Analog Computer Automatic Parameter Optimization of Nonlinear Control Systems with Specific Inputs

Abstract—This note describes the application of sensitivity analysis techniques for the design of closed loop nonlinear systems with specific inputs. The optimization of the gains and the time constants of the various linear plants of the system as well as the design of nonlinear compensators are discussed. Sensitivity functions, which indicate the effect of variation of these parameters on the system response, are derived and the analog mechanization is shown. As an example, a position servosystem is considered and the design of a nonlinear compensator is attempted. A reference model is chosen and the system response is compared to this reference in the minimum-integral-error-square sense. Use is made of the sensitivity functions of parameters of the compensator and the optimization of these parameters is carried out on an iterative analog computer. The gradient technique is used for finding the optimum point in the parameter space.