Driving a linear constant system by a piecewise constant control

Recent studies have shown that complete controllability by means of all admissible controls is equivalent to complete controllability by means of piecewise constant controls with n preassigned switching times. This paper addresses the problem of determining the switching times and provides a simple algorithm for the derivation of a piecewise constant control function which accomplishes the transfer of the system from its current position to a desired reachable target. A discussion on the applications of the results obtained in this study to design problems, especially to computer-controlled systems, is given.