Feedback and control system handout 1

actuator

the device that can influence the controlled variable of the process. It moves the process from the current state to the desired state. 

process

the house whose output is the room temperature. It is the process you want to control. It is the variable that needs to be driven to the desired state. 

disturbance

represents unwanted inputs which affect the control-system’s output, and result in an increase of the system error. 

plant 

combination of process and actuator

controller

The component that actually computes the desired control signal

input filter

whose role is to convert the reference signal to an electrical form for later manipulation by the controller. 

sensor

The component labeled thermostat

open-loop system

provides initial instructions to equipment but provides no means of gathering data and comparing assumptions underlying those instructions to the reality of what the equipment actually produces. 

closed system

In this setup, the controller receives the output and compares it to the desired input.

Modeling 

It is the method of transforming the physical system into its equivalent mathematical equation counterpart.

Model Verification 

the mathematical equations are tested whether they conform to the actual response of the system.

Control Architecture 

This stage is the development of the controller/compensator.

Control Verification 

Once the design is done, a control engineer must verify his/her work either through simulation or prototyping.