Chapter III

Time-domain Analysis
of Control Systems

1
If the output of control system for an input varies with respect to
time, then it is called the time response of the control system. The
time response consists of two parts.
•Transient response
•Steady state response
The response of control system in time domain is shown in the
following figure.
both the transient and the steady states are
indicated in the figure. The responses
corresponding to these states are known as
transient and steady state responses.

2
System dynamic behavior for analysis and design is therefore
judged and compared under application of standard test
signals (an impulse, a step, a ramp, and parabolic input).

Another standard test signal of great importance is a sinusoidal

signal.

The response of a control system to these standard test signals has

normally a good correlation with its response to actual inputs.

Hence, it is sufficient to analyze the transient response to one of the

standard test signals. A step test signal is generally used for this
purpose.
Steady-state response is usually examined with respect to this
particular test signal as well as other test signals since it can be
quickly determined by the final value theorem. 3
Steady-state response
In control systems the steady-state response is, simply, the
fixed response when time reaches infinity.
Therefore, a sine wave is considered as a steady-state
response because its behavior is fixed for any time interval, as
when time approaches infinity.

If the steady-state response

of the output does not
agree with the steady
state of the input exactly,
the system is said to have
a steady-state error.

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 3.2 Standard Test Signals:
3.2.1 Step input function:
The mathematical representation of a step function is:
r(t) = A u(t) .......................................... (3.1)
where

In Laplace domain, it is given by:

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3.2.2 Ramp input function:
The ramp is a signal which starts at a value of zero and
increases linearly with time. It is represented by:
r(t) = A t u(t)
or,

From Eqns. (3.1) and (3.4), it is seen that a ramp

signal is integral of a step signal.

It is given in Laplace domain as R(S), where:

 3.2.3 Parabolic input function:
This function is represented by : r(t)= or

It is given in Laplace domain as R(S), where:

The step function is very useful as a test signal since its initial
instantaneous jump in amplitude reveals a great deal about the
quickness of the system to respond.

The ramp function has the ability to test how the system would
respond to a signal that changes linearly with time. A parabolic
function is one degree faster than a ramp function.
In practice, we seldom find it necessary to use a test signal
faster than a parabolic function.
3.2.4 Impulse input signal:
A unit-impulse is defined as a signal which has zero value everywhere
except at t=0, where its magnitude is infinity. It is generally called the d-
function and has the following property:

.....(3.10)

where e tends to zero.

Since a perfect impulse cannot be achieved in practice, it is

usually approximated by a pulse of small width but of unit area
as shown into the above figure.

Mathematically, an impulse function is the derivative of a

step function, i.e.:

……………….…(3.11)
 3.3 Steady-State Error:
Steady-state errors, in control systems, are almost unavoidable due to
friction , and in a design problem, one of the objectives is to keep the
error to a minimum or below a certain tolerable value.
The error of this nonunity feedback control system is defined as:

e(t) = r(t) - b(t)

or
E(s) = R(s) - B(s) =R(s) - H(s)C(s)

The steady-state error is then given by:

For the above graph

The steady-state error can be evaluated using the final-
value theorem as:

This shows that the steady-state error depends on the

reference input R(s) and the loop transfer function
G(S)H(S)
 3.3.2 Steady-state error due to a step input

For R(s)

G(s)H(s) as the positional error constant, then

We can summarize the steady-state error due to a step input as

follows:
 3.3.3 Steady-state error due to a ramp input
For R(S)= , we have

If we define
Therefore,

K v  lim sG(s)H(s)= lim K ;n=0,1,2,..

s 0 s 0 sn-1
Hence, we have

= constant,
 3.3.4 Steady-state error due to a parabolic input
Laplace transform of r(t) is given by:
The steady-state error of the system is:

Defining the acceleration error constant as:

The steady-state error could be written as:

Hence, the following conclusions can be made:

a)

Example: For the following forward path function G(s) with

unity negative feedback systems [ H(s) =1], evaluate the
steady-state errors corresponding to different input
signals; unit step, unit ramp, and parabolic functions:

G(s) = 500
s(1+ 0.1s)

E(s) 1 1 1 1
= , R(s) = , ,
R(s) 1+G(s) 2
s s s
3
14
 G(s) = 500
s(1+0.1s)
R(s)
e ss = lim e(t) = lim sE(s) = lim s
t  s  s  1+G(s)
Unit Step:
1 s (1+0.1s)
e ss = lim s =0
s  s s (1+0.1s)+500

Unit Ramp:
1 s (1+0.1s)
e ss = lim s = 1 = 0.002
s2 s(1+0.1s)+500 500
s 

Unit Parabolic:
1 s (1+0.1s)
ess = lim s =
s  3
s s(1+0.1s)+500 15
 b) G(s) = 50
(1+ 0.1s)(1+ 2s)
R(s)
e ss = lim e(t) = lim sE(s) = lim s
t  s  s  1+G(s)
Unit Step:

1 (1+0.1s)(1+2s)
e ss = lim s = 1
s  s (1+0.1s)(1+2s)+50 51
Unit Ramp:

1 (1+0.1s)(1+2s)
ess = lim s = 1=
s2 (1+0.1s)(1+2s)+50 0
s 

Unit Parabolic:
1 (1+0.1s)(1+2s)
e ss = lim s = 1=
s  3 s (1+0.1s)(1+2s)+50 0 16
 3.4 Transient Response
The transient portion of the time response is that part which goes
to zero as time becomes large.

The transient performance of a control system is usually

characterized by the use of a unit step input.

Overshoot, delay
time, rise time, and
settling time are the
main performance
criteria that would be
used to characterize
the transient response.

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1- Maximum Overshoot.
The maximum overshoot is defined as the largest deviation of
the output above the step input during the transient state when
the system is subjected to a step input.

per cent maximum overshoot =

2. Delay time.
The delay time, is defined as the time required for the
response to reach 50% of its final value
when the system is subjected to a step
input.
 3. Rise time:
The rise time, Tr, is defined as the time required for the step
response to rise from 10% to 90% of its final
value.

4. Settling time:
The settling time, Ts, is defined as the time required for the
step response to decrease and stay
within a specified percentage of its
final value. A frequently used figure is
±5% .
3.5 Transient Response of a Second-Order System

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Natural frequency is the frequency or rate that it vibrates naturally
when disturbed. Objects can possess more than one natural frequency
and we typically use harmonic oscillators as a tool for modeling the
natural frequency of a particular object.

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shows the unit-step
response of the
second-order system
for various values of
ζ. It may be noted that
the response
becomes more
oscillatory with larger
overshoot as ζ
decreases.

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3.5 Transient Response of a Second-Order System

For a unit-step input function, R(s)=

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 The first maximum value of the step response c(t) occurs at
n =1. Therefore, the time, at which the maximum overshoot
occurs, is given by:

In general when n = 1, 3, 5,overshoots occur. The undershoots occur at

the time corresponding to values for n = 2, 4, 6, ...,.
The maximum overshoot is obtained by subtracting one from

or

at n= 1, i.e. if:

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 Solved Example:
It is known that the tachometric feedback path affects the relative
damping of a system. What is the suitable value of Kf in order to keep
the value of the damping ratio, , of the system, shown into the figure
below, at 0.707

15
s(s +2) 15
G (s) = =
1 15K f s 2
1+ s +2s+15K f s
s(s +2)
15
2
C(s) s +2s+15K f s 15
= = 26
R(s) 15 2
1+ s +(2+15K f )s+15
2
s +2s+15K f s
n2 = 15  n = 15 = 3.872983344
2 = 2 * 0.707 * 3.872983344 = 5.476398451= 2 +15K
n f

Kf =0.231759896769

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 Solved Example
The system given in Fig.3.14 with a moment of inertia 10 Kg-
m is used with a proportional error controller in a unity
negative feedback system. The controller develops a torque
of 60 Kg-m/radian of misalignment. The viscous friction is
such that the damping ratio is 0.3
(a) Determine the ratio θo /θi and θe /θi; where θi, θe, θo are the
input, error, and output signals respectively.

(b) Determine the steady-state tracking error for a constant

velocity input of 0.04 rad/sec.

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Solution:
(a) From the signal-flow graph:

also from the signal-flow graph we have:

f
θe s(Js + f) s(s + )
= J s(s+0.6 6)
= =
θi Js2 + fs +K 2 f K s2 +0.6 6s+6
s + s+
J J
(b) θi= 0.04 rad/sec. ( given)

θe = lim θe( t)= lim sθe( s)= lim s ×

0.04 s s +0.6 6
×
 
ss t s0 s0 s 2 s 2 +0.6 6s +6
29 =0.00980 rad.
 Solved Example:
The transient response of a mechanical vibratory system is shown
below. For P=2 lb. force applied suddenly, find K, M, and D

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%Maximum overshoot = Max.Over Shoot/Final Value=0.0095/0.1= 0.095
 =

%Maximum overshoot = Max.Over Shoot/Final Value=0.0095/0.1= 0.095

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