Sliding Mode Control: Applied as Analog Controller for Precision Control of Piezoelectric Actuators

The digital implementation of the controllers is mainly preferred from re-programmability point of view. Many important control problems can be effectively solved using a digital architecture in conjunction with analog-digital and digital-analog conversion. Digital solutions offer very attractive advantages as promise to shorten design cycles and provide the freedom to reprogram in simple ways. However, depending on the complexity of the plant digital implementation may be demanding due to the high computational power requirement to run in real time. The necessity for the acquisition of the analog signals on the other hand compels extra conditions on the system. This work aims to develop an analog motion controller for single input single output plants of complex nature. As the control algorithm, Sliding Mode Control (SMC), the well known robust nonlinear controller is selected as a design framework. SMC is one of the effective nonlinear robust control approaches that provide system invariance to uncertainties once the sliding mode motion is enforced in the system.