Course Development
Plan—Fall Semester 2003
Course Name and Number: Introduction to Modeling
and Control
Faculty Member: Allen Downey, Gill Pratt, Brian
Storey
Part I
Planning
I.
Course
Objectives
A.
Gain intuition and reinforce formal knowledge in other courses about
steady state and transient dynamics of first order and second order physical
systems.
B.
Gain intuition and reinforce formal knowledge in other courses about the
steady state and transient dynamics of spatially coupled physical systems
governed by the heat and wave equation.
C.
Gain intuition and reinforce formal knowledge in other courses about
numerical approximations algorithms and error.
D.
Learn to acquire laboratory data with a data acquisition system.
E.
Learn to model first and second order systems, as well as diffusive and
wave propagation systems using hand-written programs and off-the-shelf tools.
F.
Learn to control first and second order systems via a variety of methods,
including hysteretic, PWM, and PID control.
G.
Gain an elementary ability to work with Simulink,
Matlab, and to a lesser extent, C.
II.
Measurable
Outcomes (optional)
A.
Draw
and run working system diagrams in Simulink to model first
and second order physical systems and their control systems.
B.
Write
working programs in Matlab to model first and second
order physical systems, as well as spatially coupled diffusive and wave
propagation systems.
C.
Write
working programs in Matlab that implement numerical
integration, including Euler’s method and higher-order methods such as the
midpoint method.
D.
Modify
working programs in C to acquire data from and control physical systems.
E.
Derive
numerical integration algorithms using
F.
Compute
numerical error analytically and demonstrate the error computationally.
G.
Do
quantitative comparisons of experimental and modeled system behavior.
III.
Ongoing/Classroom Assessments Planned
A.
Laboratory
write-ups
B.
Programming
and other homework assignments
C.
A mid-term
and final exam
D.
Weekly
“what’s clear, what’s unclear” 3x5 feedback cards