Real-time implementation of DC servomotor actuator with unknown uncertainty using a sliding mode observer

The central idea of this paper is the modeling and implementation of a real-time dc servomotor angular speed control system with an unknown bounded uncertainty using a sliding mode observer (SMO) control strategy. We prefer to use a SMO in our approach due to its great potential in fault detection and isolation (FDI) of the actuators and sensor faults subjected frequently to several failures due to an abnormal change in their operating conditions or parameters. We use for this purpose the most suitable real time implementation tool MATLAB/SIMULINK software package. It provides special features for real time implementation by its extensions Real-Time Workshop (RTW) and the Real-Time Windows Target (RTWT). The novelty of our paper is to prove in an extensive simulation MATLAB/SIMULINK frame the real time implementation potential of a most recently sliding mode observer (SMO) control strategy applied to a particular case study, namely for a dc servomotor angular speed control system. The proposed real-time Sliding Mode Observer (SMO) consists of an embedded nonlinear Sliding Mode Observer (SMO) with the dc servomotor actuator in an integrated control system structure to estimate its angular speed and armature current and to implement the sliding mode control law.