Linear Multivariable Controller Tuning Using Measured Frequency Response Data

In this paper, we propose a direct tuning method of linear multivariable controllers based on frequency response measurements. Prior to the controller tuning, the plant is stimulated by some appropriate block-pulse excitation signals, and the frequency response measurements are obtained by DFTs of the input-output data. Then a linearly parameterized controller is obtained by minimizing a frequency-shaped model reference control criterion at selected frequency points in the frequency-domain. Compared to some existing time-domain data-based controller tuning methods, the method usually does not need iterative experiments. And the control performance seems to be more transparent, owing to the visualized frequency-domain data. The performance of the proposed method is shown through extensive simulation studies.