Open source Ch Control System Toolkit and web-based control system design for teaching automatic control of linear time-invariant systems

The Ch Control System Toolkit (CCST) is a software package for the design and analysis of control systems. It is a C/C++ class with member functions for solving control problems in a user-friendly C/C++ interpreter, Ch. Based on the CCST, a Web-based Control System Design and Analysis System (WCSDAS), and a Web-based Controller/Compensator Design Module (WCCDM), have been developed. In this article, using the CCST, WCSDAS, and WCCDM for teaching automatic control of linear time-invariant systems is presented. With the CCST, students are able to solve control problems with only a few lines of C/C++ code. The CCST can also be used to develop various interactive utility programs that will assist students in learning control systems without any programming requirements. With the Web-based WCSDAS and WCCDM tools, students can interactively design and analyze control systems via a Web browser. The CCST, WCSDAS, and WCCDM are open source software packages. These software tools have been used for teaching undergraduate control courses at the University of California, Davis and Michigan Technological University. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 21: 95112, 2013