ControlCraft: Comprehensive Control System Toolbox

ControlCraft is a MATLAB-based GUI tool designed to help students, educators, and engineers learn and experiment with control system concepts. Whether you're tuning a PID controller, plotting a root locus, or analyzing a Nyquist diagram, ControlCraft makes control system analysis intuitive and interactive.

Features

GUI-Based Interaction: Easy-to-use interface for visualizing transfer functions and controllers
System Analysis:
- Pole-Zero Analysis
- Impulse, Step, and Frequency Response
- Bode, Nyquist, and Root Locus Plots
Controller Design:
- PID Controller Tuning (Manual and Optimized)
- Closed-Loop Transfer Function Visualization
Real-World Examples: Pre-set cases to explore classic control problems like inverted pendulums
Flexible Input Parsing: Accepts both polynomial coefficients and symbolic expressions for transfer functions
Explicit Multiplication Support: Handles symbolic expressions with explicit multiplication for accurate parsing

Folder Structure

src/        # Core MATLAB code and GUI
docs/       # Course notes and supplementary materials
examples/   # Example scripts for users
tests/      # Verification and testing scripts

Installation

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/<your-username>/ControlCraft.git

Install Required MATLAB Toolboxes:
- Control System Toolbox
- Symbolic Math Toolbox
Navigate to the src folder in MATLAB:
```
>> cd('ControlCraft/src')
```
Run the main.m file to start the GUI:
```
>> main
```

Usage

Input Transfer Function

You can input transfer functions using either:

Polynomial Coefficients: Enter numbers separated by spaces, e.g., 1 0 3 represents 1/s² + 0s + 3
Symbolic Expressions: Use valid MATLAB syntax with explicit multiplication, e.g., s*(s+1), s^2 + 3*s + 2

Steps to Use ControlCraft

Launch the GUI by running main.m
Select a Pre-Set Example or enter your own transfer function
Adjust Parameters:
- Modify the numerator and denominator
- Use the gain slider to adjust the gain k
Visualize the Transfer Function:
- View the transfer function in LaTeX format
Analyze the System:
- Use the Plot button to generate various plots (step response, Bode plot, Nyquist diagram, root locus)
Design Controllers:
- Switch to the Controller Design tab to manually enter or automatically optimize PID gains

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Symbolic Math Errors:
- Use the * operator for multiplication (e.g., s*(s+1) instead of s(s+1))
Invalid Transfer Function Inputs:
- Verify numerator and denominator inputs are correctly formatted
- Ensure coefficients are numeric and symbolic expressions use valid MATLAB syntax
Symbolic Math Toolbox:
- Install via MATLAB's Add-On Explorer if not already present
GUI Not Launching:
- Run main.m from the src directory
- Check for missing files or functions in the src folder

Tips

Always use * for multiplication in symbolic expressions
Use correct MATLAB syntax for powers (^), multiplication (*), addition (+), and subtraction (-)
Test symbolic expressions in MATLAB's Command Window to ensure correct evaluation

Requirements

MATLAB R2020a or newer
Toolboxes:
- Control System Toolbox
- Symbolic Math Toolbox

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! See the contributing guide for details.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

University of Southampton's ELEC2220 Course Materials
MATLAB Control System Toolbox and Symbolic Math Toolbox

Contact

For any inquiries or feedback, please raise an issue on the GitHub repository.

License

Bananz0/ControlCraft

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