ROOT LOCUS

A graphical presentation of the closed loop

poles as a system parameter is varied.

The root locus is the plot of the roots of system

characteristic equation (or the poles of
closed-loop transfer function) as a system
parameter gain (K) is varied.
Importance of Pole Location

Performance is a function of pole location

- transient response
- absolute stability (stable or not?)
-relative stability (how stable?)

Poles migrate as control parameters vary

- function of controller gains, zeros, poles
- what values produce good locations?
- design (place poles) using root locus
Relative Stability

How stable is a system?

- compared to another system
-distance to the border of instability

Measures of relative stability

- damping associated with each root
- real parts of roots
- gain and phase margins
(frequency response concept: study later)
Root Locus
Definition: The root locus is the path of the
roots of the characteristic equation
plotted in the s-plane as a system
parameter is changed.

Design: Choose a parameter value for

which the locus lies in a good area of
the s-plane (where dynamics meet specs).

Iteration: If no part of the root locus lies in

a good area of the s-plane, then change
the structure of the controller to modify
the locus. Then choose parameter value.
Consider the following closed loop system:
In second order systems, the effect of K on the natural frequency
and damping ratio can be readily determined.

For higher order systems, this analysis is not as obvious.

This is where the root locus design method is used.

Calculation of the roots, given a change in
gain, can be readily accomplished by using
design packages such as MATLAB.

However, the root locus may also be

sketched by hand by following the
procedure that will be described later
Finite and Infinite Open-Loop Poles and Zero
Consider the following open-loop transfer function:

In this example, there are 2 finite poles at -1 and -20 and one finite zero at -2.
NOTE: A function could have infinite poles and zeros.
If the function approaches infinity as s goes infinity, then the
function has pole(s) at infinity.
If the function approaches zero as s approaches infinity, it has
zero(s) at infinity.
For the above example, as s approaches infinity:

Thus, the function has an infinite zero.

Please note that every function of s has an equal number of poles
and zeros, including both infinite and finite poles and zeros.
In the above example, the function has two finite poles, one finite zero
and one infinite zero, thus, the number of poles = the number of zeros = 2
Example: Higher Order
BASIC RULES FOR SKETCHING THE ROOT LOCUS

Number of branches The number of branches of

the root locus equals the number of closed-loop
poles.
Symmetry The root locus is symmetrical about the
real axis.
Real-axis segments On the real axis, for K>0
the root locus exists to the left of an odd number of
real-axis, finite open-loop poles and/or finite open-
loop zeros.
Starting and ending points The root locus
begins at the finite and infinite poles of G(s)H(s)
and ends at the finite and infinite zeros of G(s)H(s)
Behavior at infinity The root locus approaches straight lines
as asymptotes as the locus approaches infinity. Further,
the equation of the asymptotes is given by the real-axis
intercept and the angle with respect to the real axis as
follows:
finite poles - finite zeros
a
# finite poles - # finite zeros
(2 K 1)
a
# finite poles - # finite zeros

where k = 0, 1, 2, 3, . . . And the angle is given in

radians with respect to the positive extension of the real
axis.
Real-axis breakaway and break-in points The root locus
breaks away from the real axis at a point where the gain is
maximum and breaks into the real axis at a point where the
gain is minimum.
Calculation of j-axis crossings The root locus crosses
the j-axis at the point where G( s ) H ( s ) (2K 1)180.
Routh Hurwitz or a search of the j-axis for (2K 1)180
can be used to find the j-axis crossing.
Angles of departure and arrival The root locus departs
from complex, open-loop poles and arrives and arrives at
complex, open-loop zeros at angles that can be calculated.
Plotting and calibrating the root locus All points on the root
locus satisfy the relationship G( s ) H ( s ) (2K 1)180. The
gain, K, at any point on the root locus is given by
1
K
G( s ) H ( s )
Root locus of a negative unity
feedback system with an
j5
open-loop transfer function:
j4

K ( s 2 4s 20) j3

( s 2)( s 4) j2

j1

X X
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
-j1

-j2

-j3

-j4

-j5