EEN 407

1. What is Control System? Draw a block diagram of a control system in its simplest form.
Describe how control system contributes in an elevator response.

Ans: A control system is a mechanism that alters the future behavior or state of a system. It consists of
subsystems and processes (or plants) assembled for the purpose of obtaining a desired output with desired
level of performance, given a specified input. Control is concerned with finding environmentally and
commercially feasible way of acting on a technological system to control its output to desired values
while ensuring a desired level of performances.

Figure: Block diagram of control system

Elevator Response:

Figure: Elevator Response

When the fourth-floor button is pressed on the first floor, the elevator rises to the fourth floor with a speed
and floor-leveling accuracy designed for passenger comfort. The push of the fourth-floor button is an
input that represents our desired output, shown as a step function in Figure above. The performance of the
elevator can be seen from the elevator response curve in the figure. Two major measures of performance
are apparent: (1) the transient response and (2) the steady-state error. In our example, passenger comfort
and passenger patience are dependent upon the transient response. If this response is too fast, passenger
comfort is sacrificed; if too slow, passenger patience is sacrificed. The steady-state error is another
important performance specification since passenger safety and convenience would be sacrificed if the
elevator did not properly level.

2. What is the desired objective of Control system? Describe the design process steps of a
Control System.

Ans: There are three major objectives of systems analysis and design: producing the desired transient
response, reducing steady-state error, and achieving stability.
Analysis is the process by which a system's performance is determined. For example, we evaluate its transient
response and steady-state error to determine if they meet the desired specifications. Design is the process by which a
system's performance is created or changed. For example, if a system's transient response and steady-state error are
analyzed and found not to meet the specifications, then we change parameters or add additional components to meet
the specifications. A control system is dynamic: It responds to an input by undergoing a transient response before
reaching a steady-state response that generally resembles the input. We have already identified these two responses
and cited a position control system (an elevator) as an example.

Design Process stps of a control system:

Step 1: Transform Requirements Into a Physical System

We begin by transforming the requirements into a physical system. For example, in the antenna azimuth
position control system, the requirements would state the desire to position the antenna from a remote
location and describe such features as weight and physical dimensions. Using the requirements, design
specifications, such as desired transient response and steady-state accuracy, are determined.

Step 2: Draw a Functional Block Diagram

The designer now translates a qualitative description of the system into a functional block diagram that
describes the component parts of the system (that is, function and/or hardware) and shows their
interconnection. Example of a functional block diagram for the antenna azimuth position control system.
It indicates functions such as input transducer and controller, as well as possible hardware descriptions
such as amplifiers and motors. At this point the designer may produce a detailed layout of the system,
from which the next phase of the analysis and design sequence, developing a schematic diagram, can be
launched.

Step 3: Create a Schematic

As we have seen, position control systems consist of electrical, mechanical, and electromechanical
components. After producing the description of a physical system, the control systems engineer
transforms the physical system into a schematic diagram.

Step 4: Develop a Mathematical Model (Block Diagram)

Once the schematic is drawn, the designer uses physical laws, such as Kirchhoff's laws for electrical
networks and Newton's law for mechanical systems, along with simplifying assumptions, to model the
system mathematically.

Step 5: Reduce the Block Diagram

Subsystem models are interconnected to form block diagrams of larger systems. In order to evaluate
system response in this example, we need to reduce this large system's block diagram to a single block
with a mathematical description that represents the system from its input to its output, Once the block
diagram is reduced, we are ready to analyze and design the system.

Step 6: Analyze and Design

The next phase of the process, following block diagram reduction, is analysis and design. If you are
interested only in the performance of an individual subsystem, you can skip the block diagram reduction
and move immediately into analysis and design.

3. What is difference between linear system and non-linear system?

Ans:
 4. What do you mean by time-invariant system? What are the prerequisites of a linear
system? Describe the input-output classifications of a system.

Ans:

For time varying system , system’s output changes with time.

input-output classifications of a system:

i) Single input, single output (SISO) system
ii) Single input, multiple output (SIMO) system
iii) Multiple input, single output (MISO) system
iv) Multiple input, Multiple output (MIMO) system

5. What is open-loop system? What is the main drawback of an open-loop system? Draw
block diagrams for the following systems: i) Open loop system “Electric Hand Drier” ii)
Closed loop system “Automatic Electric Iron”.

Ans: A generic open-loop system is shown in Figure. It starts with a subsystem called an input
transducer, which converts the form of the input to that used by the controller. The controller drives a
process or a plant. The input is sometimes called the reference, while the output can be called the
controlled variable. Other signals, such as disturbances, are shown added to the controller and process
outputs via summing junctions, which yield the algebraic sum of their input signals using associated
signs.
 Figure: Open-loop system
The main drawback of an open-loop system is that it cannot compensate for any disturbances that add to
the controller's driving signal as well as output signal. System has no way for the variation in the system.

i) Open loop system of Electric Hand Drier:

ii) Closed loop system of Automatic Electric Iron:

 6. What is closed-loop system? What is the main advantage of a closed-loop system? Draw
block diagrams for the following systems: i) Open loop system “Automatic Washing
Machine” ii) Closed loop system “Servo Voltage Stabilizer”.

Ans: A Closed-loop Control System, also known as a feedback control system is a control
system which uses the concept of an open loop system as its forward path but has one or more
feedback loops (hence its name) or paths between its output and its input. The reference to
“feedback”, simply means that some portion of the output is returned “back” to the input to form
part of the systems excitation.
The disadvantages of open-loop systems, namely sensitivity to disturbances and inability to
correct for these disturbances and inability to correct for those disturbances, be overcomes in
closed-loop system. i.e. the system has a way to compensate for variations in the system.

Figure: Close-loop system

i) Open loop system of Automatic Washing Machine:

ii) Closed loop system of Servo Voltage Stabilizer:

7. What is Laplace Transform? Find the Laplace transform of the following equations:
I. f(t) = Ae-atu(t)
II. f(t) = 5e-atu(t)
III. f(t) = sinwtu(t)
IV. f(t) = coswtu(t)

Ans:
I)
II)

III)

IV)
8. What is Transfer Function? Prove the followings:
 C(S) G(S)

a) for a closed-loop system : R(S) 1  G(S)H(S)
C(S) G(S)

b) for a closed-loop system : R(S) 1  G(S)H(S)
C(S) G(S)

c) for a closed-loop system : R(S) 1  G(S)
C(S) G(S)

d) for a closed-loop system : R(S) 1  G(S)

a)

b)

c)

d)
 dc(t )
 2c(t )  r (t )
9. Find the transfer function represented by : dt

Ans:

Taking the laplace transform of both sides, assuming zero initial conditions,

The transfer function G(s) is,

dc(t )
 2c(t )  tu (t )
10. Find the transfer function represented by : dt

Ans:
 dc (t )
 2c(t )  u (t )
11. Find the output of the system represented by : dt

Ans:

12. Find the transfer function relating the capacitor voltage, V C(s), to the input voltage, V(s)
in the following figure:

Ans:
 13. Find the transfer function relating the resistor voltage, VR(s), to the input voltage, V(s) in
the following figure:

Ans:
 14. Find the transfer function , V0(s)/ Vi(s), for the circuit given in the following figure:

Ans:

15. Find the transfer function , V0(s)/ Vi(s), for the circuit given in the following figure:

Ans:

16. What is Series analog?

Make Parallel analogy
for the following
Mechanical System:
 Ans: Analogs can be obtained by comparing the describing equations, such as the equations
of motion of a mechanical system, with either electrical mesh or nodal equations. When
compared with mesh equations, the resulting electrical circuit is called a series analog.

17. What is Parallel analog? Convert the following mechanical system to a Series analog:

Ans: When compared with nodal equations, the resulting electrical circuit is called a parallel
analog.
 18. What is Parallel analog? Make Series analogy for the following Mechanical System:

Ans: When compared with nodal equations, the resulting electrical circuit is called a parallel
analog.
 C ( s)
T (s) 
19. Reduce the block diagram shown in figure to a single block, R( s)
 C ( s)
T (s) 
20. Reduce the block diagram shown in figure to a single block, R( s)
 C ( s)
T (s) 
21. Reduce the block diagram shown in figure to a single block, R( s)
 C ( s)
T (s) 
22. Reduce the block diagram shown in figure to a single block, R( s)
23. Convert the block diagram of following figure to a signal flow graph:
24. Convert the block diagram of following figure to a signal flow graph :

25. Convert the block diagram of following figure to a signal flow graph :

26. Convert the block diagram of

following figure to a signal flow graph:
 C ( s)
T (s) 
27. Find the transfer function , R ( s) , for the signal flow graph in following Figure :
Ans:

=
 Vo( s )
T (s) 
28. Use Mason’s Gain Formula to calculate the transfer function, Vi ( s) , for the
system.
 29. Describe whether the following system is stable or not. If unstable, use PID controller to
stabilize the system and hence show the calculation details and draw output versus input
curve for the cases i) with PID ii) without PID.

Ans:
 30. Define Pole and Zero. Find out the stability of the following system from the Pole-Zero
Plots and verify your findings from time domain representations.

S 7 S 3
G (s)  G ( s) 
i) S  10S  30
2
ii) S  10S  21
2

Ans:
Pole (X): the poles of transfer function are: (1) the values of the Laplace transform variable, s,
that cause the transfer funtion to become infinite or (2) any roots of the denominator of the
transfer funtion that are common to roots of the numerator.
Zeros (0): the zeros of transfer function are: (1) the values of the Laplace transform variable, s,
that cause the transfer funtion to become zero or (2) any roots of the numerator of the transfer
funtion that are common to roots of the denominator.
 S 7
G (s) 
i. S  10S  30
2
 S 3
G ( s) 
ii. S  10S  21
2
 31. For the following second order systems; find damping ratio and natural frequency, draw
pole plots and input-output curves for step inputs and hence mention the damping types
of the systems.
5 10( S  7)
T (s )  T (s) 
i) ( S  3)( S  6) ii) ( S  10)( S  20)

20 S 2
T (s)  T (s) 
iii) S  6 S  144
2
iv) S2 9

Ans:
 5
T (s ) 
i. ( S  3)( S  6)
 10( S  7)
T (s) 
ii. ( S  10)( S  20)
 20
T (s) 
iii. S  6 S  144
2
 S 2
T (s) 
iv. S2 9
32. What are differences between linear system and non-linear system?
 Linear system Nonlinear system

1. A linear system based on the use of 1. A nonlinear system is a system in which

a linear operator i.e. a system is the change of the output is not
a system in which the change of the proportional to the change of the input.
output is proportional to the change of
the input.
2. It follows superposition property. 2. It does not follow superposition property.
f (v1)  y1 f (v1)  y1
f (v2)  y2 f (v2)  y2
 f (v1  v2)  y1  y2 but f (v1  v2)  y1  y 2

3. It follows homogeneous property. 3. It does not follow homogeneous property.

f (v)  y y f (v)  y
 f ( Av)  Ay but f ( Av)  Ay
o v
4. Examples: i) Electrical circuits composed 4. Examples: Electronic circuits for peak
of resistors, capacitors and inductors. detection, squaring, sine wave to square
Ii) Electronic circuits, such as wave conversion, frequency doubling
amplifiers and filters. etc.

33. What is a closed-loop system? What is the main advantage of a closed-loop system?

Closed loop system: A closed loop control (feedback control) system is a control
system which uses the concept of an open loop system as its forward path but has
one or more feedback loops or paths between its output and its input.

Main advantage of a closed loop system: The disadvantage of open loop system,
namely sensitivity to disturbances and inability to correct for these disturbances can
be overcome in close loop system i.e. the system has a way to compensate for
variations in the system.