Introduction

For the first order system given below

10
G( s ) =
3s + 1

D.C gain is 10 and time constant is 3 seconds.

And for following system
3
3/ 5
G( s ) =
=
s + 5 1 / 5s + 1

D.C Gain of the system is 3/5 and time constant is 1/5

seconds.

Impulse Response of 1st Order System

Consider the following 1st order system
(t)

K
Ts + 1

R(s )
0

R( s ) = ( s ) = 1
K
C( s ) =
Ts + 1

C (s )

Impulse Response of 1st Order System

K
C( s ) =
Ts + 1
Re-arrange above equation as

K /T
C( s ) =
s + 1/ T
In order to represent the response of the system in time domain
we need to compute inverse Laplace transform of the above
equation.

A
at
L
= Ae
s+a
1

K t / T
c(t ) = e
T

Impulse Response of 1st Order System

If K=3 and T=2s then c( t ) =

K t / T
e
T

K/T*exp(-t/T)
1.5

c(t)

0.5

6
Time

10

Step Response of

st
1

Order System

Consider the following 1st order system

R(s )

K
Ts + 1

C (s )

1
R( s ) = U ( s ) =
s

K
C( s ) =
s (Ts + 1)
In order to find out the inverse Laplace of the above equation, we
need to break it into partial fraction expansion
Forced Response

K
KT
C( s ) =
s Ts + 1

Natural Response

Step Response of

st
1

Order System

T
1
C( s ) = K

s Ts + 1
Taking Inverse Laplace of above equation

c(t ) = K u(t ) e t / T
Where u(t)=1

c(t ) = K 1 e t / T

When t=T

c(t ) = K 1 e 1 = 0.632 K

Step Response of 1st Order System

c(t ) = K 1 e t / T

If K=10 and T=1.5s then

K*(1-exp(-t/T))
11
10
Step Response

9
8

D.C Gain = K =

c(t)

63%

steady state output 10

=
Input
1

5
4
3
2
Unit Step Input
1
0

5
Time

10

Step Response of 1st Order System

c(t ) = K 1 e t / T

If K=10 and T=1, 3, 5, 7

K*(1-exp(-t/T))
11
10

T=1s

9
8

T=3s

c(t)

T=5s

6
T=7s

5
4
3
2
1
0

10
Time

15

Step Response of

st
1

order System

System takes five time constants to reach its

final value.

Step Response of 1st Order System

If K=1, 3, 5, 10 and T=1

c(t ) = K 1 e t / T

K*(1-exp(-t/T))
11
10
K=10

9
8

c(t)

7
6

K=5

5
4
K=3

3
2

K=1

1
0

10
Time

15

Relation Between Step and impulse

response
The step response of the first order system is

c(t ) = K 1 e t / T = K Ke t / T

Differentiating c(t) with respect to t yields

dc(t ) d
=
K Ke t / T
dt
dt
dc(t ) K t / T
= e
dt
T

)
(impulse response)

Example#1
Impulse response of a 1st order system is given below.
c(t ) = 3e 0.5t

Find out

Time constant T
D.C Gain K
Transfer Function
Step Response

Example#1
The Laplace Transform of Impulse response of a
system is actually the transfer function of the system.
Therefore taking Laplace Transform of the impulse
response given by following equation.
c(t ) = 3e 0.5t

3
3
C( s ) =
1 =
(s)
S + 0.5
S + 0.5
C( s ) C( s )
3
=
=
( s ) R( s ) S + 0.5
C( s )
6
=
R( s ) 2S + 1

Example#1
Impulse response of a 1st order system is given below.
c(t ) = 3e 0.5t

Find out

Time constant T=2

D.C Gain K=6
Transfer Function C ( s ) = 6
R( s ) 2 S + 1
Step Response
Also Draw the Step response on your notebook

Example#1
For step response integrate impulse response
c(t ) = 3e 0.5t
0.5t
c
(
t
)
dt
3
e
dt
=

c s (t ) = 6e 0.5t + C
We can find out C if initial condition is known e.g. cs(0)=0

0 = 6e 0.50 + C
C=6
c s (t ) = 6 6e 0.5t

Example#1
If initial Conditions are not known then partial fraction
expansion is a better choice
C( s )
6
=
R( s ) 2S + 1
1
since R( s ) is a step input , R( s ) =
s
6
C( s ) =
s (2 S + 1)
6
A
B
= +
s(2 S + 1) s 2 s + 1
6
6
6
=
s(2 S + 1) s s + 0.5

c(t ) = 6 6e 0.5t

Partial Fraction Expansion in Matlab

If you want to expand a polynomial into partial fractions use
residue command.

rn
r1
r2
y( s )
=
+
+L+
+k
x( s ) s p1 s p2
s pn
Y=[y1 y2 .... yn];
X=[x1 x2 .... xn];
[r p k]=residue(Y, X)

Partial Fraction Expansion in Matlab

If we want to expand following polynomial into partial fractions
4 s + 8
Y=[-4
8];
X=[1
6 8];
[r p k]=residue(Y, X)

r =[-12
p =[-4
k = []

8]
-2]

s 2 + 6s + 8

4 s + 8

r1
r2
=
+
2
s + 6 s + 8 s p1 s p 2

4 s + 8

12
8
=
+
2
s + 6s + 8 s + 4 s + 2

Partial Fraction Expansion in Matlab

If you want to expand a polynomial into partial fractions use
residue command.
6
C( s ) =
s(2 S + 1)
Y=6;
X=[2 1 0];
[r p k]=residue(Y, X)
r =[ -6
p =[-0.5
k = []

6]
0]

6
6
6
=
+
s(2 s + 1) s + 0.5 s