A nonsmooth IMC method for mechanical systems with backlash

This paper proposes a discrete-time nonsmooth internal model control (NSIMC) approach for mechanical transmission systems described by so-called sandwich system with backlash. In this method, a dynamic compensator is introduced to compensate for the effect of the input linear subsystem. Thus, the sandwich systems with backlash can be simplified as a pseudo-Hammerstein system with backlash. The corresponding NSIMC strategy is designed to control this system. The design procedure of the controller is presented based on the analysis on the robust stability by considering the model errors involved with the effect of backlash as well as the compensated error of the input linear subsystem. Moreover, as the model is switched among the different operating zones, the robust filters are proposed to guarantee the robust stability and satisfactory control performance of the system. © 2013 South China University of Technology, Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.