Optimization-based systematic data drop in rate-limited networked control system

Recently, high-speed communication networks, e.g., the Internet, have witnessed rapid developments. Therefore, the construction of control systems employing such networks is becoming a real possibility. The realization of such systems, however, has a problem of the rate limitation of the network. In this case, a systematic data dropping strategy will contribute to the effective utilization of limited network resources. In this study, a systematic data dropping strategy having the following features is proposed: data sending or dropping is determined based on the observed state variables and the past sequences of data sending/dropping without assuming any predetermined rules. First, the control system is modeled as a mixed logical dynamical system (MLDS). Second, the data sending/dropping sequence is obtained by solving a mixed integer programming problem. Third, a model predictive control based controller is constructed. Some numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the usefulness of the developed method.