Classical Control Design

Design, tuning, and analysis of single-input, single-output (SISO) feedback systems

Using the Control System Designer app, you can interactively design and analyze single-input, single-output (SISO) controllers for feedback systems. You can design controllers using various graphical and automated tuning methods. To choose the best tuning method for your application, see Control System Designer Tuning Methods.

For information about tuning SISO controllers in Simulink^® models, see Classical Control Design (Simulink Control Design).

Apps

Control System Designer

Design single-input, single-output (SISO) controllers

Functions

`rlocus`	Root locus of dynamic system
`rlocusplot`	Root locus plot of dynamic system
`sisoinit`	Configure Control System Designer at startup
`openloopeditor`	Open-loop editor for SISO control systems (Since R2025a)

Topics

Control Design Basics

Choosing a Control Design Approach
Control System Toolbox™ provides several approaches to tuning control systems.
Getting Started with the Control System Designer
Tune compensators for a feedback control system using the Control System Designer app.
Control System Designer Tuning Methods
You can tune compensators using various graphical and automated tuning methods.
Feedback Control Architectures in Control System Designer
When you open Control System Designer from MATLAB^®, you can select one of six possible control architecture configurations.
Design Requirements
Using Control System Designer, you can tune your compensator to satisfy various time-domain and frequency-domain design requirements.
Programmatically Initializing the Control System Designer
Configure Control System Designer from the command line and create functions to customize the startup of a Control System Designer session.

Compensator Tuning

Bode Diagram Design
Bode diagram design is an interactive graphical method of modifying a compensator to achieve a specific open-loop response.
Root Locus Design
Design a compensator for an electrohydraulic servomechanism using root locus graphical tuning techniques.
Nichols Plot Design
Nichols plot design is an interactive graphical method of modifying a compensator to achieve a specific open-loop response.
Edit Compensator Dynamics in Control System Designer
Achieve your design goals by manually editing compensator poles, zeros, and gains in the Control System Designer app.
Design Compensator Using Automated Tuning Methods
Tune a compensator using automated tuning methods in Control System Designer.
Design Compensator Using Open-Loop Editor
To design a compensator using a standalone open-loop editor, manually edit compensator poles, zeros, and gains. (Since R2025a)

Compensator Tuning in Simulink

Tune Simulink Blocks Using Compensator Editor
Tune Simulink blocks using the Compensator Editor dialog box in Control System Designer.
Single Loop Feedback/Prefilter Compensator Design
Tune the closed-loop performance of a single-loop system using a feedback compensator, and then tune the system response to changes in the reference signal using a prefilter.
Cascaded Multiloop Feedback Design
To design compensators for cascaded multi-loop systems, first tune the compensator for the inner loop and then tune the outer-loop compensator.

Systems with Special Characteristics

Compensator Design for a Set of Plant Models
Design and analyze a controller for multiple plant models using the Control System Designer app.
Multimodel Control Design
Design a compensator for a set of plant models using Control System Designer.
Design Compensator for Plant Model with Time Delays
Some Control System Designer design and analysis tools support exact time delays while others use approximations of time delays.
Design Compensator for Systems Represented by Frequency Response Data
Design compensators for plant models defined by frequency response data using Control System Designer.
Design Multiloop Control System
Design compensators for a control system with an inner and outer loop using Control System Designer.

Analysis and Validation

Analyze Designs Using Response Plots
Analyze your control system designs using the plotting tools in Control System Designer.
Compare Performance of Multiple Designs
Examine the effects of different tuning methods or compensator structures by comparing the performance of multiple compensator designs.

Featured Examples

Design Internal Model Controller for Chemical Reactor Plant

Design a compensator in an IMC structure for chemical reactors using Control System Designer.

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Design LQG Tracker Using Control System Designer

Design a feedback controller for a disk drive read/write head using LQG synthesis.

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Design Hard-Disk Read/Write Head Controller

Design a computer hard-disk read/write head position controller using classical control design methods.

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Reference Tracking of DC Motor with Parameter Variations

Generate an array of LTI models that represent the plant variations of a control system from a Simulink® model. This array of models is used in Control System Designer for control design.

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Digital Servo Control of a Hard-Disk Drive

Design a digital servo controller for a disk drive read/write head using Control System Toolbox software.

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Yaw Damper Design for a 747 Jet Aircraft

Design of a yaw damper for a 747^® aircraft using the classical control design features in Control System Toolbox software.

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Feedback Amplifier Design

Design a noninverting feedback amplifier circuit using Control System Toolbox software.

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