Controls/Spring 2012/Test 1

Post questions or requests for clarification to the discussion page.

Previous Tests

Previous ECE 141 and Controls tests are available at Dr. G's Big Box of Random.

IMPORTANT NOTE!

Test I this year is closed-book and will not have a computational component to it. Though you will be taking the test in the lab room, that is primarily so you have extra time (and space) to complete the work.

Equation Sheet

The class will come up with an equation sheet. Post the equation that you would like to the discussion page of this article; I will generate the list of approved and disapproved equations at Controls/Spring 2012/Test 1/RSR each day until Noon the day before the test, at which time the equation sheet will be set. The actual equation sheet will be available by 11:59PM the day before the test; a copy will be handed out with the test as well. (Update: sheet finalized as of 6:53 PM on 2/28)

Test I Spring 2012 Coverage

This test comes primarily from Chapters 1-6, excepting Chapter 3. Material from Homework 1-5 will be covered.

Similar to Test 1's from 2007-2010

• Circuits: be able to use the Mesh Current method to find equations for mesh currents in planar circuits. You should be able to express the equations in the time and frequency domains.
• Circuits 2: be able to use Node Voltage method to find equations for electrical quantities in circuits with operational amplifiers. You should be able to express the equations in the time and frequency domains.
• Translational systems: be able to find the equations of motion for a translational mechanical system involving springs, masses, dampers, and viscous friction. You should be able to express the equations in the time and frequency domains.
• Rotational systems: be able to find the equations of motion for a rotational mechanical system involving torsional springs, inertias, rotational dampers, and rotational viscous friction. You should be able to express the equations in the time and frequency domains.
• Gears: be able to find the equations of motion for systems involving gears - note that the gears may be rotation-to-rotation or rotation-to-translation.
• Electromechanical: be able to use the equation for a potentiometer to relate an electrical system to a rotational mechanical system.
• Motors: be able to determine the transfer function for a system involving a DC motor but not involving springs; also be able to determine motor parameters if given sufficient information such as stall torque, no-load rotational speed, and the like.

Similar to Test 2's from 2007-2010

• Determine characteristics of the step response for a first-order system or design a system to achieve those characteristics. Specifically, rise time and settling time.
• Determine the characteristics of the step response for a second-order system or design a system to achieve those characteristics. Specifically for a second-order underdamped system: rise time, peak time, %OS, settling time, damping, natural frequency, and damped frequency.
• Know when extra poles and zeros interfere with the assumptions of a dominant pair of poles.
• Translate a block diagram into a signal flow graph.
• Determine the transfer function of a signal flow graph.
• Generate a Routh array for a transfer function and determine regions of stability. Be sure to know how to handle rows with all zeros and rows with leading zeros.
• Find the value of one or more free parameters to obtain marginal stability and the frequency of oscillation for marginal stability.

Specifically Not On The Test

• Differential equations using "classical" methods
• Maple
• MATLAB
• State Space