Digital control of a nonlinear system

The use of digital computers in the real time control of dynamic systems has increased in recent years. With this increasing use of digital, as opposed to analog, controllers, there is a need for a better understanding of the interaction between a digital controller and a nonlinear plant. This thesis is directed toward performing a parametric study of the adjustable parameters in the digital equivalent of proportional, proportional plus integral, and proportional plus integral plus derivative controllers. The effects of these parameters are studied in regard to their influence on system stability, settling time, overshoot and steady state error. The nonlinear plant studied is a servomechanism with Coulomb friction.