Q1 : [30 Marks] Consider the circuit shown in Figure Q1, where 𝑅1 , 𝑅2 , 𝐶1 , 𝐶2 are given.

Figure Q1
(1.1) Find the circuit currents and voltages in terms of the above given values: [10 Marks]
𝑖(𝑠) = ? 𝑖1 (𝑠) = ? 𝑖2 (𝑠) = ? 𝑉𝐶1 (𝑠) = ? 𝑉𝑜 (𝑠) = ?
𝑉𝑜 (𝑠)
(1.2) Find the circuit Transfer Function = ? [15 Marks]
𝑉𝑖(𝑠)

(1.3) Find the circuit differential equation in time domain (i.e., find 𝐴, 𝐵, 𝐶 below): [5 Marks]
𝑑 2 𝑉𝑜 𝑑𝑉𝑜
𝐴 +𝐵 + 𝐶 = 𝑉𝐼
𝑑𝑡 2 𝑑𝑡

Answers (Show your work):

(1.1)
𝑉𝐶1 − 𝑉𝑜 ∫ 𝑖1 𝑑𝑡 ∫ 𝑖2 𝑑𝑡
𝑉𝑖 − 𝑉𝐶1 𝑖2 = 𝑉𝐶1 = 𝑉𝑜 =
𝑖 = 𝑖1 + 𝑖2 𝑖= 𝑅2 𝐶1 𝐶2
𝑅1

𝑉𝐼 (𝑠) − 𝑉𝐶1 (𝑠) 𝑉𝐶1 (𝑠) − 𝑉𝑜 (𝑠) 𝐼1 (𝑠) 𝐼2 (𝑠)

𝐼(𝑠) = 𝐼1 (𝑠) + 𝐼2 (𝑠) 𝐼(𝑠) = 𝐼2 (𝑠) = 𝑉𝐶1 (𝑠) = 𝑉𝑜 (𝑠) =
𝑅1 𝑅2 𝐶1 𝑠 𝐶2 𝑠

(1.2)

𝑉𝑜 (𝑠) 1
=
𝑉𝐼 (𝑠) [ 𝑅1 𝐶1 𝑅2 𝐶2 𝑠 2 + (𝑅1 𝐶1 + 𝑅2 𝐶2 + 𝑅1 𝐶2 )𝑠 + 1]

(1.3)

[ 𝑅1 𝐶1 𝑅2 𝐶2 𝑠 2 + (𝑅1 𝐶1 + 𝑅2 𝐶2 + 𝑅1 𝐶2 )𝑠 + 1] 𝑉𝑜 (𝑠) = 𝑉𝐼 (𝑠)

𝑑2 𝑉𝑜 𝑑𝑉𝑜
𝑅1 𝐶1 𝑅2 𝐶2 𝑑𝑡 2
+ (𝑅1 𝐶1 + 𝑅2 𝐶2 + 𝑅1 𝐶2 ) 𝑑𝑡
+ 𝑉𝑜 = 𝑉𝐼

2
Q2: [25 Marks] For the closed-loop system shown in Figure Q2 to be stable, identify the value range
of the control gain 𝐾

Figure Q2

Answers (Show your work):

𝐾
Closed-loop transfer function
s4 +3s3 +3s2 +3s+𝐾
Characteristic Equation D(s) = s4 + 4s3 + 4s 2 + 3s + 𝐾 = 0

Roth Table:

𝒔𝟒 1 3 K

𝒔𝟑 4 3

𝒔𝟐 13 K
4

𝒔𝟏 39 − 16𝐾
13

𝒔𝟎 K

For stability, all coefficients in the first column must be positive:


39−16𝐾
> 0 and 𝐾 > 0
13

39
0 < 𝐾 < 16

3
 𝐾(𝑠+2)
Q3: [25 Marks] Given the transfer function of an inverted pendulum, 𝐿(𝑠) ≔ 𝐺(𝑠)𝐻(𝑠) = ,
𝑠2 −1
with a large 𝐾 > 0, and its Nyquist plot as shown on Figure Q3, where the dashed curve
means going through infinity.
Determine if its corresponding closed-loop system is stable or not.

Figure Q3

Answers (Show your work):

𝐿(𝑠): = 𝐺(𝑠)𝐻(𝑠) has 1 pole in the RHP: 𝑠 2 − 1 = 0  𝑠1 = 1 and 𝑠2 = −1

𝑠 2 +𝐾𝑠+(2𝐾−1)
1 + 𝐿(𝑠) =  𝑠 2 + 𝐾𝑠 + (2𝐾 − 1) = 0
𝑠 2 −1

−𝐾±√𝐾 2 −4(2𝐾−1)
 𝑠1,2 = has no zero in RHP (for large 𝐾 > 0)  𝑍 = 0
2

For the closed-loop system to be stable, the Nyquist criterion requires 𝑁 + 𝑃 = 𝑍, namely, the
Nyquist plot must have −𝑁 = 1 counterclockwise encirclement of the point −1 + 𝑗0, which
is the case shown in Figure Q4(b)

The corresponding closed-loop system is stable

4
Q4 : [20 Marks] Consider the closed-loop PD control system shown in Figure Q4, where 𝐽 is a given
constant, 𝑇𝑑 is a given scaling constant, and 𝐾𝑝 is a constant control gain to be determined.

Figure Q4
(4.1) Verify that the closed-loop Transfer Function is (show your work): [5 Marks]
𝐶(𝑠) 𝐾𝑝 (1+𝑇𝑑 𝑠)
= 2
𝑅(𝑠) 𝐽𝑠 +𝐾𝑝 𝑇𝑑 𝑠+𝐾𝑝

1
(4.2) For unit step input 𝑅(𝑠) = 𝑠 , find the steady-state tracking error 𝑒(𝑡) = 𝑟(𝑡) − 𝑐(𝑡):
[10 Marks]

𝑒𝑠𝑠 = lim 𝑒(𝑡) = lim 𝑟(𝑡) − 𝑐(𝑡) = ?

𝑡→∞ 𝑡→∞

(4.3) Comment on the role of the PD controller in this system. [5 Marks]

Answers (Show your work):

(4.1)
𝐶(𝑠) 𝐺(𝑠) 𝐾𝑝 (1+𝑇𝑑 𝑠)/(𝐽𝑠 2 ) 𝐾𝑝 (1+𝑇𝑑 𝑠)
= = =
𝑅(𝑠) 1+𝐺(𝑠) 1+𝐾𝑝 (1+𝑇𝑑 𝑠)/(𝐽𝑠 2 ) 2
𝐽𝑠 +𝐾𝑝 𝑇𝑑 𝑠+𝐾𝑝

(4.2)

1 𝐾𝑝 (1+𝑇𝑑 𝑠) 1 𝐾𝑝
𝑒𝑠𝑠 = lim [𝑟(𝑡) − 𝑐(𝑡)] = lim 𝑠 [ − 2 ]=1−𝐾 =0
𝑡→∞ 𝑠→0 𝑠 𝐽𝑠 +𝐾𝑝 𝑇𝑑 𝑠+𝐾𝑝 𝑠 𝑝

(4.3) The D-controller is redundant since even if 𝑇𝑑 = 0 the tracking performance of the closed-
loop system is the same. The P-control gain 𝐾𝑝 can also be arbitrary but cannot be zero
(otherwise, the feedforward path will be disconnected), which means that the role of the
1
P-controller is not significant either, for the given special second-order plant 𝐺(𝑠) = 𝐽𝑠2

--- END ---