Discrete time sliding mode control applied to a gantry crane

In this paper, single input discrete time sliding mode control is examined and applied to a gantry crane problem. The paper stresses the practicality of the developed controller with respect to design and implementation on a simulated system. An inherently discrete time sliding mode controller is reviewed, and optimal, in a linear quadratic sense, sliding surfaces designed. A study of stochastic effects leads to an optimal switching gain. The controller is applied to a simulated pneumatically actuated cart positioning system. The cart tracks a setpoint in position while steadying a suspended pendulum. The actuators used are three valued solenoid operators and pulse-width modulation is used between the control law and the valve