Optimal tracking performance of networked control systems with channel input power constraint

In this study, the optimal tracking performance of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) networked control systems is investigated. The system under consideration is finite-dimensional, linear time-invariant over an additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel between the controller and the plant. The power of the tracking error is adopted as the measure of the performance and is minimised subject to the channel input power constraint searching through all stabilising two-parameter controllers. It is shown that, under the channel input power constraint, the optimal tracking performance is closely dependent on non-minimum phase zeros, unstable poles of the plant and the characteristics of the signals and the channel. Finally, computer simulations are provided to illustrate the analytical results obtained. © 2012 The Institution of Engineering and Technology.