Flexible Scheduling in Real-Time Control Systems with Uncertainty

本研究旨在开发新的模型和方法，设计高性能，低成本的实时控制系统。 该项目以网络控制系统为目标应用，强调控制和实时系统开发的综合处理。这项工作的主要重点是调度方法，用于处理许多实时控制应用中的不确定性和灵活性。处理不确定性的研究活动包括自适应调度策略的设计，以执行基于马尔可夫链的约束和评估不同的制造商。为了最大限度地利用实时控制系统中存在的灵活性，该项目研究了量化对闭环系统性能的影响，并设计自适应调度策略，以实现所需的系统性能，同时减少资源需求。控制和真实的，时间系统研究人员提供了独特的机会，引入新的概念和观点，以应对许多固有的挑战，跨学科的该项目的目标是促进对控制系统设计和实时系统设计之间相互作用的理解。 首先，作为该项目的一个组成部分，一个新的课程正在开发的研究生/高年级本科水平，让学生接触到嵌入式实时控制系统设计的理论和实践。该项目预计还将通过与圣母院环境科学与技术中心（CEST）合作，在实时控制和土木工程方面产生影响。

This research aims at developing novel models and methodologies for designing high performance, low cost real-time control systems. Using a networked control system as the target application, the project emphasizes an integrated treatment of control and real-time system development. The main focus of this work is on scheduling approaches for dealing with uncertainty and flexibility presented in many real-time control applications. Research activities for dealing with uncertainty includes the design of adaptive scheduling strategies to enforce a Markov-Chain based constraint and the evaluation of different schedulers. To maximally exploit flexibility existing in real-time control systems, the project investigates the effect of quantization on closed-loop system performance, and devises adaptive scheduling strategies to achieve the desired system performance while reducing resource demands.The collaborative effort by the team of control and real-time system researchers provides unique opportunities for introducing new concepts and perspectives in tackling many challenges that are inherently interdisciplinary. The goal of the project is to advance understanding of the interplay between control system design and real-time system design.The broader impacts of this project can be felt in two main aspects. First, as an integrated part of the project, a new course is being developed at the graduate/senior undergraduate level to expose students to both the theory and the practice of designing embedded real-time control systems. The project is expected also to have impact through a collaboration in real-time control and civil engineering, in conjunction with Notre Dame's Center for Environmental Science and Technology (CEST).