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24.3: Discrete-Time Analysis

  • Page ID
    43183
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    We begin with the system description in state space:

     

    Suppose we are given u(t) and y(t) for 0 � t � T . We can expand (24.1) as follows:

     

    Now the second term on the right | the forced response | is known, so we can subtract it from the vector of measured outputs to get

     

    where we have made the obvious de�nitions for y and the T -step observability matrix OT . The issue of observability over T steps then boils down to our ability to determine x(0) uniquely from knowledge of y. Equation (24.3) shows that we only need to check observability for u � 0� the e�ect of a nonzero input is just to change what y is, but in either case y is a known vector. The following result is an immediate consequence of (24.3).

     

    Equations (24.4) and (24.5) lead to the following theorem

     

    Note that in the context of reachability, it was the set of reachable states that formed a subspace, whereas now it is the set of unobservable states that forms a subspace. We denote this subspace by O (C� A) or simply O . It is evident that

     

    where R (A0 � C0) is the reachable subspace that would be associated with the system

     

    (whose state vector is d and input is e). Reachability and unobservability are said to be dual concepts, on account of the preceding connections.

    24.3.1 Modal Interpretation of Unobservability

    We start with the time-domain representation of the output for u(k) � 0. If A is diagonalizable, this yields

     

    Suppose there exists an eigenvector vi� � 1 � i� � n, such that Cvi� � 0. Is there an initial state such that y(k) � 0 � 8 k � 0� If we choose x(0) � vi� , then, referring to (24.7), we see that

     

    But when i � i� in (24.7), Cvi� � 0. Hence y(k) � 0� 8 k � 0.

    24.3.2 The Observability Gramian 

    We begin by de�ning the k-step observability Gramian as

     

    The unobservable space over k steps is evidently the nullspace of Qk. The system is observable if and only if rank(Qn) � n. If the system is stable, then we can de�ne the observability Gramian as

     

    Q satis�es a Lyapunov equation that is quite similar to the reachability gramian, i.e.,

     


    24.3: Discrete-Time Analysis is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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