Closed-Loop Shaping Linear Control System Design: An Interactive Teaching/Learning Approach [Focus on Education]

The frequency domain is one of the most popular and powerful frameworks for designing control systems. Usually, the controller is designed by working on the openloop transfer function. However, it is also possible to design the controller by working on the closed-loop transfer functions. This closed-loop shaping methodology offers a straightforward framework that enables designers and students to focus on fulfilling the required specifications and dealing with inherent linear systems limitations without the need for complex computations or the use of difficult algorithms. In comparison to open-loop shaping, closed-loop shaping offers an exact approach in a very simple framework. Interactive software tools have proven to be particularly useful techniques with high impact on control education. This kind of interactive tool has been demonstrated to help students learn in a much more active way. This article summarizes the basic ideas of manual closed-loop shaping and presents the basic functionality of the Interactive Tool for Closed-Loop Shaping Control Design (ITCLSD). Different illustrative examples are included to show the uses of the ITCLSD.