Integrating the classroom and laboratory: an approach to capstone design

A two-quarter senior-level sequence in control systems is described. The first course covers classical control and is accompanied by a laboratory. A parallel activity is the planning of a capstone design project which students execute as part of the second course. The second course offers students new material on modern control theory plus a capstone design experience that includes implementation and testing of the design project in the laboratory. These capstone design projects provide the basis for new experiments for the laboratory that accompanies the first course.<
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