[Adam Y.]

Originally Posted by JesseK

I wouldn't say that the FIRST community contains a *vast* amount of control theory. Most teams use PID since it's "good enough" for first-order feedback, but precision control is usually derived from multiple sensors and proper pole/zero selection from the imaginary plane. How you set your constraints determines what regions you can select the poles/zeros from, and then some math will give you the 2nd or 3rd order equations (based upon the # of sensors) with exact coefficients. Running the driver control input will result in the desired motor output with behavior that is easily observable and reconfigurable by looking at the z-plane.

Ok, so maybe we know a bit about it but there aren't any white papers in CD-media . I only took an intro course in college on it.

I did too but even that class only scratched the surface. I know there are four different ways to implement a controller with the math being different for each case. These methods are transfer functions which are the z and Laplace transforms, differential equations, state space models which models a system with a series of vectors, and h-infinity which I have no clue what is going on. Also, the subject also does reach into other areas that would be beneficial. My control system class derived the reason why the motor constants are the way they are.