Chapter 3

Time domain analysis of control system

Time response of a dynamic system is response to an

input expressed as a function of time.

System
• It is possible to compute the time response of a system if the
nature of input and the mathematical model of the system are
known.
• Usually, the input signals to control systems are not known
fully ahead of time.
• For example, in a radar tracking system, the position and the
speed of the target to be tracked may vary in a random fashion.
• It is therefore difficult to express the actual input signals
mathematically by simple equations.
 Standard Test Signals
• The characteristics of actual input signals are a sudden shock,

a sudden change, a constant velocity, and constant

acceleration.

• The dynamic behavior of a system is therefore judged and

compared under application of standard test signals:– an

impulse, a step, a constant velocity, and constant acceleration.

• Another standard signal of great importance is a sinusoidal

signal.
 Standard Test Signals
• Impulse signal
– The impulse signal imitate the
sudden shock characteristic of
actual input signal. δ(t)

A
A t0
 (t )  
0 t0
0 t

– If A=1, the impulse signal is

called unit impulse signal.
 Standard Test Signals
• Step signal
– The step signal imitate
the sudden change u(t)

characteristic of actual
input signal. A

A t0
u( t )   0 t

0 t0

– If A=1, the step signal is

called unit step signal
 Standard Test Signals
• Ramp signal r(t)

– The ramp signal imitate

the constant velocity
characteristic of actual
input signal. t
0

 At t0
r (t )   r(t)

0 t0
ramp signal with slope A

r(t)

– If A=1, the ramp signal is

called unit ramp signal unit ramp signal
 Standard Test Signals
p(t)
• Parabolic signal
– The parabolic signal imitate
the constant acceleration
characteristic of actual
input signal. t
0

 At 2 p(t)

 t0
p( t )   2
0 t0
parabolic signal with slope A

p(t)

– If A=1, the parabolic signal

is called unit parabolic Unit parabolic signal
signal.
 Time Response of Control Systems
• When the response of the system is changed form rest or
equilibrium it takes some time to settle down.

• Transient response is the response of a system from rest or

equilibrium to steady state. 
-3
x 10 Step Response
6

• The response of the Step Input

Steady State Response

5

system after the transient 4

response is called steady Response
Amplitude

3
state response.
2
Transient Response

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Time (sec)
The time response of a control system consists of two
parts:
1. Transient response
 From initial state to the final state
 purpose of control systems is to provide a desired
response.
2. Steady-state response
 The manner in which the system output behaves as t
approaches infinity
 The error after the transient response has decayed leaving
only the continuous response.
Transient Steady state
 Transient response

 Transient response depend upon the system poles only and not on
the type of input.
 It is sufficient to analyze the transient response using a step input.
 Transient response specifications are; Max OS, settling time, rise
time, peak time,
 First – order system

A first-order system without zeros can be represented by the

following transfer function

Given a step input, i.e., R(s) = 1/s , then the system output (called
step response in this case) is

Taking inverse Laplace transform, we have the step response

t

c(t )  1  e 
• Time Constant: If t=Ꚍ , So the step response
is C( Ꚍ) = (1− 0.37) = 0.63
Ꚍ is referred to as the time constant of the response. In
other words, the time constant is the time it takes for the
step response to rise to 63% of its final value. Because
of this, the time constant is used to measure how fast a
system can respond. The time constant has a unit of
seconds.
 Rise Time :The rise-time (symbol Tr units s) is defined as the
time taken for the step response to go from 10% to 90% of
the final value.

Tr  2.31  0.11  2.2

 Settling Time : Time required for the response to decrease
and stay within specified percentage of its final value (within
tolerance band : 2 % is used as the percentage of final value)

Ts  4
 Example 1

A thermometer requires 1 min to indicate 98% of the response

to a step input. Assuming the thermometer to be a first-order
system, find the time constant.
If the thermometer is placed in a bath, the temperature of which is
changing linearly at a rate of 10°min, how much error does the
thermometer show?
Second – Order System
 Second-order systems exhibit a wide range of responses which
must be analysed and described.
 Whereas for a first-order system, varying a single parameter
changes the speed of response, changes in the parameters of a
second order system can change the form of the response.
 For example: a second-order system can display
characteristics much like a first-order system or, depending on
component values, display damped or pure oscillations for its
transient response.
 A general second-order system is characterized by the following
transfer function:

 We can re-write the above transfer function in the following

form (closed loop transfer function):
 ωn is un-damped natural frequency of the second order system,
which is the frequency of oscillation of the system without damping.
 ζ is damping ratio of the second order system, which is a measure of
the degree of resistance to change in the system output.
 According the value of ζ, a second-order system can be set into one of
the four categories:
1. Over damped - when the system has two real distinct poles (ζ
>1).
2. Under damped - when the system has two complex conjugate
poles (0 <ζ <1)
3. Un damped - when the system has two imaginary poles (ζ = 0).
4. Critically damped - when the system has two real but equal
poles (ζ = 1).
 Example

Determine the un-damped natural frequency and damping ratio of the

following second order system.
C( s ) 4
 2
R( s ) s  2 s  4

Compare the numerator and denominator of the given transfer function

with the general 2nd order transfer function.

C( s )  n2
 2
R( s ) s  2 n s   n2

 n2  4   n  2 rad / sec  2 n s  2s

2   n  1
s  2 n s   n2 2
 s  2s  4
   0. 5
Two poles of the system are

  n   n  2  1

  n   n  2  1

According the value of damping ratio , a second-order system can be

set into one of the four categories:
1. Over damped - when the system has two real distinct poles ( ζ>1).
jω 1

0.9

0.8

0.7

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

δ 0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120

-c -b -a
Overdamped
2. Under damped - when the system has two complex conjugate
poles (0 < ζ <1)

jω
Underdamped
1.4

1.2

0.8

0.6

δ
-c -b -a 0.4

0.2

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
3. Undamped - when the system has two imaginary poles ( ζ= 0).
jω 2

1.8

1.6

1.4

1.2

0.8

0.6

δ 0.4

-c -b -a 0.2

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180

Undamped

4. Critically damped - when the system has two real but equal
poles ( ζ = 1).
Critically damped
1

0.9

0.8

0.7

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
For transient response, we have 4 spec specifications:
 
(a) Tr – rise time =
n 1   2


(b) Tp – peak time =
n 1   2



(c) %MP – percentage maximum overshoot = 1 2
e x100%
4
(d) Ts – settling time (2% error) =
 n
 Design Problem 1

For the control system shown, determine suitable values for k1 and k2 to
satisfy the following specifications:
(a) Maximum Overshoot for a unit step of 25%
(b) A peak time of 2 seconds

Solution:
T(s)= k1 /(s2 + k1 k2 s + k1)
r(t) y(t)
k1/s 1/s
- n = k1 -, 2z n = k1 k2

k2
 Solution:
T(s)= k1 /(s2 + k1 k2 s + k1)

n = k1 , 2z n = k1 k2

e-(  /
z 1-z2 )
= 0.25 z = 0.404

 =2
Tp = --------------- n = 1.72
n  1 - z 2

Thus k1 = n2 = 2.95 and k2 = 2z n / k1 = 0.471 sec