Lecturer: Giancarlo Ferrari Trecate  

Course name: Fondamenti di automatica
Course code: 062039
Degree course: Ingegneria Biomedica, Ingegneria Elettronica e delle Telecomunicazioni, Ingegneria Elettrica
Disciplinary field of science: ING-INF/04
The course relates to:
University credits: CFU 9
Course website: http://sisdin.unipv.it/labsisdin/teaching/courses/falt/
files/falt.php

Specific course objectives

The course will cover basic techniques for analysing dynamical systems and for designing feedback controllers. Lectures will focus on methodology while labs will expose students to the use of MatLab and Simulink (widely used in industry) for computer-aided analysis of systems and control design.

Course programme

Dynamical systems
Introduction to control problems. Examples of mathematical models. Dynamical systems: definition and taxonomy. State-space models. Trajectories and equilibria.

Analysis of dynamical systems
Stability of equilibria. Linear Time-Invariant (LTI) systems: stability tests and Routh's stability criterion. Linearization about equilibria. Controllability and observability. Kalman decomposition of LTI systems.

Transfer function
Definition, computation and properties of transfer functions. Step response of first- and second-order LTI systems. Frequency response. Bode diagrams. Polar diagrams.

Analysis of feedback systems
Block diagrams. Stability of closed-loop systems: closed-loop characteristic polynomial, Nyquist and Bode criteria. Phase margin and gain margin. Stability, performance and robustness requirements for closed-loop systems. Analysis of sensitivity and complementary sensitivity transfer functions. Steady-state errors.

Controller design
Frequency-response methods for the controller design. PID controllers. Anti-windup schemes. The root locus.

Course entry requirements

Linear algebra, calculus I, basics of physics and circuit theory.

Course structure and teaching

Lectures (hours/year in lecture theatre): 40
Practical class (hours/year in lecture theatre): 39
Practicals / Workshops (hours/year in lecture theatre): 24
Project work (hours/year in lecture theatre): 0

Suggested reading materials

P. Bolzern, R. Scattolini, N. Schiavoni. Fondamenti di controlli automatici. McGraw-Hill, 2004. Seconda edizione.

G.F. Franklin, J.D. Powell, A. Emami-Naeini . Feedback control of dynamic systems. Prentice Hall.

English textbooks will be provided upon request..

Testing and exams

Closed-book, closed-note written exam.