Stability analysis for nonlinear Networked Control Systems: A discrete-time approach

In this paper we develop a framework for the stabilising controller design for nonlinear Networked Control Systems (NCSs) with time-varying sampling intervals, time-varying delays and packet dropouts. As opposed to emulation-based approaches where the effects of sampling-and-hold and delays are ignored in the phase of controller design, we propose an approach in which the controller design is based on approximate discrete-time models constructed for a nominal (non-zero) sampling interval and a nominal delay while taking into account sampling-and-hold effects. Subsequently, sufficient conditions for the global exponential stability of the closed-loop NCS are provided. The results are illustrated by means of an example.