How to get back up to speed on control theory, stability, filters etc - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: alanambrose
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2016, 05:02:29 pm
content: Hi,Once upon a time long ago ... I used to understand control theory, stability, filters, Laplace transforms etc. In fact it used to be my favourite subject. However, that was a long, long time ago and might as well have been in a distant land. Actually it was only 50 miles away as I sit here today.So, what's the best way to get back up to speed on those subjects? I want to be able to characterise a transient/frequency response, design a closed-loop controller and to understand and deal with circuit instabilities. I'm good at reading books, but open to any method that lets me regain the knowledge fairly quickly.TIA, Alan

author: coppice
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2016, 05:05:31 pm
content: Don't you still have your books from last time around? This stuff doesn't go out of date.

author: awallin
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2016, 05:08:55 pm
content: Fourier transform:https://see.stanford.edu/Course/EE261/Linear dynamical systems:https://see.stanford.edu/Course/EE263Signals and systems:http://ocw.mit.edu/resources/res-6-007-signals-and-systems-spring-2011/video-lectures/these are also on iTunes University if that's your thing..

author: f5r5e5d
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2016, 05:27:16 pm
content: free SW tooLTspice is free, unlimited - has fairly good Yahoo user group, Middlebrook, Tian loopgain example filesas a modern Spice with schematic entry gui Spice it has waveform and fft graphic displays, Laplace behavioral source defs for when you don't want to build from RLC...much control theory has been incorporated in MatLab Toolboxes - free Octave is highly compatible, SciLab very similar with EU, Industry support, m files can be translated but not as MatLab compatibleControl is often simed in different linear analogies than just electrical, proprietary Simulink is often used with MatLab, free SciLab has Xcos, Modelicathere is a very odd mix of dynamic modeling tools in Berkley's Ptolemy Project...Computer Algebra Systems let you do a lot more math in the Symbolic domain - free ones aren't up to the Maple, Mathematica level but somewhat usable, Maxima is in SAGE, I've worked out transfer functions in Xcasboth Maplesoft and Wolfram offer non-commercial, "home/individual" licenses for <US$1ksome people suggest Scientific Python, its specialized packages, can replace the functionality of many dedicated math SW with the generality of a full programming language

author: owiecc
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2016, 06:25:55 pm
content: I think it will be enough if you brush over the subjects. Watch thesevideosand then open Matlab/Scilab and play. The videos are short and you can easily watch them at 2x speed. This way you spend ca. five minutes on a single subject.

author: alanambrose
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2016, 06:28:56 pm
content: >>> Don't you still have your books from last time around?Nope, long gone as (I'm happy to say) are the books from my second career in financeHmmm, the Stanford and MIT courses - very nice, if a bit dry. Now if we could only get Dave to do these lectures...A.

author: pmbrunelle
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 04, 2016, 11:44:38 pm
content: I never learned control theory correctly in school.I am now struggling with my hobby SMPS endeavours... So far, control theory hasn't been part of my line of work.

author: RogerRowland
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2016, 05:49:44 am
content: I found the TI control theory seminars quite accessible - although I haven't put anything into action yet ...

author: Syntax_Error
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2016, 04:58:30 pm
content: Although this might be far below your level if you previously studied control theory, this might help other readers of the thread:https://www.youtube.com/user/ControlLecturesI found these lectures to be an outstanding introduction to control theory studies.

author: jancumps
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 05, 2016, 11:38:25 pm
content: Hey, I spent a full year on this subject during my education. It may have been the best part. We jumped from electronics only to other subjects like hydraulics, pneumatic, mechanics, what have you...