• ACE-Lab CORE Learning Library

    Introductory control engineering topics

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    C

    Comprehend (C)

    Introduce the essential ideas, terminology and representations used to describe control systems.

    Introduction to Control Systems

    Control engineering foundations

    An introduction to the purpose and basic behaviour of control systems, including open-loop and closed-loop control.

    Comprehend Control systems Open and closed loop
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    Key Components of a Control System

    Control-system components

    An introduction to the roles of the controller, plant or process, sensor, actuator and feedback path within a control system.

    Comprehend Components Sensors and actuators
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    Block Diagrams to Represent Control Systems

    Control-system representation

    An introduction to using block diagrams to show control-system components, their connections and the flow of signals.

    Comprehend Block diagrams Signal flow
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    System Dynamics, Signals and Variables

    Dynamic behaviour and signals

    A basic introduction to how systems change over time and to the references, outputs, errors, disturbances and manipulated variables used to describe them.

    Comprehend System dynamics Signals and variables
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    Requirements

    Control requirements

    An introduction to expressing control objectives as clear and measurable requirements against which system behaviour can be assessed.

    Comprehend Requirements Performance objectives
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    O

    Operate (O)

    Explain how common control methods, measurements and signals are used in general applications.

    Introduction to Microcontrollers

    Embedded control

    A basic introduction to the role of microcontrollers within digital control systems.

    Operate Embedded control Introduction to microcontrollers
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    Sampling and execution rate

    Real-time implementation

    A basic introduction to sampling, update rates and their effect on digital control.

    Operate Real-time implementation Sampling and
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    Digital, analogue and PWM I/O

    Embedded I/O

    An introductory overview of digital, analogue and pulse-width-modulated signals.

    Operate Embedded I/O Digital analogue
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    Data acquisition

    Measurement

    A basic introduction to collecting and interpreting measured control-system data.

    Operate Measurement Data acquisition
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    Sensor calibration

    Measurement

    An introduction to relating measured values to meaningful engineering quantities.

    Operate Measurement Sensor calibration
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    Actuator and motor driving

    Actuation

    A basic overview of how control commands are converted into actuator inputs.

    Operate Actuation Actuator and
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    Encoder measurement

    Feedback measurement

    An introduction to using encoder signals to represent position and speed.

    Operate Feedback measurement Encoder measurement
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    Experimental testing

    Testing

    An introduction to comparing control-system behaviour with stated requirements.

    Operate Testing Experimental testing
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    R

    Refine (R)

    Introduce the ideas used to assess and improve control-system performance.

    P, PI and PID control

    Classical control

    An introduction to proportional, integral and derivative control action.

    Refine Classical control P PI
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    Controller tuning

    Controller tuning

    A basic overview of how controller parameters influence system response.

    Refine Controller tuning Controller tuning
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    Stability

    Stability

    An introduction to stable, unstable and marginal control-system behaviour.

    Refine Stability Stability
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    Transient-response refinement

    Transient performance

    A basic introduction to improving rise time, settling time and overshoot.

    Refine Transient performance Transient response
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    Steady-state error

    Accuracy

    An introduction to persistent tracking error and methods used to reduce it.

    Refine Accuracy Steady state
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    Disturbance rejection

    Disturbances

    A basic overview of how control systems respond to external disturbances.

    Refine Disturbances Disturbance rejection
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    Filtering and noise

    Measurement quality

    An introduction to measurement noise and the purpose of filtering.

    Refine Measurement quality Filtering and
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    Saturation and nonlinear limits

    Nonlinearities

    A basic introduction to actuator limits, saturation and other nonlinear effects.

    Refine Nonlinearities Saturation and
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    Anti-windup

    Implementation protection

    An introduction to integral windup and the purpose of anti-windup methods.

    Refine Implementation protection Anti windup
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    Robustness

    Robustness

    A basic overview of maintaining acceptable performance when conditions change.

    Refine Robustness Robustness
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    Discrete-time effects

    Digital control

    An introduction to sample time, numerical updates and digital-control effects.

    Refine Digital control Discrete time
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    Verification and validation

    Validation

    An introduction to checking whether a control design meets its requirements.

    Refine Validation Verification and
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    E

    Engineer (E)

    Introduce mathematical modelling, analysis and model-based control-design methods.

    Differential-equation models

    Dynamic modelling

    An introduction to representing dynamic behaviour using differential equations.

    Engineer Dynamic modelling Differential equation
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    Laplace transforms

    Laplace-domain modelling

    A basic introduction to using Laplace transforms in continuous-time control analysis.

    Engineer Laplace-domain modelling Laplace transforms
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    Transfer functions

    Transfer functions

    An introduction to representing input-output dynamics using transfer functions.

    Engineer Transfer functions Transfer functions
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    Block-diagram reduction

    Block-diagram modelling

    A basic overview of simplifying interconnected control-system block diagrams.

    Engineer Block-diagram modelling Block diagram
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    State-space models

    State-space modelling

    An introduction to representing dynamic systems using states, inputs and outputs.

    Engineer State-space modelling State space
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    Poles, zeros and dynamics

    System properties

    A basic introduction to the relationship between poles, zeros and system behaviour.

    Engineer System properties Poles zeros
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    First-principles modelling

    First-principles modelling

    An introduction to constructing models from physical laws and simplifying assumptions.

    Engineer First-principles modelling First principles
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    System identification

    Experimental modelling

    A basic introduction to estimating dynamic models from input-output data.

    Engineer Experimental modelling System identification
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    Least-squares estimation

    Parameter estimation

    An introduction to estimating unknown model parameters using least-squares methods.

    Engineer Parameter estimation Least squares
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    Model validation

    Model validation

    A basic introduction to comparing model predictions with observed behaviour.

    Engineer Model validation Model validation
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    Model order and fidelity

    Model fidelity

    An introduction to selecting a suitable level of model complexity.

    Engineer Model fidelity Model order
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    Model uncertainty

    Uncertainty

    A basic overview of parameter variation and unmodelled dynamics.

    Engineer Uncertainty Model uncertainty
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    Continuous-time stability

    Stability analysis

    An introduction to assessing continuous-time stability using pole locations.

    Engineer Stability analysis Continuous time
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    Time-domain specifications

    Time-domain design

    A basic introduction to expressing design objectives in the time domain.

    Engineer Time-domain design Time domain
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    Root locus

    Root-locus design

    An introduction to how root-locus plots relate controller gain to closed-loop poles.

    Engineer Root-locus design Root locus
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    Frequency response

    Frequency-domain analysis

    A basic introduction to analysing system behaviour across a range of frequencies.

    Engineer Frequency-domain analysis Frequency response
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    Bode plots

    Frequency-domain analysis

    An introduction to interpreting Bode magnitude and phase plots.

    Engineer Frequency-domain analysis Bode plots
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    Stability margins

    Robustness

    A basic overview of gain margin, phase margin and relative stability.

    Engineer Robustness Stability margins
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    Model-based PID design

    Controller design

    An introduction to designing PID controllers using a mathematical model.

    Engineer Controller design Model based
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    Lead and lag compensation

    Compensator design

    A basic introduction to lead and lag compensator structures.

    Engineer Compensator design Lead and
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    Discrete-time systems

    Digital control foundations

    An introduction to sampled-data and discrete-time control systems.

    Engineer Digital control foundations Discrete time
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    Z-transforms

    Z-domain modelling

    A basic introduction to using Z-transforms in discrete-time control analysis.

    Engineer Z-domain modelling Z transforms
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    Discrete transfer functions

    Discrete models

    An introduction to representing sampled systems using discrete transfer functions.

    Engineer Discrete models Discrete transfer
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    Difference equations

    Discrete implementation

    A basic introduction to representing discrete systems using recursive equations.

    Engineer Discrete implementation Difference equations
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    Continuous-to-discrete conversion

    Discretisation

    An introduction to converting continuous-time models into discrete-time forms.

    Engineer Discretisation Continuous to
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    Sample-time selection

    Sampling design

    A basic overview of the factors involved in choosing a suitable sample time.

    Engineer Sampling design Sample time
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    Z-plane stability

    Discrete stability

    An introduction to assessing discrete-time stability using pole locations in the Z-plane.

    Engineer Discrete stability Z plane
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    Digital controller design

    Digital controller design

    A basic introduction to designing controllers for discrete-time systems.

    Engineer Digital controller design Digital controller
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    Design from requirements

    Requirements-led design

    An introduction to connecting control requirements with modelling and design choices.

    Engineer Requirements-led design Design from
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    Closed-loop simulation model

    Architecture

    A basic introduction to constructing a closed-loop model for analysis and simulation.

    Engineer Architecture Closed loop
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    Controller simulation

    Simulation

    An introduction to using simulation to examine controller behaviour.

    Engineer Simulation Controller simulation
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    Design-space exploration

    Design exploration

    A basic overview of comparing controller structures and parameter choices.

    Engineer Design exploration Design space
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    Model verification

    Verification

    An introduction to checking whether a model-based design meets stated requirements.

    Engineer Verification Model verification
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    Implementation effects

    Non-ideal behaviour

    A basic introduction to delays, quantisation, saturation and other implementation effects.

    Engineer Non-ideal behaviour Implementation effects
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    Implementation-ready controller

    Deployment preparation

    An overview of the form a controller must take before digital implementation.

    Engineer Deployment preparation Implementation ready
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    Automatic code generation

    Code generation

    A basic introduction to the role of automatic code generation in model-based design.

    Engineer Code generation Automatic code
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    Simulation-to-hardware validation

    Model-hardware comparison

    An introduction to comparing simulated behaviour with later practical results.

    Engineer Model-hardware comparison Simulation to
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    Model-based design iteration

    Iterative design

    An introduction to the iterative relationship between requirements, models and control design.

    Engineer Iterative design Model based
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