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American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB)

EEE 4101: Control Systems Laboratory

Experiment # 1: Introduction to design and simulation of open loop and close loop control systems
using a Computer Aided Design (CAD) tool---MATLAB version 5.3.

Objectives:
1. Creating polynomial functions, finding roots of a polynomial function, evaluating polynomials,
calculating product of two polynomial functions in MATLAB.
2. Obtaining overall transfer functions of open loop and close loop control systems.
3. Observing the step responses of open-loop and closed-loop control systems.

Introduction:
A combination of components that act together is called system. There are two types of systems---open
loop and close loop control systems. Systems in which the output quantity has no effect on the input
quantity are open-loop control systems. Systems in which the output quantity has an effect upon the
input quantity---primarily to maintain the desired output value---are close-loop control systems. In close
loop control systems feedback of the output quantity is a must. The unit that provides the means for
feeding back the output quantity or a function of the output to compare it with the reference input, is
called a feedback element. If the output signal is directly compared with the reference input then this
type of closed-loop system is called a unity feedback system. If a portion of the output signal is
compared with the reference input signal then this type of closed-loop system is called a non-unity
feedback system.

In the 1960s, control engineers turned to linear algebra techniques of state space modeling for these
systems. The matrix-based mathematics of state space analysis and design drove the need for more
sophisticated computer analysis. C. B. Moler of the University of New Mexico wrote an interactive
program called MATLAB. The introduction of MATLAB was a phenomenal success, as it
revolutionized computer-aided analysis and design of control systems.

Procedure:
Working in MATLAB environment:
To start MATLAB software package, click on the START menu in the desktop, then find the MATLAB
icon from the program group. This will open a MATLAB Command Window for you. You can find the
MATLAB software package in the desktop as well. You can just double-click it. When the MATLAB
Command Window pops up, you will get a prompt (>>). You can write your MATLAB commands
after this prompt and MATLAB will execute them line by line. Working in the MATLAB environment
is generally straightforward as most commands are entered as you would write them mathematically.

For example, entering the following sample expression

>> a = 4/3
yields the MATLAB response as follows
a=
1.3333.

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However, it is much more convenient to use an M-file (with .m extension) than to enter commands line
by line at the MATLAB prompt. In MATLAB Command Window, click New->M-file to bring up a new
M-file. In M-files, statements that begin with a ‘%’ are considered to be comments and are ignored by
MATLAB. The commands in these files are executed in the MATLAB environment simply by entering
the name of the file without the “.m”.

For this lab, create a new M-file Lab1.m and write the MATLAB code provided by the teacher in this
file. Save the file in the D:\Control_SP_08\SecD folder. To execute the commands written in this file
you have to change your working directory by writing the following commands at your MATLAB
prompt as:
>>D:\Control_SP_08\SecD
Now write the file name at MATLAB prompt to run your file from the directory like following:
>>Lab1
and then press ENTER.

You will get the answers like following:

p1 =
1 0 5 6

num/den =

s^3 + 5 s + 6
-------------
1
ans =
12

With the help of the teacher, run the M-file on a PC in MATLAB environment. Write down the answers
from the MATLAB command prompt in your notebook and analyze them. Remember, in MATLAB, if
the semicolon at the end of a command is not used, it will display computed answer for that command in
the MATLAB command window.

After running the M-file, two figures will pop up. Go to Figure No. 2. Click on Tools-Axes Properties.
In Edit Axes Properties window, click the Manual in Tick Step option. Enter 0.2 for “time in seconds”.
Keep the default value for “y(t)”. Click Manual in the Limits option. Enter 1.8 in the right cell for time
in seconds. Keep the left cell as 0. Click Apply and then Ok. This will allow you to analyze both the
figures within the same “zone”.

Report:

Write a report on this experiment. The MATLAB code and plots will be provided in the course website.

Comment on the step responses for different control systems. Did you find any difference in the step
responses of open loop and closed loop control systems? Provide your comments and recommendations
for it.

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Matlab codes:

%EEE 4101 (Control Systems)

%Lab 1
%MATLAB codes
clc; %Clears the MATLAB Command Window

close all; %Closes all figures

clear all; %Clears all variables

%Part 1
%Creating equations, Calculating roots, Displaying transfer functions etc.

p1=[1 0 5 6] %Defines the coefficients of a linear equation

printsys(p1,[0 0 0 1],'s') %Outputs the polynomial of the equation

%as a transfer function and also in
%symbolic form, where the variable
%is labelled as "s"

polyval(p1,1) %Evaluates the polynomial of the equation

%with a value of 1

r1=roots(p1) %Calculates the roots of the equation

p2=poly(r1) %Creates an equation from the roots (r1).

%This should match with the original equation(p1).
%But it will not match exactly in this case.
%This is because the imaginary portion of the
%complex root has fractions and MATLAB cannot
%incorporate all digits to the right of a
%fraction in computations.

printsys(p2,[0 0 0 1],'s') %Outputs the equation as a transfer function

%and also in symbolic form, where the variable
%is labelled as "s".This should match with
%the previous transfer function

exp1=[1 1]; %Define an expression called exp1

exp2=[1 2]; %Define an expression called exp2
exp=conv(exp1,exp2) %Multiply these two expresions and store the
%result in exp

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%Part 2
%Simulating an open loop control system

clear all; %Clears all variables (i.e. p1,r1,p2 etc.)

OL_TRF_num = [1 1] %Define the numerator of a transfer function

OL_TRF_den = conv([1 3], [1 5]) %Define the denominator of a transfer function

printsys(OL_TRF_num, OL_TRF_den, 's')

%Outputs the transfer function (open-loop) in
%symbolic form, where the variable is "s"

[y, x, t]=step(OL_TRF_num, OL_TRF_den);

%Simulate this system for a step input.It will
%store the simulation results in certain
%variables like y,x,t

figure (1) %Label the figure

plot(t, y) %Display the simulation in a 2-D plot

grid %Add gridlines in the figure

title('Unit step responce for open loop') %Add a title to the figure

ylabel('y(t)') %Label y axis

xlabel('time in seconds') %Label x axis

%Part 3
%Simulating a close loop control system
%This control system has unity feedback

[CL_TRF_num, CL_TRF_den] = cloop(OL_TRF_num, OL_TRF_den)

%Calculates the close-loop transfer function
%from the open-loop transfer function

printsys(CL_TRF_num, CL_TRF_den, 's')

%Outputs the transfer function (closed-loop) in
%symbolic form where the variable is "s"

[y, x, t]=step(CL_TRF_num, CL_TRF_den);

%Simulate this system for a step input.It will
%store the simulation results in certain
%variables like y,x,t

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figure (2) %Label the figure

plot(t, y) %Display the simulation in a 2-D plot

grid %Add gridlines in the figure

title('Unit step responce for close loop') %Add a title to the figure

ylabel('y(t)') %Label y axis

xlabel('time in seconds') %Label x axis

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