STATE SPACE REPRESENTATION |1

Question: Why we use state space representation?/Discuss the modern control

theory.

Answer: The modern trend in engineering systems is toward greater complexity,

due mainly to the requirement of complex tasks and good accuracy. Complex
systems may have multiple inputs and multiple outputs and may be time
varying. Because of the necessity of meeting increasingly stringent
requirements on the performance of control systems, the increase in system
complexity and easy access to large scale computers State space representation
is used.

Modern control theory, which is new to the analysis and design of complex
control systems, has been developed since around 1960. This new approach is
based on the concept of state. The concept of state by itself is not new since it
has been in existence for a long time in the field of classical dynamics and other
fields.

Question: Define (i) State (ii) State variable (iii) State vector (iv) State space.

Answer:

(i) State: The smallest set of variable by which the characteristics of a

system can be easily understood is known as state of that system. The
knowledge of these variables at t=to, together with knowledge of the
input for t to, completely determines the behavior of the system for any
time t to.
(ii) State variables: The state variables of a dynamic system are the
variables making up the smallest set of variables that determine the state
of the dynamic system.
(iii) State vector: If n state variables are needed to completely describe the
behavior of a given system, then these n state variables can be
considered the n components of a vector x. Such a vector is called a
state vector. A state vector is thus a vector that determines uniquely the
system state x(t) for any time t to, once the state at t=to is given and the
input u(t) for t to is specified.
(iv) State space: The n-dimensional space whose coordinate axes consists
of the x1 axis, x2 axis, …………, xn axis, where x1, x2, …………., xn are
state variables is called a state space. Any state can be represented by a
point in the state space.

Prepared By: Hasan Bin Firoz (533)

Control System-I (EEE 703)
 STATE SPACE REPRESENTATION |2

Question: Derive the state space equation.

Answer: Let us assume a multiple input-output system having r number of input

u1(t), u2(t), u3(t), ………., ur(t) and m number of output y1(t), y2(t), y3(t), ……...,
ym(t). These inputs and outputs create a state having n number of variable and
expressed as x1(t), x2(t), x3(t), …………, xn(t).

If a state space is represented by,

y=

then here, y will be the output and x will be the state and the values that will be
given to the x are the inputs.

̇ = f1(x1, x2, ……., xn; u1, u2, …….., ur; t)

̇ = f2(x1, x2, ……., xn; u1, u2, …….., ur; t)
.
. --------------- (i)
̇ = fn(x1, x2, ……., xn; u1, u2, …….., ur; t)

The outputs y1(t), y2(t), y3(t), ……..., ym(t) of the system may be given by,

= g1(x1, x2, ……., xn; u1, u2, …….., ur; t)

= g2(x1, x2, ……., xn; u1, u2, …….., ur; t) .
. --------------- (ii)
.
= gm(x1, x2, ……., xn; u1, u2, …….., ur; t)

If we define,

x(t) = ; f(x,u,t) =

[ ] [ ]

y(t) = ; g(x,u,t) =

[ ] [ ]
Prepared By: Hasan Bin Firoz (533)
Control System-I (EEE 703)
 STATE SPACE REPRESENTATION |3

and, u(t) =

[ ]

Then equation (i) and (ii) becomes,

̇ = f(x,u,t) ---------------- (iii)

y(t) = f(x,u,t) ---------------- (iv)

If the equation (iii) and (iv) are linearized about the operating state, then we
have the following linearized state equation and output equation:

̇ = A(t)x(t) + B(t)u(t)

y(t) = C(t)x(t) + d(t)u(t)

where, A(t) is called the state matrix, B(t) the input matrix, C(t) the output
matrix and D(t) the direct transmission matrix.

Question: Derive the State-Space Representation of nth-Order System of linear

differential equation in which the Forcing Function does not involve derivative
terms.

Answer: Consider the following nth order differential equation,

(n) (n-1)
̇ ------------ (i)

Let us define,
Prepared By: Hasan Bin Firoz (533)
Control System-I (EEE 703)
 STATE SPACE REPRESENTATION |4

x1 = y
x2 = ̇
.
.
.
(n-1)
Xn = y

So, equation (i) can be written as,

̇
̇
.
.
.
̇

Then from equation (i),

∴ ̇

Where,

x(t) = ; A= ;B=

[ ] [ ] [ ]

The output can be written as,

y = [1 0 … … 0]

[ ]

or, y = Cx+Du

where, C = [1 0 … … 0] and D=0

Prepared By: Hasan Bin Firoz (533)

Control System-I (EEE 703)
 STATE SPACE REPRESENTATION |5

∴ Transfer function of the system can be written as,

Problem: From the diagram, the system equation is

̈ ̇

Find out the state space representation of the

equation and draw its block diagram.

Solution:

Given that,

̈ ̇ --------- (i)

Let,

Again, we can write,

̇ =
̇
̇ = ̈= [From equation (i)]

= ̇

∴ ̇ =

̇ =

and, output, y =

So, the state space representation of the system is,

̇
[ ]=[ ][ ] [ ]
̇

y = [1 0] [ ]

Prepared By: Hasan Bin Firoz (533)

Control System-I (EEE 703)
 STATE SPACE REPRESENTATION |6

∴ Here, A = [ ] ; B = [ ] ; C = [1 0] ; D = 0

Block diagram representation of the system is,

Problem: Obtain the static model/state space representation from the following
transfer function, G(s) = and draw the block diagram of
the system.

Solution: Since the transfer function has no zeros, so,

( )Y(s) = U(s)

⇒ = U(s)

Taking the inverse Laplace transform,

⃛ ̈ ̇

⇒ ⃛ ̈ ̇ ---------- (i)

Let,
̇
̈

∴ ̇ = = ̇

̇ = = ̈ (t)

̇ =⃛ = ̈ ̇

The state space representation is given by,

̇
[ ̇ ]=[ ][ ] [ ]
̇
Prepared By: Hasan Bin Firoz (533)
Control System-I (EEE 703)
 STATE SPACE REPRESENTATION |7

Output, y(t) =

∴ y = [1 0 0] [ ]

∴A=[ ] ; B = [ ] ; C = [1 0 0] ; D = 0

Problem: Obtain the static model from transfer function, G(s) =

and draw the block diagram.

Solution:

Given that,

G(s) = =

Let,

⇒ ( ) = ku(s)

⇒ = ku(s)

Taking the inverse Laplace transform,

Prepared By: Hasan Bin Firoz (533)

Control System-I (EEE 703)
 STATE SPACE REPRESENTATION |8

⃛ ̈ ̇

⇒ ⃛ ̈ ̇ --------- (i)

Selecting the state variables as,

̇
̈ ̇
⃛ ̇

Now from equation (i), we have,

The state space representation is given by,

̇
[ ̇ ]=[ ][ ] [ ]
̇

Now, let us consider,

⇒ y(s) = x1(s)[ ]

⇒ y(s) =

Taking inverse Laplace transform,

y(t) = C1x1 + C2 ̇

⇒ y(t) = C1x1 + C2

∴ y(t) = [C1 C2 0] [ ]

Prepared By: Hasan Bin Firoz (533)

Control System-I (EEE 703)
 STATE SPACE REPRESENTATION |9

Question: Determine the correlation between transfer function and state space
equation.

Answer: Let us consider the system whose transfer function is given by,

G(s)

This system may be represented in state space by the following equations:

y = Cx + Du

where, x is the state vector, u is the input and y is the output.

The Laplace transform equations are given by,

sX(s) x(0) = AX(s) + BU(s) ---------------- (i)

y(s) = CX(s) + DU(s) ----------------- (ii)

From equation (i),

sX(s) = AX(s) + BU(s) [∵ x(0) = 0]

⇒ sX(s) AX(s) = BU(s)

⇒ (SI A)X(s) = BU(s)

⇒ X(s) =

Putting the value of X(s) in equation (ii), we get,

Y(s) = C[ ]+DU(s)
⇒ Y(s) = C
⇒ Y(s) = [ ]U(s)

∴ G(s) =

This is the transfer function expression of the system in terms of A, B, C and D.

Prepared By: Hasan Bin Firoz (533)

Control System-I (EEE 703)