PD‐control for stablewise tracking with finite reachability time: Linear continuous‐time mimo systems with state‐space description

The key problems addressed and solved in the framework of time‐invariant continuous‐time multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) linear systems are the following: (a) the necessary and sufficient condition on the system under which there exists a control that can force the system to exhibit a requested tracking property without using any information about the mathematical description of the system internal dynamics and external disturbances; (b) the synthesis of an output error algorithm expressing stablewise tracking with finite (pre‐specified) reachability time; (c) the synthesis of a Proportional‐Derivative (PD) control algorithm for stablewise tracking with finite (given) reachability time without utilizing a mathematical model of the system internal dynamics, its state and the unmeasured, unknown time‐varying disturbances. Simulation results illustrate the theory with an unstable MIMO system under different desired stablewise tracking settling times.