SYDE 352 Introduction to Control Systems

Winter 2023
Lectures: Tuesdays 10:00-11:20 am & Fridays 10:00-11:20 am, E5-6008

Instructor:
Nasser Lashgarian Azad, PhD, Associate Professor Email: [email protected]

Office: E7-6424 Tel: 519-888-4567 ext.48797

Office Hours: Wednesdays 4:00-5:00 pm (or by appointments)

Tutorials: Fridays 9:00-9:50 am, E5-6008

TAs:

Mahsa Golchoubian Email: [email protected]

Devon Zhang Email: [email protected]

Course Description:
Introduction to Control Systems introduces the Systems Design Engineering student
to the design and analysis of linear control systems. The course covers the essential
ideas of feedback, a review of Laplace transforms, transfer functions, block diagrams,
time-domain performance specifications, the effects of pole-zero locations, stability
of LTI systems, Routh-Hurwitz criterion, PID feedback control, Root-Locus design
method, single-input single-output systems analysis and control methods in the
frequency domain (Bode and Nyquist), phase lead & phase lag controllers, system
description in state-space and state-variable feedback control design techniques.

1
Learning Objectives:
• Explain Laplace transforms, key components of feedback control systems, transfer functions,
PID controllers, and main response characteristics of control systems (GAs: 1a, 1d).
• Formulate, model, and solve properly control systems design and analysis problems (GA: 2a,
2b, 2c).
• Apply block diagram reduction methods to find the overall transfer function of a given feedback
control system (GA: 1d).
• Apply the Routh-Hurwitz criterion to investigate the stability of an LTI system for different
values of the control system parameters (GA: 1d).
• Apply the Root-Locus method to tune the gains of PI, PD, or PID controllers for a given set of
time-domain response characteristics (GA: 4b).
• Construct and interpret the Bode diagram (magnitude and phase) for a given LTI control system
(GA: 1d).
• Apply the Nyquist criterion to investigate the stability of a given LTI control system for
different values of the control system parameters (GA: 1d).
• Employ computer programs and engineering tools properly for control systems design and
analysis (GA: 5c).
• Work effectively in a teamwork environment as a member and leader for solving control
systems design and analysis (GA: 6a, 6b).

GA: Graduate Attribute. CEAB has 12 attributes that engineering students need to acquire before
graduating. Details and explanation of each attribute is at the end of the syllabus.

Textbooks:
Required: Feedback Control of Dynamic Systems, 8/E, by G. F. Franklin, J. D.
Powell and A. Emami-Naeini.

Recommended: I) Modern Control Systems, 14/E, by Richard C. Dorf, Robert H.

Bishop, II) Modern Control Engineering, 5/E, by K. Ogata

Evaluation:
• Midterm Exam 25%
• Group Assignment 15%
• Group Project (Report & Presentation) 20%
• Final Exam 40%

Note: If you miss your midterm exam due to an acceptable reason by UW policies,
there is no alternative test. Instead, the weight of the missed midterm grade will be
redistributed equally among the other assessment components.
2
 Tentative Weekly Schedule*
Week 1 Tuesday 10:00-11:20 am & Friday 10:00-11:20 am.
Jan. 9- An introduction to Control Systems, Open-Loop, Feedback Control & Mathematical Models,
Solving ODEs by Laplace Transforms.
Week 2 Tuesday 10:00-11:20 am & Friday 10:00-11:20 am.
Jan. 16- Transfer Function, Poles, Zeros, Block Diagrams, Block Diagram Reduction & Pole Location,
First-order Systems Response Characteristics.
Week 3 Tuesday 10:00-11:20 am & Friday 10:00-11:20 am.
Jan. 23- Second Order Systems Response Characteristics & Response of Higher Order Systems.
(Group Project Guidelines Posted on Jan. 27).
Week 4 Tuesday 10:00-11:20 am & Friday 10:00-11:20 am.
Jan. 30- Characteristic Equation, Stability Analysis & Routh-Hurwitz Criterion, Examples.
(Group Members List Due on Feb. 3).
Week 5 Tuesday 10:00-11:20 am & Friday 10:00-11:20 am.
Feb. 6- Feedback Control System Characteristics, Sensitivity, Disturbance Rejection & Steady-State
Error, System Type.
(MATLAB Workshop, Group Assignment Posted on Feb. 10).
Week 6 Tuesday 10:00-11:20 am & Friday 10:00-11:20 am.
Feb. 13- State-Space Representation, PID Feedback Control.
(Midterm Exam on Feb. 17).
Week 7 Reading Week
Feb. 20-

Week 8 Tuesday 10:00-11:20 am & Friday 10:00-11:20 am.

Feb. 27- Design and Analysis by Root Locus Method, Construction Rules & Examples.
(Group Project Proposals Due on Mar. 3).
Week 9 Tuesday 10:00-11:20 am & Friday 10:00-11:20 am.
Mar. 6- Root-Locus Controller Design & Frequency Response Analysis and Design Method.
(Feedback on Group Project Proposals on Mar. 10).
Week 10 Tuesday 10:00-11:20 am & Friday 10:00-11:20 am.
Mar. 13- Bode Diagrams: Construction Rules & Examples.

Week 11 Tuesday 10:00-11:20 am & Friday 10:00-11:20 am.

Mar. 20- Resonant Frequency & Peak Value, Polar Plots, Nyquist Stability Criterion.
Week 12 Tuesday 10:00-11:20 am & Friday 10:00-11:20 am.
Mar. 27- Nyquist Criterion Examples & Relative Stability Analysis.

Week 13 Tuesday 10:00-11:20 am.

Apr. 3- Phase-lead & Phase-lag Controllers.
(Group Assignments Due on Apr. 3).
Week 14 Monday 10:00-11:20 am.
Apr. 10- Group Project Presentations.
(Group Project Reports Due on Apr. 10).
Note*: The schedule and topics are subject to change.

3
Guiding principles for our SYDE-BME Community (faculty, staff and students)
1. Be compassionate. 2. Be accountable. 3. Be patient. 4. Be safe and healthy.

Compassionate and respectful communication: Most online communication between the

Department and students will be done through LEARN and/or email. Students are reminded that
they should now use their email account [email protected]. Include an academic signature with
your full name, program, student ID. We encourage you to include your preferred pronouns
(he/him; she/her; they/them).

SYDE-BME comment on accommodation: We respect that our SYDE-BME students are

independent adult decision-makers, with many opportunities to partake in activities that might be in
time conflict with academic deadlines and deliverables. Along with the right to make adult
decisions comes the responsibility and accountability for those decisions and any outcomes.

The University of Waterloo’s policy on accommodation for missed deliverables pertains to

verifiable health matters, and highly unfortunate events (e.g. family tragedies). The Department of
Systems Design Engineering follows UW’s general policy: students who self-elect to forgo a
deliverable receive a “0” for that deliverable. It is preferred practice so that fairness is maintained
for members of the same class/course by avoiding preferential treatment, and so that instructors are
not burdened with having to create extra quizzes, deliverables, etc. It also reflects professional
practice, as failing to show up to work and missing deadlines can be very costly to the company and
individual (e.g. not submitting a contract proposal, or design review on time). Please read the
policy here: Accommodation due to illness.

SYDE-BME Academic Priorities over Co-op Interviews: With asynchronous schedules, students
should be able to arrange co-op interviews that do not conflict with major deliverables (i.e. timed
course midterms, final exams). For deliverables with longer time windows (e.g. 24-48 hours or
more), students must manage their time for deliverables and co-op interviews accordingly. If a co-
op interview conflicts with a short deliverable time window (e.g. 1-3 hours), then students MUST
follow the CECA procedure for rescheduling the interview: CECA rescheduling co-op interviews.

Compassionate Accommodation: If you are facing challenges that are affecting more than one
course contact the Associate Chair Undergraduate (ACUG [email protected]) or the Director
of BME ([email protected]). They will review your case and coordinate a reasonable and fair
plan in consultation with appropriate others (e.g. instructors, Department Undergraduate Studies
Committee, Chair, AccessAbility Services, Engineering Counselling services, Registrar's Office).

Academic Integrity, Grievance, Discipline, Appeals and Note for Students with Disabilities:

Academic Integrity: In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the

University of Waterloo community are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and
responsibility. www.uwaterloo.ca/academicintegrity/

Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university life
has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70,
Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4, www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy70.htm.
When in doubt please contact the department’s administrative assistant who will provide further
assistance.
4
Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity [check
www.uwaterloo.ca/academicintegrity/] to avoid committing an academic offence, and to take
responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offence,
or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for
group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course instructor, or the undergraduate
Associate Dean. For information on categories of offences and types of penalties, students should
refer to Policy 71, Student Discipline, www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy71.htm. For
typical penalties check Guidelines for the Assessment of Penalties,
www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/guidelines/penaltyguidelines.htm .

Appeals: A decision made or penalty imposed under Policy 70 (Student Petitions and Grievances)
(other than a petition) or Policy 71 (Student Discipline) may be appealed if there is a ground. A
student who believes he/she has a ground for an appeal should refer to Policy 72 (Student Appeals)
www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy72.htm.

Note for Students with Disabilities: AccessAbility Services (AS), located in Needles Hall, Room
1401, collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for
students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you
require accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with AS at the
beginning of each academic term.

Fair Contingencies for Emergency Remote Teaching. We are facing unusual and challenging
times. The course outline presents the instructor’s intentions for course assessments, their weights,
and due dates in Fall 2022. As best as possible, we will keep to the specified assessments,
weights, and dates. To provide contingency for unforeseen circumstances, the instructor reserves
the right to modify course topics and/or assessments and/or weight and/or deadlines with due and
fair notice to students. In the event of such challenges, the instructor will work with the
Department/Faculty to find reasonable and fair solutions that respect rights and workloads of
students, staff, and faculty.

Covid-19 Emergency Remote Teaching-Learning Contingency for In-Class Sessions. It is our

intention that in this situation live sessions will be held on MS Teams for SYDE 352, during
scheduled course times. Attendance and participation in all live sessions are expected for learning
and skill development. Slide decks will be provided, and relevant readings or worksheets will be
posted on LEARN. Contact the course instructor if you are unable to attend.

Covid-19 Emergency Remote Teaching-Learning Contingency for Assessments. If we are

unable to hold the tests/final exam in-person they will be held on-line.

Covid-19 Emergency Self-Isolation. If you are unable to attend a session or meet a deliverable
deadline, please let the course instructor know immediately. If you are facing challenges that are
affecting more than one course, please contact your Associate Chair or Director of your program.
They will review your case and coordinate a reasonable and fair plan in consultation with
appropriate others (for example: instructors, Department Undergraduate Studies Committee, Chair,
AccessAbility Services, Engineering Counselling services, Registrar's Office).

5
University of Waterloo Territorial Acknowledgement The University of Waterloo acknowledges
that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and
Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted in
a legally binding treaty to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River.
Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning,
teaching, and community building, and is centralized within our Indigenous Initiatives Office.

CEAB Graduate Attributes (GA)

The numbers in parentheses in the students learning objectives above refer to the
CEAB Engineering Graduate Attributes defined by the Canadian Engineering
Accreditation Board. These are listed below as a reference:
GA# Attribute Attribute Definition PI Program-
Level
Indicator
1 Knowledge Demonstrated competence in university level 1a Demonstrate
Base. mathematics, natural sciences, engineering understanding
fundamentals, and specialized engineering of concepts in
knowledge appropriate to the program. mathematics
1b Demonstrate
understanding
of concepts in
natural science
1c Demonstrate
understanding
of engineering
fundamentals
1d Demonstrate
understanding
of specialized
engineering
knowledge
2 Problem An ability to use appropriate knowledge and 2a Formulate a
analysis. skills to identify, formulate, analyze, and problem
solve complex engineering problems in order statement
to reach substantiated conclusions. 2b Develop
models to solve
engineering
problems
including
identifying
approximations,
assumptions,
and constraints

6
 2c Critically
evaluate
solutions of
engineering
problems
3 Investigation. An ability to conduct investigations of 3a Design
complex problems by methods that include experiments to
appropriate experiments, analysis and investigate
interpretation of data, and synthesis of complex
information in order to reach valid engineering
conclusions. problems
3b Gather
information
from relevant
sources to
address
complex
engineering
problems
3c Synthesize
information
from multiple
sources, such as
modeling,
simulation or
experiments, to
reach valid
conclusions
4 Design. An ability to design solutions for complex, 4a Define design
open-ended engineering problems and to requirements,
design systems, components or processes that constraints and
meet specified needs with appropriate specifications
attention to health and safety risks, applicable for complex,
standards, and economic, environmental, open-ended
cultural and societal considerations. engineering
problems
4b Generate and
refine potential
solutions to
complex, open-
ended design
problems
4c Critically
evaluate and
compare design
choices

7
5 Use of An ability to create, select, apply, adapt, and 5a Select
Engineering extend appropriate techniques, resources, and appropriate
Tools. modern engineering tools to a range of engineering
engineering activities, from simple to tools,
complex, with an understanding of the considering
associated limitations. their limitations
5b Create and/or
modify
appropriate
engineering
tools,
identifying their
limitations
5c Use
engineering
tools
appropriately
6 Individual and An ability to work effectively as a member 6a Contribute as
team work. and leader in teams, preferably in a multi- an active team
disciplinary setting. member or
leader to
complete
individual tasks
6b Collaborate
with others to
complete tasks
effectively as a
team
7 Communication An ability to communicate complex 7a Generate
skills. engineering concepts within the profession appropriate
and with society at large. Such ability documentation
includes reading, writing, speaking and to communicate
listening, and the ability to comprehend and within the
write effective reports and design profession and
documentation, and to give and effectively to society at
respond to clear instructions. large
7b Orally present
information
within the
profession and
to society at
large
7c Interpret
information,
including
instructions

8
8 Professionalism. An understanding of the roles and 8a Articulate the
responsibilities of the professional engineer roles and
in society, especially the primary role of responsibilities
protection of the public and the public of the
interest. professional
engineer in
society with
reference to the
protection of
the public and
its interest
8b Describe the
importance of
codes,
standards, best
practices, laws,
and regulations
within
engineering
9 Impact of An ability to analyze social and 9a Identify the
engineering. environmental aspects of engineering relevance of
activities. Such ability includes an and uncertainty
understanding of the interactions that associated with
engineering has with the economic, social, the different
health, safety, legal, and cultural aspects of aspects (social,
society, the uncertainties in the prediction of cultural,
such interactions; and the concepts of economic,
sustainable design and development and health, safety,
environmental stewardship. legal,
environmental)
of an
engineering
project
9b Analyze the
social, health,
safety, and
environmental
aspects of an
engineering
project,
incorporating
sustainability
considerations
in making
decisions
10 Ethics and An ability to apply professional ethics, 10a Identify ethical
equity. accountability, and equity. and unethical
behaviour in
9
 professional
situations
10b Identify how an
engineer is
accountable to
multiple
stakeholders in
engineering
practice
10c Identify
equitable and
inequitable
situations or
behaviours
11 Economics and An ability to appropriately incorporate 11a Apply project
project economics and business practices including management
management. project, risk, and change management into techniques in
the practice of engineering and to understand engineering
their limitations. projects, with
attention to
risk, and
change
11b Perform
economic
analyses of
engineering
projects with
attention to
uncertainty and
limitations
12 Lifelong An ability to identify and to address their 12a Identify gaps in
learning. own educational needs in a changing world their
in ways sufficient to maintain their knowledge,
competence and to allow them to contribute skills and
to the advancement of knowledge. abilities
12b Obtain and
evaluate
information or
training from
appropriate
sources
12c Reflect on the
use of
information or
training
obtained

10