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2.2 TIME DOMAIN SPECIFICATIONS

The desired performance characteristics of control systems are specified in terms
of time domain specifications. Systems with energy storage elements cannot respond
instantaneously and will exhibit transient responses, whenever they are subjected to
inputs or disturbances. The desired performance characteristics of a system of any order
may be specified in terms of the transient response to a unit step input signal. The
response of a second order system for unit step input with various values of damping ratio
is shown in figure 2.2.1.

Figure 2.2.1 Time Response

[Source: “Modern Control Engineering” by Katsuhiko Ogata, Page: 229]

The transient response of a system to a unit step input depends on the initial conditions.
Therefore, to compare the time response of various systems it is necessary to start with
standard initial conditions. The most practical standard is to start with the system at rest
and so output and all time derivatives before t=0 will be zero. The transient response of
a practical control system often exhibits damped oscillation before reaching steady state.
A typical damped oscillatory response of a system is shown in figure 2.2.2.

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Figure 2.2.2 Transient and steady-state response analyses

[Source: “Modern Control Engineering” by Katsuhiko Ogata, Page: 230]

The transient response characteristics of a control system to a unit step input is specified
in terms of the following time domain specifications:
1. Delay time, td: It is the time required for the response to reach 50% of the steady state
value for the first time.
1 + 0.7𝜁
𝑡𝑑 =
𝜔𝑛
2. Rise time, tr: It is the time required for the response to reach 100% of the steady state
value for under damped systems. However, for over damped systems, it is taken as
the time required for the response to rise from 10% to 90% of the steady state value.
The unit step response of second order system for underdamped case is given by,
𝑒 −𝜁𝜔𝑛𝑡
𝑐 (𝑡) = 1 − sin(𝜔𝑑 𝑡 + 𝜃)
√(1 − 𝜁 2)
At t = tr, c(t) = c(tr) = 1
𝑒 −𝜁𝜔𝑛𝑡𝑟
𝑐(𝑡𝑟 ) = 1 − sin(𝜔𝑑 𝑡𝑟 + 𝜃 ) = 1
√(1 − 𝜁 2)

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−𝑒 −𝜁𝜔𝑛𝑡𝑟
sin(𝜔𝑑 𝑡𝑟 + 𝜃 ) = 0
√(1 − 𝜁 2 )
Since −𝑒 −𝜁𝜔𝑛𝑡𝑟 ≠ 0, the term, sin(𝜔𝑑 𝑡𝑟 + 𝜃 ) = 0,
When Φ = 0, π, 2π, 3π,…. sin Φ = 0
𝜔𝑑 𝑡𝑟 + 𝜃 = 𝜋
𝜔𝑑 𝑡𝑟 = 𝜋 − 𝜃
𝜋−𝜃
𝑡𝑟 =
𝜔𝑑
On constructing right angled triangle,
√(1 − 𝜁 2 )
tan 𝜃 =
𝜁
√(1 − 𝜁 2)
𝜃 = tan−1
𝜁

𝐷𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦, 𝜔𝑑 = 𝜔𝑛 √(1 − 𝜁 2)

√(1 − 𝜁 2 )
𝜋 − tan−1 ( )
𝜁
𝑡𝑟 =
𝜔𝑛 √(1 − 𝜁 2)
3. Peak time, tp: It is the time required for the response to reach the maximum or peak
value of the response. To find the expression for peak time, t p, differentiate c(t) with
respect to ‘t’ and equate to zero.
𝑑
𝑐 (𝑡)|𝑡=𝑡𝑝 = 0
𝑑𝑡
The unit step response of under damped second order system is given by
𝑒 −𝜁𝜔𝑛𝑡
𝑐 (𝑡) = 1 − sin(𝜔𝑑 𝑡 + 𝜃)
√(1 − 𝜁 2)
Differentiating c(t) with respect to ‘t’,
𝑑 −𝑒 −𝜁𝜔𝑛𝑡 −𝑒 −𝜁𝜔𝑛𝑡
𝑐 (𝑡) = (−𝜁𝜔𝑛 ) sin( 𝜔𝑑 𝑡 + 𝜃) + ( ) cos(𝜔𝑑 𝑡 + 𝜃)𝜔𝑑
𝑑𝑡 √(1 − 𝜁 2 ) √(1 − 𝜁 2)

Put 𝜔𝑑 = 𝜔𝑛 √(1 − 𝜁 2),

𝑑 𝑒 −𝜁𝜔𝑛𝑡 𝑒 −𝜁𝜔𝑛𝑡
𝑐 (𝑡) = (𝜁𝜔𝑛 ) sin( 𝜔𝑑 𝑡 + 𝜃) − ( ) cos(𝜔𝑑 𝑡 + 𝜃)𝜔𝑛 √(1 − 𝜁 2 )
𝑑𝑡 2
√(1 − 𝜁 ) 2
√(1 − 𝜁 )

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𝜔𝑛 𝑒 −𝜁𝜔𝑛 𝑡
= [𝜁 sin( 𝜔𝑑 𝑡 + 𝜃) − (√(1 − 𝜁 2))cos(𝜔𝑑 𝑡 + 𝜃)]
√(1−𝜁 2 )

𝜔𝑛 𝑒 −𝜁𝜔𝑛 𝑡
= [cos 𝜃 sin( 𝜔𝑑 𝑡 + 𝜃) − sin 𝜃 cos(𝜔𝑑 𝑡 + 𝜃)]
√(1−𝜁 2 )

𝜔𝑛 𝑒 −𝜁𝜔𝑛 𝑡
= [sin( 𝜔𝑑 𝑡 + 𝜃 − 𝜃)]
√(1−𝜁 2 )

𝜔𝑛 𝑒 −𝜁𝜔𝑛 𝑡
= [sin( 𝜔𝑑 𝑡)]
√(1−𝜁 2 )
𝑑
At t = tp, 𝑐 (𝑡) = 0
𝑑𝑡

𝜔𝑛 𝑒 −𝜁𝜔𝑛𝑡𝑝
[sin( 𝜔𝑑 𝑡𝑝 )] = 0
√(1 − 𝜁 2 )
Since, 𝑒 −𝜁𝜔𝑛𝑡𝑝 ≠ 0, the term, [sin( 𝜔𝑑 𝑡𝑝 )] = 0
When Φ = 0, π, 2π, 3π,…. sin Φ = 0
𝜔𝑑 𝑡𝑝 = 𝜋
𝜋
𝑡𝑝 =
𝜔𝑑
On substituting, we get,
𝜋
𝑡𝑝 =
𝜔𝑛 √(1 − 𝜁 2)
4. Peak overshoot, Mp: It is defined as the difference between the peak value of the
response and the steady state value. Iris usually expressed in percent of the steady
state value. If the time for the peak is tp, percent peak overshoot is given by,
𝑐(𝑡𝑝 )−𝑐(∞)
Maximum percent overshoot =
𝑐(∞)

𝑒 −𝜁𝜔𝑛∞
𝐴𝑡 𝑡 = ∞, 𝑐(𝑡) = 𝑐(∞) = 1 − sin(𝜔𝑑 𝑡 + 𝜃 ) = 1 − 0 = 1
√(1 − 𝜁 2 )
𝑒 −𝜁𝜔𝑛𝑡𝑝
𝐴𝑡 𝑡 = 𝑡𝑝 , 𝑐 (𝑡) = 𝑐(𝑡𝑝 ) = 1 − sin(𝜔𝑑 𝑡𝑝 + 𝜃)
√(1 − 𝜁 2)
𝜋
−𝜁𝜔𝑛
𝜔𝑛 √(1−𝜁2 )
𝑒 𝜋
=1− sin (𝜔𝑑 + 𝜃)
√(1−𝜁 2 ) 𝜔𝑑
𝜋
−𝜁
√(1−𝜁2 )
𝑒
=1− sin(𝜋 + 𝜃 )
√(1−𝜁 2 )

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𝜋 𝜁𝜋
−𝜁
√(1−𝜁2 ) √(1−𝜁2 )
𝑒 𝑒
=1− sin(𝜃 ) = 1 + √(1 − 𝜁 2 )
√(1−𝜁 2 ) √(1−𝜁 2 )

𝑐(𝑡𝑝 ) − 𝑐(∞)
%𝑀𝑝 =
𝑐(∞)
𝜋𝜁
2
%𝑀𝑝 = 𝑒 √(1−𝜁 ) × 100
5. Settling time, ts: It is the time taken by the response to reach and stay within a specified
error. It is usually expressed as percentage of final value. The usual tolerable error is
2% and 5% of the final value.
The response of second order system has two components. They are
𝑒 −𝜁𝜔𝑛 𝑡
a. Decaying exponential component,
√(1−𝜁 2 )

b. Sinusoidal component, sin(𝜔𝑑 𝑡 + 𝜃 )

In these terms, the decaying component term dampens or reduces the oscillations
produced by sinusoidal component. Hence, the settling time is decided by the exponential
component. The settling time can be found out by equating exponential component to
percentage tolerance errors.
𝑒 −𝜁𝜔𝑛 𝑡𝑠
For 2% tolerance error band, at t = ts, = 0.02
√(1−𝜁 2 )

For least values of 𝜁, 𝑒 −𝜁𝜔𝑛𝑡𝑠 = 0.02

On taking natural logarithm on both sides, we get,
−𝜁𝜔𝑛 𝑡𝑠 = ln(0.02) = −4
4
𝑡𝑠 = = 4𝑇
𝜁𝜔𝑛
𝑒 −𝜁𝜔𝑛 𝑡𝑠
For 5% tolerance error band, at t = ts, = 0.05
√(1−𝜁 2 )

For least values of 𝜁, 𝑒 −𝜁𝜔𝑛𝑡𝑠 = 0.05

On taking natural logarithm on both sides, we get,
−𝜁𝜔𝑛 𝑡𝑠 = ln(0.02) = −3
3
𝑡𝑠 = = 3𝑇
𝜁𝜔𝑛

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4
𝑆𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒, 𝑡𝑠 = 𝑓𝑜𝑟 2% 𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟
𝜁𝜔𝑛
3
𝑆𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒, 𝑡𝑠 = 𝑓𝑜𝑟 5% 𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟
𝜁𝜔𝑛
The performance of a system is usually evaluated in terms of the following qualities:
 How fast it is able to respond to the input?
 How fast it is reaching the desired output?
 What is the error between the desired output and the actual output, once the
transients die down and steady state is achieved?
 Does it oscillate around the desired value?
 Is the output continuously increasing with time or is it bounded?
 These are the specifications to be given for the design of a controller for a given
system.

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