Customer Reviews

Feedback Control Systems, 4th Edition

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As is usually the case with Prentice Hall books, you are left puzzled about how to use the information presented in the chapter to solve even the first Practice Problem in each chapter. The chapter uses simple examples, and then expects you to solve more complicated systems without explaining how the concepts can be extended to cover them.

The authors also provide no answers to the practice problems, so to check any of your work you must find someone that knows the correct answer and compare your work with theirs.

It seems every time the author attempts to extend some help by preworking part of a problem they make a typo... With only one simple example as guidance there is no room for typos.

On the plus side, the material in the book is well selected. If you are working on control systems, you will find these topics helpful, so the book does deserve a star, but only one.

I do not recommend this book or its publisher, Prentice Hall; especially to anyone trying to independent study this material.

It has the information for basic controls, but the organization is tough for beginners to follow. It is just tough to read through, and I am one who reads many EE and math books cover to cover.

Why are there no solutions to the presented problems? Most all books I have used, in my 3 years of studying EE, have had the answers to the odd numbered problems. One example within a chapter is not enough for a student to be certain that other, more different, problems can be aproached and solved in the same manner.

If a solutions guide is available, I am more than willing to purchase it. suckomj@yahoo.com

I found this book fairly enjoyable. However, I agree with most of the other reviewers here that this is not exactly a book for beginners in control systems. However, I found this book extremely useful for beginning Discrete Systems. It gives excellent and thorough comparisons of continuous (CLTI) and discrete systems (DLTI) (The author keeps referring to the LTI analysis equivalent of the DTI system step by step. This book really should have been labeled "Introduction to discrete time systems with comparisons of continuous systems" or something similar.

Furthermore, I really enjoyed the topics on frequency analysis. I did an undergrad course in controls, however it was oriented more towards aircraft controls and aircraft dynamics so we did not have time to cover frequency analysis. The chapters Phillips presents on frequency analysis were clear and concise. Now I have a deeper appreciation for s-domain and frequency domain analysis and how they work together in control system analysis.

Also, I appreciated the introduction to non-linear systems, however, it seemed a little out of place and should perhaps be scrapped and used for an introduction of more advanced topics in linear systems.

My only beef with this book is that the introductory sections are brief and short lived all in anticipation to get to the discrete time systems analysis (previously mentioned) which span at least 4 chapters - almost 1 quarter of the entire book.

Recap:

Pros
Excellent Introduction to Discrete Systems
Excellent Chapters on frequency analysis

Cons
Poor introduction to continuous control system basics for beginners (CLTI).
Out of place chapter on non-linear methods

It deals with feedback and control like the book title says. A little dry in some areas and could use improving, but overall a good book.

I was extremely happy with the time taken to receive the book (quicker than expected)and the condition of the book was better than expected. I was very happy with the purchase and will continue to buy in the future.

One reviewer here has written concerning this text, "Probably the most useful textbook available to the undergraduate control student." Based on my use of earlier editions of this text (1st and 3rd), which proved very helpful to me, and my struggles with numerous other texts, which did not prove so helpful, I tend to agree with him. It is well written, more clear, more understandable, etc. So, I give it five (5) stars, especially to offset the low rating given by others. On the other hand, the complaint made by the others had mainly to do with the text's lack of examples commensurate with the complexity of the problems offered. I think that these complaints are right on the money, but not so much in relation to this particular text as to engineering texts generally. One does not learn very much when most of his energy has to be committed to looking for a needle in a haystack.

Control systems are a difficult subject to cover, but this book does a good job of bringing the novice reader up to speed. This is a very straightforward treatment of an extremely technical field, and while it could hardly be described as gripping reading, Phillips has done a good job of presenting the main concepts clearly and understandably. The book is nicely divided into self-contained sections, allowing undergraduate students to immediately identify those topics relevant to their course. Probably the most useful textbook available to the undergraduate control student.