Smith’s Graphical Techniques for Second-Order Models​
​Authors: Housam Binous and Ahmed Bellagi

Consider an overdamped or underdamped model with a unit step response represented by
U×G=
1
s
×1
2
τ
2
s
+2τζs+1
, where
τ
and ζ (
ζ>1
or
ζ<1
) are the time constant and the damping coefficient, respectively. ​It is possible to use the step-response data in order to obtain approximate values for
τ
and
ζ
. Such a method was developed by Smith [1] and uses the times at which the normalized response reaches 20% and 60% (at times
t
20
and
t
60
)
. Indeed, the ratio
t
20
/
t
60
gives
ζ
(blue dashed curve) and
t
60
/τ
(green dashed curve).​These computed curves are successfully compared to their counterparts obtained by digitizing Fig. 7-7 given in Ref. 2 page 111 (digitized data are indicated by the red dots).​​
​​References :​[1] C. L. Smith, Digital Computer Process Control, Scranton: Intext Educational Publishers, 1972. [2] D. E. Seborg, T. F. Edgar, D. A. Mellichamp, and F. J. Doyle III, Process Dynamics and Control, 4th ed., New York: Wiley, 2017.
In[]:=
y[t_,ζ_,τ_]:=InverseLaplaceTransform[1/s1/(τ^2s^2+2τζs+1),s,t]
In[]:=
τ=1;
In[]:=
LaunchKernels[]
Out[]=
KernelObject
Local kernel
KernelID: 1
,KernelObject
Local kernel
KernelID: 2
,KernelObject
Local kernel
KernelID: 3
,KernelObject
Local kernel
KernelID: 4

In[]:=
tbl=Parallelize@Table[{(t/.FindRoot[y[t,ζ,τ]0.2,{t,τ/2}])/(t/.FindRoot[y[t,ζ,τ]0.6,{t,τ}]),(t/.FindRoot[y[t,ζ,τ]0.6,{t,τ}])/τ,ζ},{ζ,0.1,5,0.05}];
In[]:=
tbl2=tbl//Chop
Out[]=
{{0.543322,1.21112,0.1},{0.537165,1.239,0.15},{0.530819,1.26831,0.2},{0.524283,1.29914,0.25},{0.517554,1.3316,0.3},{0.510633,1.3658,0.35},{0.503521,1.40187,0.4},{0.49622,1.43992,0.45},{0.488737,1.48008,0.5},{0.48108,1.52248,0.55},{0.473261,1.56725,0.6},{0.465296,1.6145,0.65},{0.457203,1.66436,0.7},{0.449008,1.71693,0.75},{0.440739,1.77229,0.8},{0.432429,1.83049,0.85},{0.424116,1.89158,0.9},{0.41584,1.95554,0.95},{0.407646,2.02231,1.},{0.399578,2.09182,1.05},{0.391678,2.16394,1.1},{0.383989,2.23849,1.15},{0.376546,2.31529,1.2},{0.369382,2.39411,1.25},{0.362521,2.47475,1.3},{0.355981,2.55696,1.35},{0.349771,2.64055,1.4},{0.343897,2.7253,1.45},{0.338357,2.81104,1.5},{0.333144,2.89762,1.55},{0.32825,2.98489,1.6},{0.323661,3.07274,1.65},{0.319363,3.16108,1.7},{0.315342,3.24982,1.75},{0.311582,3.3389,1.8},{0.308066,3.42827,1.85},{0.30478,3.51788,1.9},{0.301708,3.6077,1.95},{0.298836,3.6977,2.},{0.29615,3.78785,2.05},{0.293637,3.87813,2.1},{0.291286,3.96853,2.15},{0.289084,4.05903,2.2},{0.287021,4.14962,2.25},{0.285088,4.24029,2.3},{0.283274,4.33103,2.35},{0.281571,4.42184,2.4},{0.279971,4.5127,2.45},{0.278467,4.60361,2.5},{0.277052,4.69456,2.55},{0.275719,4.78556,2.6},{0.274463,4.8766,2.65},{0.273279,4.96767,2.7},{0.27216,5.05878,2.75},{0.271103,5.14991,2.8},{0.270103,5.24107,2.85},{0.269157,5.33225,2.9},{0.268261,5.42346,2.95},{0.26741,5.51468,3.},{0.266604,5.60593,3.05},{0.265837,5.69719,3.1},{0.265109,5.78847,3.15},{0.264415,5.87977,3.2},{0.263755,5.97108,3.25},{0.263126,6.06241,3.3},{0.262526,6.15374,3.35},{0.261954,6.24509,3.4},{0.261407,6.33645,3.45},{0.260885,6.42782,3.5},{0.260385,6.5192,3.55},{0.259906,6.61059,3.6},{0.259448,6.70199,3.65},{0.259009,6.7934,3.7},{0.258589,6.88482,3.75},{0.258185,6.97624,3.8},{0.257797,7.06767,3.85},{0.257425,7.1591,3.9},{0.257067,7.25055,3.95},{0.256723,7.34199,4.},{0.256392,7.43345,4.05},{0.256073,7.52491,4.1},{0.255766,7.61637,4.15},{0.255471,7.70784,4.2},{0.255186,7.79932,4.25},{0.254911,7.8908,4.3},{0.254646,7.98228,4.35},{0.25439,8.07377,4.4},{0.254142,8.16526,4.45},{0.253904,8.25675,4.5},{0.253673,8.34825,4.55},{0.25345,8.43975,4.6},{0.253234,8.53126,4.65},{0.253025,8.62277,4.7},{0.252823,8.71428,4.75},{0.252628,8.8058,4.8},{0.252438,8.89731,4.85},{0.252254,8.98883,4.9},{0.252076,9.08036,4.95},{0.251904,9.17188,5.}}
In[]:=
TableForm@Join[{{"
t
20
/
t
60
","
t
60
/τ","ζ "}},tbl2]
Out[]//TableForm=
t
20
/
t
60
t
60
/τ
ζ
0.543322
1.21112
0.1
0.537165
1.239
0.15
0.530819
1.26831
0.2
0.524283
1.29914
0.25
0.517554
1.3316
0.3
0.510633
1.3658
0.35
0.503521
1.40187
0.4
0.49622
1.43992
0.45
0.488737
1.48008
0.5
0.48108
1.52248
0.55
0.473261
1.56725
0.6
0.465296
1.6145
0.65
0.457203
1.66436
0.7
0.449008
1.71693
0.75
0.440739
1.77229
0.8
0.432429
1.83049
0.85
0.424116
1.89158
0.9
0.41584
1.95554
0.95
0.407646
2.02231
1.
0.399578
2.09182
1.05
0.391678
2.16394
1.1
0.383989
2.23849
1.15
0.376546
2.31529
1.2
0.369382
2.39411
1.25
0.362521
2.47475
1.3
0.355981
2.55696
1.35
0.349771
2.64055
1.4
0.343897
2.7253
1.45
0.338357
2.81104
1.5
0.333144
2.89762
1.55
0.32825
2.98489
1.6
0.323661
3.07274
1.65
0.319363
3.16108
1.7
0.315342
3.24982
1.75
0.311582
3.3389
1.8
0.308066
3.42827
1.85
0.30478
3.51788
1.9
0.301708
3.6077
1.95
0.298836
3.6977
2.
0.29615
3.78785
2.05
0.293637
3.87813
2.1
0.291286
3.96853
2.15
0.289084
4.05903
2.2
0.287021
4.14962
2.25
0.285088
4.24029
2.3
0.283274
4.33103
2.35
0.281571
4.42184
2.4
0.279971
4.5127
2.45
0.278467
4.60361
2.5
0.277052
4.69456
2.55
0.275719
4.78556
2.6
0.274463
4.8766
2.65
0.273279
4.96767
2.7
0.27216
5.05878
2.75
0.271103
5.14991
2.8
0.270103
5.24107
2.85
0.269157
5.33225
2.9
0.268261
5.42346
2.95
0.26741
5.51468
3.
0.266604
5.60593
3.05
0.265837
5.69719
3.1
0.265109
5.78847
3.15
0.264415
5.87977
3.2
0.263755
5.97108
3.25
0.263126
6.06241
3.3
0.262526
6.15374
3.35
0.261954
6.24509
3.4
0.261407
6.33645
3.45
0.260885
6.42782
3.5
0.260385
6.5192
3.55
0.259906
6.61059
3.6
0.259448
6.70199
3.65
0.259009
6.7934
3.7
0.258589
6.88482
3.75
0.258185
6.97624
3.8
0.257797
7.06767
3.85
0.257425
7.1591
3.9
0.257067
7.25055
3.95
0.256723
7.34199
4.
0.256392
7.43345
4.05
0.256073
7.52491
4.1
0.255766
7.61637
4.15
0.255471
7.70784
4.2
0.255186
7.79932
4.25
0.254911
7.8908
4.3
0.254646
7.98228
4.35
0.25439
8.07377
4.4
0.254142
8.16526
4.45
0.253904
8.25675
4.5
0.253673
8.34825
4.55
0.25345
8.43975
4.6
0.253234
8.53126
4.65
0.253025
8.62277
4.7
0.252823
8.71428
4.75
0.252628
8.8058
4.8
0.252438
8.89731
4.85
0.252254
8.98883
4.9
0.252076
9.08036
4.95
0.251904
9.17188
5.