Development and testing of methodology for evaluating the performance of multi-input/multi-output digital control systems

A Controller Performance Evaluation (CPE) methodology for multi-input/multi-output digital control systems was developed and tested on an aeroelastic wind-tunnel model. Modern signal processing methods were used to implement control laws and to acquire time domain data of the whole system (controller and plant) from which appropriate transfer matrices of the control system could be generated. Matrix computational procedures were used to calculate singular values of return-difference matrices at the plant input and output points to evaluate the performance of the control system. The CPE procedures effectively identified potentially destabilizing controllers and confirmed the satisfactory performance of stabilizing ones.