Book Description
Various techniques are available for the analysis of nonlinear sampled-data systems. Most of these methods use either the phase plane approach or the describing function technique. Since the performance of such a system is described, at sampling instants, by means of a difference equation, an approach based on the difference equation would seem to be both natural and direct. The principle of complex convolution for a transform is explained and its geometrical interpretation is given. It is shown how the application of the convolution transform is both direct and simple with respect to solving nonlinear difference equations when the equation is given in scalar form. Dependence of the convergence of the solution on the initial value and the degree of nonlinearity is pointed out. It is concluded that for difference equations of second order and higher, this method involves too much laborious computation to justify its use. A simple method is presented for examining free oscillations in a sampled-data system containing either relay or a saturating amplifier. In addition, a certain analytical technique, analogous to that for differential equations, is developed to investigate the stability of forced oscillations for certain types of nonlinear difference equations. (Author).