1 Compensator Design Using Bode Plot

In this lecture we would revisit the continuous time design techniques using frequency domain since
these can be directly applied to design for digital control system by transferring the loop transfer
function in -plane to -plane.

1.1 Phase lead compensator

If we look at the frequency response of a simple PD controller, it is evident that the magnitude of the
compensator continuously grows with the increase in frequency.

The above feature is undesirable because it amplifies high frequency noise that is typically present in
any real system.

In lead compensator, a first order pole is added to the denominator of the PD controller at frequencies
well higher than the corner frequency of the PD controller.

A typical lead compensator has the following transfer function.

where,

is the ratio between the pole zero break point (corner) frequencies.

Magnitude of the lead compensator is . And the phase contributed by the lead
compensator is given by

Thus a significant amount of phase is still provided with much less amplitude at high frequencies.

The frequency response of a typical lead compensator is shown in Figure 1 where the magnitude

varies from to and maximum phase is always less than 90° (around 60°
in general).
 Figure 1: Frequency response of a lead compensator

It can be shown that the frequency where the phase is maximum is given by

The maximum phase corresponds to

The magnitude of
Example 1: Consider the following system

Design a cascade lead compensator so that the phase margin (PM) is at least 45° and steady state
error for a unit ramp input is ≤ 0.1 .

The lead compensator is

where,

Steady state error for unit ramp input is

PM of the closed loop system should be 45°. Let the gain crossover frequency of the
uncompensated system with K be ωg .
Phase angle at ωg = 3.1 is -90 - tan -1
3.1 = - 162° . Thus the PM of the uncompensated system
with K is 18°.

If it was possible to add a phase without altering the magnitude, the additional phase lead required
to maintain PM= 45° is 45° - 18° = 27° at ωg = 3.1 rad/sec.
However, maintaining same low frequency gain and adding a compensator would increase the
crossover frequency. As a result of this, the actual phase margin will deviate from the designed one.
Thus it is safe to add a safety margin of ε to the required phase lead so that if it devaites also, still
the phase requirement is met. In general ε is chosen between 5° to 15°.

So the additional phase requirement is 27° + 10° = 37° , The lead part of the compensator will provide
this additional phase at ωmax .

Thus

The only parameter left to be designed is τ. To find τ, one should locate the frequency at which the

uncompensated system has a logarithmic magnitude of .

Select this frequency as the new gain crossover frequency since the compensator provides a gain

of at ωmax. Thus

In this case ωmax = ωg new = 4.41 . Thus

The lead compensator is thus

With this compensator actual phase margin of the system becomes 49.6° which meets the design
criteria.

The corresponding Bode plot is shown in Figure 2

Figure 2: Bode plot of the compensated system for Example 1

 Example 2:

Now let us consider that the system as described in the previous example is subject to a sampled data
control system with sampling time T = 0.2 sec. Thus

The bi-linear transformation

will transfer into w -plane, as

[please try the simplification]

We need first design a phase lead compensator so that PM of the compensated system is at least 50°
with Kv = 2 . The compensator in w -plane is

Design steps are as follows.

 • K has to be found out from the Kv requirement.

• Make ωmax = ωg .
new
• Compute the gain crossover frequency ωg and phase margin of the uncompensated system after
introducing K in the system.

• At ωg check the additional/required phase lead, add safety margin, find out . Calculate α from

the required

• Since the lead part of the compensator provides a gain of , find out the frequency

where the logarithmic magnitude is . This will be the new gain crossover frequency
where the maximum phase lead should occur.

• Calculate τ from the relation

Now,

Using MATLAB command ``margin'', phase margin of the system with K = 2 is computed as 31.6°
with ωg = 1.26 rad/sec, as shown in Figure 3.
 Figure 3: Bode plot of the uncompensated system for Example 2

Thus the required phase lead is 50° - 31.6° = 18.4° . After adding a safety margin of 11.6°

, becomes 30° . Hence

From the frequency response of the system it can be found out that at ω = 1.75 rad/sec, the

magnitude of the system is . Thus ωmax = ωgnew = 1.75 rad/sec. This gives

Or,

Thus the controller in w-plane is

The Bode plot of the compensated system is shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4: Bode plot of the compensated system for Example 2

Re-transforming the above controller into z -plane using the relation , we get the
controller in z -plane, as

1 Lag Compensator Design

In the previous lecture we discussed lead compensator design. In this lecture we would see how to
design a phase lag compensator

1.1 Phase lag compensator

The essential feature of a lag compensator is to provide an increased low frequency gain, thus
decreasing the steady state error, without changing the transient response significantly.

For frequency response design it is convenient to use the following transfer function of a lag
compensator.

where,

The above expression is only the lag part of the compensator. The overall compensator is

Typical objective of lag compensator design is to provide an additional gain of α in the low frequency
region and to leave the system with sufficient phase margin.

The frequency response of a lag compensator, with α=4 and τ=3, is shown in Figure 1 where the
magnitude varies from dB to 0 dB.
 Figure 1: Frequency response of a lag compensator

Since the lag compensator provides the maximum lag near the two corner frequencies, to maintain
the PM of the system, zero of the compensator should be chosen such that ω = 1/ τ is much lower
than the gain crossover frequency of the uncompensated system.

In general, τ is designed such that 1/ τ is at least one decade below the gain crossover frequency of
the uncompensated system. Following example will be comprehensive to understand the design
procedure.

Example 1: Consider the following system

Design a lag compensator so that the phase margin (PM) is at least 50° and steady state error to a

unit step input is .

The overall compensator is

 where,

When

Steady state error for unit step input is

Thus,

Now let us modify the system transfer function by introducing K with the original system. Thus the
modified system becomes

PM of the closed loop system should be 50°. Let the gain crossover frequency of the uncompensated
system with K be ωg .

Required PM is 50°. Since the PM is achieved only by selecting K, it might be deviated from this value
when the other parameters are also designed. Thus we put a safety margin of 5° to the PM which
makes the required PM to be 55°.
To make ω g = 2.8 rad/sec, the gain crossover frequency of the modified system, magnitude
at ω should be 1. Thus
g

Putting the value of ω g in the last equation, we get K = 5.1. Thus,

The only parameter left to be designed is τ.

Since the desired PM is already achieved with gainK, We should place ω = 1/ τ such that it does
not much effect the PM of the modified system with K. If we place 1/ τ one decade below the gain
crossover frequency, then

or,

The overall compensator is

With this compensator actual phase margin of the system becomes 52.7°, as shown in Figure 2, which
meets the design criteria.

Figure 2: Bode plot of the compensated system for Example 1

Example 2:

Now let us consider that the system as described in the previous example is subject to a sampled data
control system with sampling time T = 0.1 sec. We would use MATLAB to derive the plant transfer
function w -plane.

Use the below commands.

>> s=tf('s');

>> gc=1/((s+1)*(0.5*s+1));

>> gz=c2d(gc,0.1,'zoh');

You would get

The bi-linear transformation

will transfer into w-plane. Use the below commands

>> aug=[0.1,1];

>> gwss = bilin(ss(gz),-1,'S_Tust',aug)

>> gw=tf(gwss)

to find out the transfer function in w-plane, as

The Bode plot of the uncompensated system is shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Bode plot of the uncompensated system for Example 2

We need to design a phase lag compensator so that PM of the compensated system is at least 50°
and steady state error to a unit step input is 0.1. The compensator in w -plane is

where,

Since , for 0.1 steady state error.

Now let us modify the system transfer function by introducing K to the original system. Thus the
modified system becomes

PM of the closed loop system should be 50°. Let the gain crossover frequency of the uncompensated
system with K be ωg . Then,

Required PM is 50°. Let us put a safety margin of 5°. Thus the PM of the system modified with Kshould
be 55°.
By solving the above, ω g = 2.44 rad/sec. Thus the magnitude at ω
g should be 1.

Putting the value of ω g in the last equation, we get K = 4.13 .

Thus,

If we place 1/ τ one decade below the gain crossover frequency, then

or,

Thus the controller in w -plane is

Re-transforming the above controller into z -plane using the relation , we get

The Bode plot of the compensated system is shown in Figure 4.

 Figure 4: Bode plot of the compensated system for Example 2

In the next lecture, we would discuss lag-lead controller and conclude the topic of compensator
design.