Getting Started

Using the Documentation

If you are a new user, this guide, Getting Started with the Control System Toolbox, is written for you. Specifically, you will learn

• How to build and manipulate linear time-invariant models of dynamical systems
• How to analyze such models and plot their time and frequency responses
• How to design compensators using root locus and pole placement techniques

In addition, this guide discusses model order reduction, linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) techniques, and presents examples that show how to use these techniques.

This guide is available online under the Control System Toolbox. The rest of the toolbox documentation is also available online; click Control System Toolbox to open its product page, which is a roadmap with links to the Control System Toolbox documentation and to PDF versions of the same documentation.

If you are an experienced toolbox user, see the online documentation for detailed discussions of control system design topics, including the following:

• Release Notes -- Details on the latest release
• Creating and Manipulating Models -- In-depth information on how to create and manipulate linear models and linear time-invariant (LTI) arrays, which are data objects that you can use to store collections of linear models in one variable
• Customization -- Information about setting plot properties, including how to set preferences that persist from session to session
• Design Case Studies -- Worked examples, including Kalman filtering and MIMO design
• Reliable Computations -- Numerical stability and accuracy issues
• GUI Reference -- Complete descriptions of the LTI Viewer and SISO Design Tool, which are graphical user interfaces (GUIs) that you can use to analyze systems and design SISO compensators

All toolbox users should use the online Control System Toolbox Function Reference for reference information on functions and tools. For functions, reference descriptions include a synopsis of the function's syntax, as well as a complete explanation of options and operation. Many reference descriptions also include helpful examples, a description of the function's algorithm, and references to additional reading material. For GUI-based tools, the descriptions include options for invoking the tool.

Installation

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