Analysis of nonlinear sampled-data control systems -I

AN INTERESTING SIMILARITY exists between the mechanical sampling and zero-order hold function of sampled-data systems, and the mathematical "sampling" which is characteristic of numerical methods of analysis. This paper describes an investigation into this similarity. The results are numerical methods of analysis principally adapted to the transient solution of nonlinear sampled-data control systems. While numerical methods generally provide approximate solutions to nonlinear continuous systems, numerical methods applied to many nonlinear sampled-data systems provide exact solutions. Approximate solutions exist when exact solutions are not possible, i.e., for the more complex system configurations.