Transfer function, poles, zeros and

stability of systems
Transfer function
Poles and zeros
Definition and examples
Stability
poles and stability, zeros and stability
representation in the s-plan
Examples/Exercise
VFR Dept. of Cybernetics LT. 50
Transfer function
VFR LT. 51 Dept. of Cybernetics
Consider a system with input signal and output signal
In the Laplace domain, the input transform is and the output
transform is
The general dynamic of the linear system is given by the system
transfer function:
with all initial conditions set to zero.
remember a transfer is independent of IC and input signal.
The output transform is therefore the product of the transfer
function by the input transform.
When the input signal is an impulse, the impulse response (i.e.
time response to an impulse input) in that particular case is the
system response.
) (t I ) (t O
) (s I
) (s O
) (
) (
) (
s I
s O
s H =
) (s I ) (s O
) (s H
Poles and Zeros
VFR LT. 52 Dept. of Cybernetics
A transfer function is generally a polynomial fraction:
Poles
Any values of s which make the transfer function goes to infinity, i.e the
poles of a system are the roots of the characteristic equation:
Zeros
Any values of s which make the transfer function goes to zero, i.e the
zeros of a system are the roots of the equation:
Numerator and denominator of a transfer function can be
factorised in terms of its poles and zeros:
) ( r Denominato
) ( Numerator
) (
) (
) (
s D
s N
s I
s O
s H = =
0 ) ( = s D
0 ) ( = s N
( )( ) ( )
( )( ) ( )
m
n
p s p s p s
z s z s z s
s H


=
L
L
2 1
2 1
) (
Examples:
Give the poles and zeros of the following transfer functions
VFR LT. 53 Dept. of Cybernetics
6 5
1
) (
2
+ +
=
s s
s H
13 6
1
) (
2
+ +
=
s s
s H
Stability
Poles and stability of a system (of any order)
Look at the real part of each pole:
If the real part of ALL poles isnegative then all components of the
system are stable and the overall system is stable.
If ONE pole (or more) has a zero real part then that component is
critically/marginally stable andthe overall system is critically stable.
If ONE pole (or more) has a positive real part then that component lead
the overall system to instability.
Look at the imaginary part for the presence of oscillations:
If the imaginary part of a pole is zero then that component doesnot have
any oscillatory contribution.
If the imaginary part is not zero then its value is the frequency of
oscillation of the corresponding component of the system.
The zeros of a system do not affect the stability.
The zeros affect the transient response of the system.
VFR Dept. of Cybernetics LT. 54
VFR LT. 55 Dept. of Cybernetics
Poles representation in the s-plan
x
0
Real
Imaginary
0
t
Critically stable
x
0
Real
Imaginary
t
Stable
x
0
Real
Imaginary
0
t
Unstable
Impulse responses
x
0
Real
Imaginary
x
0
t
Stable
x
0
Real
Imaginary
x
0
t
Unstable
For higher order systems that have many poles, the poles
that are further to the right of the s-plan will dominate the
response
VFR Dept. of Cybernetics LT. 56
VFR LT. 57 Dept. of Cybernetics
Example/exercise:
Simple exponential comments ?
Sinusoid comments ?
Modulated sinusoid comments ?
Higher order,
a s
s H e
at
+
=

1
) (
2 2
) ( , sin

+
=
s
s H t
2 2
) (
) ( , sin

+ +
=

a s
s H t e
a
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )( )s s s s s D where
s D
s N
s H 10 4 1 14 3 ) (
) (
) (
) (
1 2
+ + + + + = =
VFR LT. 58 Dept. of Cybernetics
Analysis the system transfer function
The impulse response is
If , the system has a zero at and the impulse
response is:

( ) 4 3
1
) (
) (
) (
2
+ +
+
= =
s
s
s D
s N
s H
3 ) ( + = s s N
5 ) ( + = s s N
7 ) ( + = s s N
0 ) ( + = s s N
1 ) ( = s s N
9 ) ( = s s N