Chapter 5

Steady State Error Analysis

Topics to be covered
 Calculating steady-state errors

 System type and steady-state error

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Steady-state error is defined as the difference between the input
and output of a system in the limit as time goes to infinity (i.e.
when the response has reached the steady state). The steady-
state error will depend on the type of input (step, ramp, etc) as
well as the system type (0, I, or II).

Note: Steady-state error analysis is only useful for stable systems.

It is your responsibility to check the system for stability before
performing a steady-state error analysis. Many of the techniques
that we present will give an answer even if the system is unstable;
obviously this answer is meaningless for an unstable system.

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 Calculating steady-state errors
Before talking about the relationships between steady-state error and system
type, we will show how to calculate error regardless of system type or input.
Then, we will start deriving formulas we will apply when we perform a steady
state-error analysis. Steady-state error can be calculated from the open or
closed-loop transfer function for unity feedback systems. For example, let's
say that we have the following system:

which is equivalent to the following system:

We can calculate the steady state error for this system from either the open or
closed-loop transfer function using the final value theorem (remember that
this theorem can only be applied if the denominator has no poles in the right-
half plane):

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We can calculate the steady state error for this system from either the open or closed-
loop transfer function using the final value theorem (remember that this theorem can
only be applied if the denominator has no poles in the right-half plane):

Now, let's plug in the Laplace transforms for different inputs and find equations to
calculate steady-state errors from open-loop transfer functions given different inputs:
Step Input (R(s) = 1/s):

Ramp Input (R(s) = 1/s^2):

Parabolic Input (R(s) = 1/s^3):

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System type and steady-state error
If you refer back to the equations for calculating steady-state
errors for unity feedback systems, you will find that we have
defined certain constants ( known as the static error constants).
These constants are the position constant (Kp), the velocity
constant (Kv), and the acceleration constant (Ka). Knowing the
value of these constants as well as the system type, we can
predict if our system is going to have a finite steady-state error.
First, let's talk about system type. The system type is defined as
the number of pure integrators in a system. That is, the system
type is equal to the value of n when the system is represented as
in the following figure:

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Therefore, a system can be type 0, type 1, etc. Now, let's see how steady state
error relates to system types:

Type 0 Step input Ramp Input Parabolic

System input
Steady 1/(1+Kp) 1/Kv 1/Ka
State error
formula
Static error Kp = Kv = 0 Ka = 0
constant constant

error 1/(1+Kp) infinity infinity

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Type 1 Step input Ramp Input Parabolic
System input

Steady 1/(1+Kp) 1/Kv 1/Ka

State error
formula
Static error Kp = infinity Kv = Ka = 0
constant constant

error 0 1/Kv infinity

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