Dimensionless analysis of servomechanisms by electrical analogy

THE MECHANICAL transients analyzer^1,2 provides a fast and simple method of obtaining the complete solutions to the performance equations of servomechanisms under any type of operating condition. It has been found to be applicable to the detailed analysis of specific systems. Also, because of the great rapidity with which parameters of a basic system can be changed once that system is set up, the analyzer is admirably suited to generalized studies of various types of systems. This paper presents a general study that has been made of variable-voltage angular-position servomechanisms. The data give dominant system frequencies and damping rates for a two time delay system with simple error control and for a wide range of parameters. Similar data are presented for error control plus optimum anticipation time constants, together with other performance characteristics. Because of the many curves required for the same type of analysis of the several variations of resistance-capacitance-feedback and other forms of antihunt or damping devices, they will not be treated here.