

    The following additional reading material may be helpful.

  • Modern Control Systems by Dorf and Bishop
  • Linear Control Systems - A First Course by Haniph A. Latchman