Published by Academic Press in February, 2004.

Control System Design Guide (3nd Edition) will help engineers to apply control theory to practical systems using their PC. This book provides an intuitive approach to controls, avoiding unnecessary mathematics and emphasizing key concepts with dozens of control system models. Whether you are just starting to use controllers or have years of experience, this book will help you improve the performance of your machines and processes.

• Teaches controls with an intuitive approach, avoiding unnecessary mathematics.
• Key topics are demonstrated with realistic models of control systems.
• All models written in Visual ModelQ, a full graphical simulation environment
  available freely via the Internet.
• Covers electronic motion control, including details of how motors and motor feedback devices work, causes and cures of mechanical resonance, and how position loops work.
• New material on observers explained using practical applications.
• Explains how to model machines and processes, including how to measure working
  equipment.
• Describes many nonlinear behaviors seen in industrial control systems.

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See an excerpt from the Preface

From the Reviews:

"I enjoyed reading this book. Although I have experience in control engineering, it gave me a lot of insight into the implementation issues of drive control systems. This book is also written simply enough to be useful for self-study, even for engineers without a control system background. It covers classical approaches, as well as the recent developments in motion control. It is the most complete book on servo drives and motion control."
—Wodek Gawronski, Ph.D., Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Principal Engineer, Antenna Control System

"George Ellis provides a refreshing view of control system design and tuning from a practitioner’s perspective. This book is written for those who need it the most: the engineers on the front lines of industrial control and automation. This is a book that teaches readers what to do and how to do it in practical control design scenarios, and it provides
just enough mathematics to explain why.
  My students at the Center for Advanced Control Technologies liked this book very much because it helps them greatly in understanding how to use what they learned in control theory to solve practical problems."
—Zhiqiang Gao, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Director, Center for Advanced Control Technologies, Cleveland

"This book presents highly complex topics, but avoids relying on detailed mathematical analysis, and instead emphasizes practical approaches that can be applied by anyone working on drive and motion systems. I highly recommend Control System Design Guide as an extremely practical and thorough servo system controls reference."
--Dan Carlson, Drive and Web Handling Engineer for a Fortune 500 Company

"Control System Design Guide should be on every practicing servo control engineer's shelf. It provides a comprehensive overview of design methods and guidelines that typically take years of practice to learn. I wish that there had been a copy to read when I started my career in servo control. If you are working in this field, I strongly recommend that you read this book."
--R. William Kneifel II, Ph.D., Development Manager, Trellis Software & Controls, Inc.

"No matter how much you think you may know about the subject, there is something everyone can learn from this book. This book is control systems A-Z, and is the best book I have seen on the subject."
--Dave Trapasso, Senior Project Engineer, Big-Four automobile manufacturer

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Download Visual ModelQ, the companion to Control System Design Guide (3rd Ed.)

Errata

From the Preface

The basics of control systems were developed in the first half of the 20th century. Our predecessors aimed a cannon or warmed a bath using many of the same concepts we do. Of course, time and technology have generated many refinements. Digital processors have changed the way we implement a control law, but, in many cases they haven't changed the law itself. PID control works about the same today as it did four or five decades ago.
Control systems are broadly used and thus well integrated into our educational system. Courses are offered at most engineering universities and a few disciplines even require students to undergo modest training in the subject. Given the longevity of the principles and the number of trained engineers engaged in their use, one might expect most of the trade's practitioners to be comfortable with the basics. Unfortunately, that does not seem to be the case.

Over the past several years, I've had the opportunity to spend a day with about 1500 engineers through the seminar "How to Improve Servo Systems." These are motivated people, willing to donate a day to listen to someone who might provide insight for the problems they face. Most are degreed engineers who work in industry and roughly half have taken at least one controls course. A few minutes into the seminar, I usually ask, "how many of you regularly apply principles of controls you learned at school." Normally, fewer than one in ten raises a hand. It's clear there is a gap between what is taught and what is used.

So, why the gap? It might be because controls is so often taught with an undue emphasis on mathematics. Intuition is abandoned as students learn how to calculate and plot one effect after another, often only vaguely understanding the significance of the exercise. I was one of those students years ago. I enjoyed controls and did well in my controls classes, but I graduated unable to design or even tune a simple PI control system.

It doesn't have to be that way. You can develop a feel for controls! This book endeavors to help its readers do just that. Principles are presented accompanied by practical methods of analysis. Dozens of models are used to help readers practice the material, for practice is the most reliable way to gain fluency. The goal of each chapter is to foster intuition.

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