Control Systems is the study of the analysis and regulation of the output behaviors of dynamical systems subject to input signals. The concepts and tools discussed in this course can be used in a wide spectrum of engineering disciplines such as mechanical, electrical, aerospace, manufacturing, and biomedical engineering. The emphasis of this course will be on the basic theories and feedback controller design methods of linear time-invariant systems.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Demonstrate systematic understanding of the principles and consequences of feedback mechanisms in dynamical systems.
2. Define and explain feedback and feedforward control architecture and discuss the importance of performance, robustness and stability in control design.
3. Apply linearisation techniques to nonlinear systems and perform controllability and observability analysis to linear time-invariant systems.
4. Design controllers using state-feedback and output-feedback and basic linear quadratic optimality in feedback design.
5. Compute gain and phase margins from Bode diagrams and Nyquist plots and understand their implications in terms of robust stability.
6. Design and implement feedback controllers for real-world dynamical systems.

Field Trips

Not applicable.

Additional Course Costs

Not applicable.

Examination Material or equipment

Oral exam.

Required Resources

Matlab and Simulink is used throughout the course. ANU students can download Matlab/Simulink from: https://matlab.anu.edu.au/

Recommended Resources

Textbook: Feedback Systems: An Introduction for Scientists and Engineers by Karl J. Åström and Richard M. Murray.

Available freely at http://www.cds.caltech.edu/~murray/amwiki/index.php/Second_Editio

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments on assignments/assessments through wattle.
• Students can ask for clarification by emailing the course convenor if the information on wattle is not precise enough.

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introduction to dynamics and feedback
2	First-order dynamical systems	Insight Report & Problem Set
3	First-order control systems	Insight Report & Problem Set
4	Second or higher-order systems	Insight Report & Problem Set; Labs
5	Second order control systems	Insight Report & Problem Set; Labs
6	Linear systems: general theory	Insight Report & Problem Set
7	State-feedback controller design	Insight Report & Problem Set
8	State estimators and output tracking	Insight Report & Problem Set; Labs
9	Transfer functions and frequency response	Insight Report & Problem Set; Labs
10	Guest lectures	Problem Set
11	Frequency analysis	Insight Report & Problem Set; research project & presentation slides
12	Frequency-domain controller design and fundamental limitations	Insight Report & Problem Set; Deadline lab report, research project & presentation

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Learning Outcomes
Weekly problem sets	15 %	L1,L2,L3,L4,L5
Weekly Insight Reports	10 %	L2
Lab Report	10 %	L1,L3,L4,L6
Research Project	25 %	L1,L2,L3,L4,L5,L6
Oral Exam	40 %	L1,L2,L3,L4,L5

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Guideline and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

Weekly problem sets

Exercises covering content presented in the lectures and in the tutorials.

• Deadline: Each Thursday 23:55pm. First exercise sheet needs to be submitted in week 2.
• Submission through wattle as a single pdf.
• Solution needs to be handwritten.
• 8 out of 11 submissions with the highest grades are taken into account.
• Exercises will be marked within two weeks after the deadline.

Assessment Task 2

Weekly Insight Reports

During the lecture or immediately after the lecture, write down your key insights of the lecture.

• Deadline: Each Monday 19:55pm covering the content discussed in the lecture on the same day.
• Submission through wattle. (Either upload of a pdf or by filling out a quiz.)
• No insight report in week 1 and in week 10.
• The best 8 (out of 10) are taken into account.
• Insight reports will be marked within one week after the deadline.

Assessment Task 3

Lab Report

In groups of ideally 3 students, based on the 4 Labs, write a Lab report.

• Deadline: week 12;Thursday 23:55pm

Assessment Task 4

Research Project

In groups of 3 apply the knowledge and tools discussed in the lecture to

• find and model a (real-world) dynamical system
• define and solve a problem that you have identified
• write a report on your work in form of a scientific article
• give a presentation on your work

Progress has to be discussed with Tutors on a weekly basis. (Feedback from tutors will be taken into account when the reports are marked.)

Deadline: report and slides (week 11; Thursday 23:55pm); presentation (week 12; Thursday 23:55pm)

Learning outcomes: Learn how to apply the concepts discussed in the lectures to a dynamical system of your choice. Learn how the concepts discussed in the lectures are connected and build upon each other. Learn how to write a concise scientific report.

Assessment Task 5

Oral Exam

Students will be asked questions from a pool of questions made available before the exam. Based on the answers given by the students, follow up questions will deviate from the pool of questions.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

Hard copy submission will not be accepted.

Late Submission

Individual or group assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 5 working days after the due date (to being able to upload solutions within one week). Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

In this course:

• Late submission is only possible for weekly problem sets. (The penalty is build into the wattle submission.)
• Late submission is not permitted for any assignment other than weekly problem sets. Late submission is not permitted for insight reports and tasks related to the research project and the lab report.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material.

Returning Assignments

Marked reports/assignments are returned back in wattle.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Not applicable.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Access and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students