Multivariable controller implementation using field programmable gate arrays

Implementation issues represent an unfamiliar challenge to most control engineers, and many techniques for controller design ignore these issues outright. Consequently, the design of controllers for smart structural systems usually proceeds without regard for their eventual implementation, thus resulting either in serious performance degradation or in hardware requirements that squander power, complicate integration, and drive up cost. This paper summarizes previously reported results in the application of FPGAs to the realization of digital controllers for smart structures and reports ongoing effort to extend these results to multiple input, multiple output systems.