Automatic Control 2 Notes
Automatic Control 2 Notes
Automatic Control 2 Notes
FALL ‘21
LECTURE 4
STATE SPACE MODEL FEATURES AND OBSERVABILITY
Zero: generalized frequency 𝑠0 for which the system can have a non-zero input 𝑢(𝑡) =
𝑢0 𝑒 𝑠0𝑡 , but exactly zero output 𝑦(𝑡) ≡ 0 ∀𝑡
Note that there is a specific initial condition associated with this response 𝑥0 , so the state response is of
the form 𝑥(𝑡) = 𝑥0 𝑒 𝑠0 𝑡
𝑥0
Key point: Zeros have both direction 𝑢 and frequency 𝑠0
0
Just as we would associate a direction (eigenvector) with each pole (frequency 𝜆𝑖 )
Zeros in State Space Models
Example:
Further observations: apply the specified control input in the frequency domain, so that
2
where 𝑢 = 2𝑒 −2𝑡 , so that 𝑈 𝑠 = 𝑠+2
The response 𝑌1 (𝑠) is clearly non-zero, but it does not contain a component at the input
frequency 𝑠 = −2
That input has been “blocked”
Zeros in State Space Models
Note that the output response left in 𝑌1 (𝑠) is of a very special form – it corresponds to
the (negative of the) response you would see from the system with 𝑢 𝑡 = 0 and 𝑥0 =
−2 1 𝑇
There are some key characteristics of a state-space model that we need to identify
Will see that these are very closely associated with the concepts of pole/zero cancelation in transfer
functions
This is a bit strange, because previously our figure of merit when comparing one state-
space model to another was whether they reproduced the same transfer function
Now we have two very different models that result in the same transfer function
Note that I showed the second model as having 1 extra state, but I could easily have done it with 99
extra states!!
𝑇
with 𝑥ҧ = 𝑥 𝑥2
which is also clearly different than model #1, and has a different form from the second model
State-Space Model Features
Once again the dynamics associated with the pole at 𝑠 = −1 are canceled out of the
transfer function
But in this case it occurred because there is a 0 in the 𝐵 matrix
So in this case we can “see” the state 𝑥2 in the output 𝐶 = 3 2 , but we cannot
“influence” that state with the input since B = 2 0 𝑇
So we say that the dynamics associated with the second state are uncontrollable using
this actuator (defines the B matrix)
State-Space Model Features
So now we have
Get same result for the transfer function, but now the dynamics associated with 𝑥2 are
both unobservable and uncontrollable
State-Space Model Features
Would like to develop models that only have dynamics that are both controllable and
observable
⇒ called a minimal realization
A state space model that has the lowest possible order for the given transfer function
But first need to develop tests to determine if the models are observable and/or
controllable
State-Space Model Features
Would like to develop models that only have dynamics that are both controllable and
observable
⇒ called a minimal realization
A state space model that has the lowest possible order for the given transfer function
But first need to develop tests to determine if the models are observable and/or
controllable
Observability
For the problem we were just looking at, consider Model #2 with 𝑥 ∗ = 0 1 𝑇
≠ 0, then
so
So, 𝑥 ∗ = 0 1 𝑇
is an unobservable state for this system
But that is as expected, because we knew there was a problem with the state 𝑥2 from the
previous analysis
Observability
Pseudo-Proof: Let 𝑥 ∗ ≠ 0 be an unobservable state and compute the outputs from the
initial conditions 𝑥1 (0) and 𝑥2 (0) = 𝑥1 (0) + 𝑥 ∗
Then,
and
but
Thus 2 different initial conditions give the same output 𝑦(𝑡), so it would be impossible
for us to deduce the actual initial condition of the system 𝑥1 (𝑡) or 𝑥2 (𝑡) given 𝑦1 (𝑡)
But all the derivatives of 𝐶𝑒 𝐴𝑡 exist and for this condition to hold, all derivatives must
be zero at 𝑡 = 0
Observability
Then
Jonathan P. How and Emilio Frazzoli. 16.30/31 Feedback Control Systems. Fall 2010.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT OpenCourseWare, https://ocw.mit.edu/.
License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA.
Katsuhiko Ogata, Modern Control Engineering, 2010, 5th edition, Prentice Hall.
Norman Nice, Control Systems Engineering, 2011, Addison-Wesley.