17/11/2021

Design of Control Systems in

State Space
State Feedback

By
H. M. Yusuf

Open Loop Control System

Consider a control system
̇= +
=
(1) u x x y
b   c
where
= (n − vector) A
= ( )
Fig 1: Open loop Control system
= ( )
= ×
= ×1
C= 1 × The open loop poles of the system
are given by the eigenvalues of A;
− =0

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Closed loop control system

u

x x y
B  C

A
K

Fig 2: Closed loop Control system with u=-Kx

The control signal is chosen to be :

=− (2)
where; = 1×

Substituting (2) in (1) gives

̇= − (3)

The closed loop poles of the system are given by the eigenvalues
of matrix (A-BK); −( − ) =0 (4)

Pole Placement Technique

• Pole placement or pole assignment is a design technique used
to place the closed loop poles (otherwise called the regulator
poles) of a system at any desired location by use of state
feedback.
• Therefore, design of control systems in state space involves
choosing an appropriate gain matrix, K for state feedback
• Difference from classical approach:
– Not only the dominants poles, but “all poles” are forced to
lie at specified desired locations.
– In classical approach only dominants poles are placed at
desired location
• Necessary and Sufficient condition:
– The system is completely state controllable
• Assumption: All state variables are measurable

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Pole Placement Design Methods

The pole placement control problem is to determine a
value of K that will produce a desired set of closed loop
poles.

We will discuss three methods used for pole placement

– Direct substitution method
– Transformation matrix method
– Ackermann’s formula

Method 1: Direct Substitution Method

If the desired location of the closed loop poles are given by
s  1, s  2 ,..., s  n (5)

Then, the characteristic equation of the closed loop system given by (4) should be
equal to the characteristic equation of the desired location of the closed loop poles

sI  A  BK  ( s  1 )( s  2 )...( s  n ) (6)

Since both sides of this characteristic equation are polynomials in s, by equating the
coefficients of the like powers of s on both sides, it is possible to determine the
value of K

Solving for K in equation (6) will give the elements of the state feedback matrix

NB: This method is applicable to systems having ≤

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Method 1: Direct Substitution Method

Example 1:
Consider the open loop system

Evaluate the coefficients of the state feedback gain such that the closed loop poles have the
values s  2, s  2
Solution:
Step1: Check controllability;

0 1  0  1 
A  , B    , AB   
0  4   
1 4
0 1 
M  [B AB ]   , d et( M )  1
 1  4 
Since det(M)≠0, The system is controllable
Step 2: Define K
K   k1 k2 

Method 1:Direct Substitution Method

Step 3: Form the closed loop characteristics equation

s 0 0 1  0
sI  A  B K      k1 k2 
0 s   0  4   1 
= s 2  ( 4  k 2 ) s  k1

Step 4: Form the characteristic equation of the desired closed loop poles
( s  1 )( s  2 )  ( s  2)( s  2)
= s 2  4s  4

Step 5: Apply equation (6)

s 2  (4  k2 ) s  k1  s 2  4s  4
Equating the coefficients,
k1  4 Therefore, K   4 0
4  k2  4
 k2  0

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Method 1:Direct Substitution Method

Example 2: Consider the system defined by ̇ = + where
0 1 0 0
= 0 0 1 = 0
−1 −5 −6 1
By using the state feedback control = − , it is desired to the closed loop poles at
= −2 ± and = −10. Determine the sate feedback gain matrix K.
Solution:
Step 1: Check controllability of the system
0 0 1
Controllability matrix = = 0 1 −6
1 −6 31
= −1 so rank of M =3. Hence system is completely state controllable.
Step 2: Define K
K   k1 k2 k3 
Step 3: Form the closed loop characteristics equation

s 0 0  0 1 0  0
sI  A  BK   0 s 0    0 0 1    0   k1 k2 k3 
 0 0 s    1  5  6   1 
= s  (6  k 3 ) s 2  (5  k 2 ) s  (1  k1 )
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Method 1:Direct Substitution Method

Step 4: Form the characteristic equation of the desired closed loop poles

( s  1 )( s  2 )( s  3 )  ( s  2  j 4)( s  2  j 4)(s  10)

= s3  14s 2  60s  200
Step 5: Apply equation (6)

s 3  (6  k3 ) s 2  (5  k2 ) s  (1  k1 )  s 3  14 s 2  60 s  200
Equating the coefficients,

1  k1  2 0 0  k1  1 9 9
5  k2  60  k2  55
6  k3  14  k3  8
 K  1 9 9 55 8

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Method 2: Transformation Matrix Method

Step 1: Check the controllability condition for the system. If the system is completely state controllable
Step 2: From the characteristic polynomial for matrix A, that is,
− = + + … +
determine the values of , …
Step 3: Determine the transformation matrix T that transforms the system state equation
into the controllable canonical form. T  MW
where, M is the controllability matrix, M   B AB A2 B ... An 1 B 
 
and,  an 1 an  2 ... a1 1 
a 
 n  2 an 3 ... 1 0 
W   
 
 1a 1  0 0 
 1 0  0 0 

Note: If the given system equation is already in the controllable canonical form, then =

Step 4: Using the desired eigenvalues (desired closed-loop poles), write the desired
characteristic polynomial: − … − = + + … +
And determine the values of , ∝ … ∝
Step 5: The required state feedback gain matrix K can be determined from

K   n  a n  n 1  a n 1 ...  2  a2  1  a1  T  1

Method 2: Transformation Matrix Method

Example 3: Consider the system defined by ̇ = + where
0 1 0 0
= 0 0 1 = 0
−1 −5 −6 1
By using the state feedback control = − , it is desired to the closed loop poles at
= −2 ± and = −10. Determine the sate feedback gain matrix K.
Solution:
Step 1: Check controllability of the system
0 0 1
Controllability matrix = = 0 1 −6
1 −6 31
= −1 so rank of M =3. Hence system is completely state controllable.
Step 2: The characteristic equation for the system is

 s 1 0 

sI  A  0 s 1  Hence, a1  6,
1 5 s  6  a2  5,
=s 3  6 s 2  5s  1 a3  1
=s  a1s  a2 s  a3
3 2

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Method 2: Transformation Matrix Method

Step 3: The system is already given in controllable canonical form,
Therefore, =

Step 4: The desired characteristic equation is

( s  1 )(s  2 )( s  3 )  ( s  2  j 4)( s  2  j 4)(s  10)

= s3  14s 2  60s  200
Hence, 1  6,  2  5,  3  1

Step 5: The required state feedback gain matrix K

K   3  a3  2  a2 1  a1 T 1
=  200  1 60  5 14  6
= 199 55 8

Method 3: Ackermann’s formula

Step 1: Check the controllability condition for the system. If the system is completely
state controllable
Step 2: form a matrix polynomial, ∅( )using the coefficients of the desired
characteristics polynomial

 ( s )  ( s   1 )( s   2 )...( s   n )
= s n   1 s n 1  ...   n 1 s   n  0
According to Cayley-Hamilton theorem, a matrix satisfies its own characteristic equation.
Therefore,
 ( A)=A n  1 An 1  ...   n 1 A   n I  0
Step 3: Calculate the gain matrix using the Ackerman’s formula

K   0 0  0 1 M 1 ( A)
Where M is the controllability matrix given by

M   B AB A2 B ... An 1 B 

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Method 3: Ackermann’s Formula

Example 4: Consider the system defined by ̇ = + where
0 1 0 0
= 0 0 1 = 0
−1 −5 −6 1
By using the state feedback control = − , it is desired to the closed loop poles at
= −2 ± and = −10. Determine the sate feedback gain matrix K.
Solution:
Step 1: Check controllability of the system
0 0 1
Controllability matrix = = 0 1 −6
1 −6 31
= −1 so rank of M =3. Hence system is completely state controllable.
Step 2: The characteristic equation for the desired system is
 ( s )  ( s   1 )( s   2 )( s   3 )
 ( s  2  j 4)( s  2  j 4)( s  10)
= s 3  14 s 2  60 s  200
Therefore, the matrix polynomial

 ( A)  A3  14 A2  60 A  200 I

Method 3: Ackermann’s Formula

3 2
 0 1 0   0 1 0   0 1 0  1 0 0
 ( A )   0 0 1   1 4  0 0 1   6 0  0 0 1   2 0 0  0 1 0 
  1  5  6    1 5  6    1 5  6   0 0 1 
 1 9 9 5 5 8 
=   8 1 5 9 7 
  7  4 3 1 1 7 

0 0 1
= = 0 1 −6
1 −6 31

Step 3: Determine the K matrix using the Ackerman’s formula

 1
 0 0 1  1 9 9 5 5 8 
 0  6    8 
K   0 0 1   1  1 5 9 7 
 1  6 3 1    7  4 3 1 1 7 
 5 6 1  1 9 9 5 5 8 
 6 0    8 
  0 0 1   1  1 5 9 7 
 1 0 0    7  4 3 1 1 7 
= 1 9 9 5 5 8 

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Exercise
A regulator system has a plant

Y (s) 10

U ( s ) ( s  1)( s  2)( s  3)
Define state variables as

x1  y
x 2  y
x 3  
y

By use of the state feedback control =− , it is desire to place the closed loop
poles at

Determine the necessary state-feedback gain matrix K, using all the three methods
discussed