Author Description

This book is about Computer Aided Control System Design (CACSD) of the direct process controller. Various methods and tools, representing an up-to-date level of development, are presented by leading experts. Several articles describe main principles and problems associated with modern direct control and with CACSD. Existing tools are presented, including packages for stability analysis of nonlinear systems, adaptive control design and integrated analysis, and simulation and tuning of controllers. The reader can observe that it is possible to develop CACSD tools by using open general packages such as Matlab or Simulab, or by providing specialised software. He can then compare both approaches and get an improved understanding of their respective advantages and disadvantages. The leading article by the editors presents CACSD Methods and tools in a broader context. There is also detailed material on upper control layers, hierarchical control, and real-time systems.