[Course description]

Control is the action of causing a system variable to approach some desired value. It is also a fundamental and universal problem-solving approach in many traditional and interdisciplinary fields.

A control system, in a very general sense, is a system with an (reference) input that can be applied per the desired value and an output from which how well the system variable matches to the desired value (e.g., errors) can be determined. It can be found in daily life, almost all engineering disciplines, and even biological and social studies. For examples, bicycle riding involves a control system comprising of a bicycle and a rider, with inputs and outputs associated with the desired attitude, speed, and direction of the bicycle. Temperature control systems have applications in household, automobile, aerospace, office, factory, and agriculture environments. Motion control systems are critical to factory automation and precision instruments, such as industrial robots, atomic-force microscopes, and step-and-scan photolithography exposure systems. Many modern cameras equip with autofocus and vibration compensation systems to minimize image blur. Many kinds of circuits such as phase lock loops, operational amplifiers, and voltage regulators rely on control to ensure their functions and performance. A living body is a complex control system where many critical variables such as heartbeat rate, blood pressure, and body temperature are regulated constantly for health. Central banks of most countries around the world set interest rates as a way to control inflation.

This undergraduate course is designed for junior and senior (3rd/4th yr.) students to apprehend basic modeling, simulation, analysis, and design techniques for control systems. It intends to cover the fundamentals of “classical control” that primarily focuses on frequency domain feedback control approaches for single-input-single-output systems. When time permits, some essential elements in modern-day control engineering such as state-space techniques will be covered.