Sliding mode tracking control of an electrostatic parallel-plate MEMS

This work aims at developing tracking control algorithms based on sliding mode control (SMC) for the manipulation of electrostatically actuated parallel-plate MEMS. By this approach, stable full range operation with high performance is achieved, even in the presence of parametric uncertainties. Moreover, SMC allows employing simple actuation mechanisms by pure switching control signals, which is particularly suited for the implementation by high-speed flip-flop circuits. It is shown in the present work that a power supply with two discrete output levels is sufficient to realize stable operation beyond the pull-in position for both state and output feedback control. System performance using developed SMC schemes is assessed by numerical simulations.