ControlCraft: Comprehensive Control System Toolbox

ControlCraft is a MATLAB-based GUI tool designed to help students, educators, and engineers learn and experiment with control system concepts. Whether you're tuning a PID controller, plotting a root locus, or analyzing a Nyquist diagram, ControlCraft makes control system analysis intuitive and interactive.

Features

• GUI-Based Interaction: Easy-to-use interface for visualizing transfer functions and controllers
• System Analysis:
  • Pole-Zero Analysis
  • Impulse, Step, and Frequency Response
  • Bode, Nyquist, and Root Locus Plots
• Controller Design:
  • PID Controller Tuning (Manual and Optimized)
  • Closed-Loop Transfer Function Visualization
• Real-World Examples: Pre-set cases to explore classic control problems like inverted pendulums
• Flexible Input Parsing: Accepts both polynomial coefficients and symbolic expressions for transfer functions
• Explicit Multiplication Support: Handles symbolic expressions with explicit multiplication for accurate parsing

Folder Structure

src/        # Core MATLAB code and GUI
docs/       # Course notes and supplementary materials
examples/   # Example scripts for users
tests/      # Verification and testing scripts

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/<your-username>/ControlCraft.git

2. Install Required MATLAB Toolboxes:

   • Control System Toolbox
   • Symbolic Math Toolbox

3. Navigate to the src folder in MATLAB:

   >> cd('ControlCraft/src')

4. Run the main.m file to start the GUI:

   >> main

Usage

Input Transfer Function

You can input transfer functions using either:

• Polynomial Coefficients: Enter numbers separated by spaces, e.g., 1 0 3 represents 1/s² + 0s + 3
• Symbolic Expressions: Use valid MATLAB syntax with explicit multiplication, e.g., s*(s+1), s^2 + 3*s + 2

Steps to Use ControlCraft

1. Launch the GUI by running main.m
2. Select a Pre-Set Example or enter your own transfer function
3. Adjust Parameters:
   • Modify the numerator and denominator
   • Use the gain slider to adjust the gain k
4. Visualize the Transfer Function:
   • View the transfer function in LaTeX format
5. Analyze the System:
   • Use the Plot button to generate various plots (step response, Bode plot, Nyquist diagram, root locus)
6. Design Controllers:
   • Switch to the Controller Design tab to manually enter or automatically optimize PID gains

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

• Symbolic Math Errors:
  • Use the * operator for multiplication (e.g., s*(s+1) instead of s(s+1))
• Invalid Transfer Function Inputs:
  • Verify numerator and denominator inputs are correctly formatted
  • Ensure coefficients are numeric and symbolic expressions use valid MATLAB syntax
• Symbolic Math Toolbox:
  • Install via MATLAB's Add-On Explorer if not already present
• GUI Not Launching:
  • Run main.m from the src directory
  • Check for missing files or functions in the src folder

Tips

• Always use * for multiplication in symbolic expressions
• Use correct MATLAB syntax for powers (^), multiplication (*), addition (+), and subtraction (-)
• Test symbolic expressions in MATLAB's Command Window to ensure correct evaluation

Requirements

• MATLAB R2020a or newer
• Toolboxes:
  • Control System Toolbox
  • Symbolic Math Toolbox

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! See the contributing guide for details.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• University of Southampton's ELEC2220 Course Materials
• MATLAB Control System Toolbox and Symbolic Math Toolbox

Contact

For any inquiries or feedback, please raise an issue on the GitHub repository.