Switched Lyapunov Function-Based Controller Synthesis for Networked Control Systems: A Computationally Inexpensive Approach

This letter presents a Lyapunov function based control strategy for networked control systems (NCS) affected by variable time delays and data loss. A special focus is put on the reduction of the computational complexity. The crucial step to achieving computational efficiency involves defining a specific buffering mechanism that introduces an additional delay not larger than one sampling period. This allows representing the buffered NCS as a switched system, thus leading to a significant simplification of the NCS model and subsequent controller synthesis. The novel approach does not only circumvent the need for any over-approximation technique, but also leads to a strongly decreased number of optimization variables and linear matrix inequalities, allowing hereby greater flexibility with respect to additional degrees of freedom affecting the transient behavior. The performance and computational efficiency of the control strategy are demonstrated in a simulation example.