Design principles for mechatronic systems based on information content

This study classifies design parameters in mechatronic systems as structure parameters and time-domain parameters. Time-domain parameters influence (or decide) working states and performance specifications of a mechatronic system. Based on information content defined for design parameters, the control principle of time-domain parameters, the priority principle of greater information content, and the maximum-control-efficiency principle are presented as guidelines for mechatronic design, together with the definitions of the mechatronic ratio and control efficiency. The example of the solid slicing manufacturing (SSM) system shows that, in addition to applying more controllers to minimize the number of time-domain parameters, mechatronic design also needs to search for an optimal design scheme with maximum control efficiency. Such a scheme may be obtained through reducing the number of uncertainties, limiting the uncertainty information content, and/or integrating the components.