CFU: 6
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge about closed loop control systems.
Preliminary Courses
None.
Learning Goals
The course aims at providing students with advanced competences on the analysis and design of Networked Control Systems (NCSs)/Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) used for the monitoring and control of distributed processes. Furthermore, it provides students with advanced methodologies for the synthesis of resilient, fault-tolerant and distributed algorithms for estimation, control and optimization over networks, with application to Industrial, civil and social domains (i.e. Smart Factory, Internet of Thing, Industry 4.0, Smart City, communication infrastructures and networks, distributed computing). The methodologies will be illustrated by the software/hardware design of representative Cyber-Physical Systems.
Expected Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
The course provides students the methodology for the analysis and software/hardware design of modern Networked Control Systems (NCSs)/Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs). The student needs to show that she/he learned the typical requirements that are peculiar for both hardware and software components of Networked Control Systems (NCSs)/Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) used for monitoring/control of industrial/civil processes. The student needs to show ability to know the main design phases of Cyber-Physical Systems and, specifically, of distributed algorithms for estimation, control and optimization over networks. Finally, the student needs to show understanding for the validation and performance evaluation test of distributed algorithms and Cyber-Physical Systems, including the relevance of co-simulation tools to support the design phases.
Applying knowledge and understanding
The student needs to show that she/he is able to formalize the main requirements for a Networked Control System (NCSs)/Cyber-Physical System (CPS) in terms of control system and network performance, including the energy autonomy. Moreover, by starting from such formalized requirements, the student needs to show the ability to design simple algorithms for estimation, control and optimization over networks; and to select the main hardware components. Eventually, the student needs to show the ability to design the validation and performance evaluation test for the developed distributed algorithms and designed Cyber-Physical System; the possibility to exploit simulation tools for such tests should be envisaged.
Course Content - Syllabus
- Introduction to Networked Control Systems and Cyber-Physical Systems
- Complex and large-scale distributed systems
- Remote control Systems
- Centralized, decentralized and distributed systems
- Distributed algorithms
- Requirements of Cyber-Physical Systems and distributed algorithms
- Examples of applications
- Multi-Layer model of Networked Cyber-Physical systems
- “Application” layer
- “Network” layer
- “Physical” layer
- Requirements of Application, Network and Physical layer
- Distributed algorithms and design of a Cyber-Physical System
- Multi-agent systems and consensus algorithms
- Design of control systems at network layer
- Design of distributed algorithms for load balancing, flow and congestion control
- Design of control systems at application layer
- Design of cooperative algorithms for distributed estimation, control and optimization over networks
- Energy efficiency and energy harvesting in Cyber-Physical Systems. Design of distributed algorithms for energy management
- Stability analysis, convergence and computational complexity of distributed algorithms
- Resilience and robustness of Cyber-Physical Systems and Distributed Algorithms
- Effects of communication delay, packet loss, channel and measurement noise and uncertainty parameters on Cyber-Physical system performance
- Robust, resilient and fault-tolerant distribute algorithms
- Distributed algorithms for Cyber-Physical Systems composed of: wireless sensor networks/embedded systems, computer networks and elaboration systems, swarm of drones and vehicles
- Illustrative applications of software/hardware design methodologies to representative Cyber-Physical Systems for Smart Cities e Smart Factories (Industry 4.0)
Readings/Bibliography
[1] Supplementary materials
[2] S. Manfredi, “Multilayer Control of Networked Cyber-Physical Systems. Application to Monitoring, Autonomous and Robot Systems”. Advances in Industrial Control, Springer, 2017
[3] A. Bemporad, M. Heemels, M. Vejdemo-Johansson, “Networked Control Systems”, Lecture Notes in Control and Information Sciences, Springer, 2010
Teaching Method
The teaching activities will be organized as follows: a) lectures for about 50% of the total hours, b) practical exercise in the classroom based on the simulation tools and/or lab activities for about 50% of the total hours.
Examination/Evaluation criteria
Exam type
Only oral exam and project discussion.