Identification and PID Control for a Class of Delay Fractional-order Systems

In this paper, a new model identification method is developed for a class of delay fractional-order system based on the process step response. Four characteristic functions are defined to characterize the features of the normalized fractional-order model. Based on the time scaling technology, two identification schemes are proposed for parameters U+02BC estimation. The scheme one utilizes three exact points on the step response of the process to calculate model parameters directly. The other scheme employs optimal searching method to adjust the fractional order for the best model identification. The proposed two identification schemes are both applicable to any stable complex process, such as higher-order, under-damped U+002F over-damped, and minimum-phase U+002F nonminimum-phase processes. Furthermore, an optimal PID tuning method is proposed for the delay fractional-order systems. The requirements on the stability margins and the negative feedback are cast as real part constraints U+0028 RPC U+0029 and imaginary part constraints U+0028 IPC U+0029. The constraints are implemented by trigonometric inequalities on the phase variable, and the optimal PID controller is obtained by the minimization of the integral of time absolute error U+0028 ITAE U+0029 index. Identification and control of a Titanium billet heating process is given for the illustration. © 2014 Chinese Association of Automation.

MDL-based root-mean-squared delay spread estimation for MIMO OFDM systems

This paper studied the application of minimum description length (MDL) criterion for estimating root-mean-squared (RMS) delay spread (RDS) for MIMO OFDM systems. The analytic relationship between the powers and the correlation matrix of multipath components established the feasibility of the application of the MDL criterion to RDS estimation. The estimator presented both the estimate of instantaneous RDS and the estimates of noise variance, channel power and SNR of current channel with low computational complexity. Given the powers of the estimated multipath components, the MDL criterion was adopted to acquire the number of paths and the time delays of each path of current channel without making eigendecomposition of the correlation matrix normally required by MDL criterion, following which the noise variance and the power of each path can be estimated. The power delay profile (PDP) and RDS of the current channel were achieved. Simulation results showed that the proposed estimator was insensitive to variance of SNR and robust against frequency-selectivity.

Discrete Quasi-Sliding Mode Tracking Controller with Time Delay Technique

Robust discrete quasi-sliding mode tracking controller is developed with discrete reaching law for trajectory tracking in the presence of modeling uncertainty and unknown disturbance. The conventional prior knowledge of uncertainty upper bounds being replaced by an on-line estimation used in the controller to cancel the slowly varying uncertainties by the mechanism of time delay. This method reduces the feedback gain substantially and improves tracking accuracy. The system behavior in the vicinity of the sliding surface is examined for the existence and bandwidth of quasi-sliding mode. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the strategy.

A New Criterion for Stability of Large-Scale Systems with Delay

A simple criterion for delay-independent stability of large-scale linear time-varying systems is deduced by employing a type of Lyapunov function. The notable features of the results in this paper are its simplicity and efficiency in testing the stability large-scale linear time-varying systems. Some illustrative examples are given to demonstrate the advantages of the obtained results over those in literature.

Global Synchronization of Stochastically Disturbed Memristive Neurodynamics via Discontinuous Control Laws

This paper presents the theoretical results on the master-slave (or driving-response) synchronization of two memristive neural networks in the presence of additive noise. First, a control law with a linear time-delay feedback term and a discontinuous feedback term is introduced. By utilizing the stability theory of stochastic differential equations, sufficient conditions are derived for ascertaining global synchronization in mean square using this control law. Second, an adaptive control law consisting of a linear feedback term and a discontinuous feedback term is designed to achieve global synchronization in mean square, and it does not need prior information of network parameters or random disturbances. Finally, simulation results are presented to substantiate the theoretical results. © 2014 Chinese Association of Automation.

Fractional-order Generalized Principle of Self-support (FOGPSS) in Control System Design

This paper reviews research that studies the principle of self-support U+0028 PSS U+0029 in some control systems and proposes a fractional-order generalized PSS framework for the first time. The existing PSS approach focuses on practical tracking problem of integer-order systems including robotic dynamics, high precision linear motor system, multi-axis high precision positioning system with unmeasurable variables, imprecise sensor information, uncertain parameters and external disturbances. More generally, by formulating the fractional PSS concept as a new generalized framework, we will focus on the possible fields of the fractional-order control problems such as practical tracking, U+03BB-tracking, etc. of robot systems, multiple mobile agents, discrete dynamical systems, time delay systems and other uncertain nonlinear systems. Finally, the practical tracking of a first-order uncertain model of automobile is considered as a simple example to demonstrate the efficiency of the fractional-order generalized principle of self-support U+0028 FOGPSS U+0029 control strategy. © 2014 Chinese Association of Automation.

Containment Control for First-Order Multi-Agent Systems with Time-Varying Delays and Uncertain Topologies

Containment control of first-order multi-agent systems with uncertain topologies and communication timedelays is studied. Suppose system topologies are dynamically changed, a containment control algorithm with time-varying delays is presented. The stability of the control algorithm is studied under the assumption that communication topologies are jointly-connected, and constraint condition of distributed containment control for delayed multi-agent systems is derived with the aid of Lyapunov–Krasovskii function. Simulation results are provided to prove the correctness and effectiveness of the conclusion.

Model Reference Adaptive Control for Networked Distributed Systems with Strong Interconnections and Communication Delays

In recent years, networked distributed control systems（NDCS） have received research attention. Two of the main challenges that such systems face are possible delays in the communication network and the effect of strong interconnections between agents. This paper considers an NDCS that has delays in the communication network, as well as strong interconnections between its agents. The control objective is to make each agent track efficiently a reference model by attenuating the effect of strong interconnections via feedback based on the delayed information. First, the authors assume that each agent knows its own dynamics, as well as the interconnection parameters, but receives information about the states of its neighbors with some communication delay. The authors propose a distributed control scheme and prove that if the interconnections can be weakened and if the communication delays are small enough, then the proposed scheme guarantees that the tracking error of each agent is bounded with a bound that depends on the size of the weakened interconnections and delays, and reduces to zero as these uncertainties reduce to zero. The authors then consider a more realistic situation where the interconnections between agents are unknown despite the cooperation and sharing of state information. For this case the authors propose a distributed adaptive control scheme and prove that the proposed scheme guarantees that the tracking errors are bounded and small in the mean square sense with respect to the size of the weakened interconnections and delays, provided the weakened interconnections and time delays are small enough. The authors then consider the case that each agent knows neither its dynamics nor the interconnection matrices. For this case the authors propose a distributed adaptive control scheme and prove that the proposed scheme guarantees that the tracking errors are bounded and small in the mean square sense provided the weakened interconnections and time delays are small enough. Finally, the authors present an illustrative example to present the applicability and effectiveness of the proposed schemes.

Dynamic data packing towards the optimization of QoC and QoS in networked control systems

A class of networked control systems is investigated whose communication network is shared with other applications. The design objective for such a system setting is not only the optimization of the control performance but also the efficient utilization of the communication resources. We observe that at a large time scale the data packet delay in the communication network is roughly varying piecewise constant, which is typically true for data networks like the Internet. Based on this observation, a dynamic data packing scheme is proposed within the recently developed packet-based control framework for networked control systems. As expected this proposed approach achieves a fine balance between the control performance and the communication utilization: the similar control performance can be obtained at dramatically reduced cost of the communication resources. Simulations illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Attitude coordination for spacecraft formation with multiple communication delays

Communication delays are inherently present in information exchange between space- craft and have an effect on the control performance of spacecraft formation. In this work, attitude coordination control of spacecraft formation is addressed, which is in the presence of multiple communication delays between spacecraft. Virtual system-based approach is utilized in case that a constant reference attitude is available to only a part of the spacecraft. The feedback from the virtual systems to the spacecraft formation is introduced to maintain the formation. Using backstepping control method, input torque of each spacecraft is designed such that the attitude of each spacecraft converges asymptotically to the states of its corresponding virtual system. Furthermore, the back- stepping technique and the Lyapunov-Krasovskii method contribute to the control law design when the reference attitude is time-varying and can be obtained by each spacecraft. Finally, effectiveness of the proposed methodology is illustrated by the numerical simulations of a spacecraft formation.

A 7-bit photonic true-time-delay system based on an 8×8 MOEMS optical switch

We demonstrate a 7-bit photonic true-time-delay （TTD） system which uses an 8 × 8 micro-optical-electro- mechanical system （MOEMS） optical switch for phased array antennas （PAAs） beamforming applications. The switch controls the optical signal to pass by the fiber delay lines （FDLs） of different lengths. Different time delays between adjacent channels are obtained due to the chromatic dispersion of FDLs. Therefore, the system cannot be disturbed by the environment. The measured time delay responses are nearly linear with the wavelength spacing between optical carriers as well as the lengths of FDLs, which agrees well with the theoretical analysis.