An analytical framework for analysis and design of networked control systems with random delays and packet losses

Abstract: Delays and data losses are undesirable from a control system perspective as they tend to adversely affect performance Networked Control Systems (NCSs) are a class of control systems wherein control components exchange information using a shared communication channel. Delays and packet losses in the communication channels are usually random, thereby making the analysis and design of control loops more complex. The usual assumptions in classical control theory, such as delay free sensing and synchronous actuation, assume lesser significance when it comes to NCSs. Hence, this necessitates a reformulation/relook into the existing models used for NCS control loop analysis and design. In this paper, we study and present the reformulations required for NCSs to include random delays and packet loss in the channel. This paper thereby gives a complete overview of what has been accomplished thus far in NCS research and puts forth a unified framework for analyzing a host of problems that can be captured as NCSs subjected to random delays and packet losses.