A plant class oriented approach to advanced control using the CACSD package SIMART

Abstract A general purpose computer aided control system design package called SIMART has been developed from the available control theory. Equipped with sound real-time and simulation capabilities, it is intended to serve as a control engineering framework as well as a learning basis for advanced control techniques. An advanced control approach which, starting from a specification-compatible identified model, performs design through shaping of the usual sensitivity functions, has been established. Simple and effective guidelines for learners may be obtained, provided that the quest for a universal design method is abandoned in favor of a more realistic case-specific approach, using plant characteristics, such as oscillatory behavior or actuator limitations, to orientate design choices. Two case studies are reported at the end of the paper.