This book is a window onto problems in the analysis, stability, and design of networked control systems. Among other things, it considers four key issues: packet dropouts, communication bandwidth constraints, parametric uncertainty, and time delays.

This book provides a rigorous framework in which to study problems in the analysis, stability and design of networked control systems. Four dominant sources of difficulty are considered: packet dropouts, communication bandwidth constraints, parametric uncertainty, and time delays. Past methods and results are reviewed from a contemporary perspective, present trends are examined, and future possibilities proposed. Emphasis is placed on robust and reliable design methods. New control strategies for improving the efficiency of sensor data processing and reducing associated time delay are presented. The coverage provided features:

·        an overall assessment of recent and current fault-tolerant control algorithms;

·        treatment of several issues arising at the junction of control and communications;

·        key concepts followed by their proofs and efficient computational methods for their implementation; and

·        simulation examples (including TrueTime simulations) to provide hands-on experience.

In addition to the theoretical coverage, the author describes a number of applications that demonstrate the real-world relevance of this material, and these include:

·         a servo system;

·         a triple inverted pendulum;

·         power system control;

·         wireless control of a cart with inverted pendulum and wireless servo application with emphasis on controller area networks; and

·         switched ethernet and wireless area networks.

Researchers and graduate students working in networked and distributed control will find this text a useful guide in avoiding and ameliorating common and serious problems with these systems. The increasing prevalence of networks in many fields of engineering will make Control and Estimation Methods over Communication Networks of interest to practitioners with backgrounds in communications, process engineering, robotics, power, automotive and other areas.