ME 451--Control Systems, Fall 2005
INSTRUCTORs and TAs:

Prof. Brian Feeny
2328-C EB, 353-9451, 353-1750 fax
feeny@egr.msu.edu
Office hours: 10:10-11:10 MWF (2328-C EB)
 
Dr. Sean Davis
3537 EB, 342-1097, 353-1750 fax
davissea@egr.msu.edu
Office hours: 2:00-3:30 MWF (1522 EB)
TA office hours: discuss with any TA during "quiet times" in lab sessions
 
LECTURE:
 
Section 1:  MWF 9:10-10:00, room 2250 EB (Feeny)
Section 2:  MWF 11:30-12:20, 1230 EB (Davis)


SECTION COORDINATION:
Sections will cover similar material, but will not always be perfectly synched.   Students are encouraged to attend lectures for the section in which they are enrolled, but may attend the other section if isolated conflicts arise.  Office hours however are common and students are encouraged to attend office hours of either Davis, Feeny, or the laboratory TAs regardless of the section in which they are enrolled.
 
COVERAGE:  Course outline
HOMEWORK:
 
There will be homework sets almost every week.  Selected problems will be collected to be graded by a TA. Students should also work problems that are not collected, as these are also central to the course.  Solutions to all problems will be posted on the web, with the solutions to the non-collected problems available earlier for feedback. Student collaboration on the homeworks is encouraged, but you must write up your own solutions to the collected problems.  To copy existing solutions or the work of others is plagiarism.  If you have questions about the grading, write your comments on a cover page and resubmit for reconsideration.  Late homeworks will not be accepted.
EXAMS:
 
There will be two one-hour exams and one two-hour final exam. Exams will be closed book, with one page of notes allowed for reference. Each exam will consist of problems directed at material beyond the previous exam. However, cumulative understanding is needed to solve all problems. See the instructor immediately if you foresee any conflicts with the exam dates below. Make-up exams will be given only in the case of documented emergencies. If you have questions about the grading, write your comments on a cover page and resubmit the exam for reconsideration. Regrades will apply to the entire exam, and may result in the grade going up, going down, or remaining unchanged.  Exam solutions will be posted on the web. Cheating on exams will result in the maximum disciplinary action permitted by the university.  Supplying information is also regarded as cheating.  Students must ensure the security of their examination papers.
 
Exam I:    Friday, October 7, 2005.  Review Page.  Solutions: page 1, page 2, page 3, page 4.
Exam II:   Friday, November 11, 2005.  Review page.  Solutions.
FINAL EXAM:  Review page.   Check here for schedule
 
TEXT:
 
Feedback Control Systems
C. L. Phillips and R. D. Harbor
Prentice Hall, 4th edition, 2000.

<>RECOMMENDED TEXT:

Student Edition of Matlab
GRADING:
25% Laboratory.  You must pass the laboratory component to pass the course.
10% Homework/Quiz (quiz is worth 3 homework assignments)
20% Exam 1. 
20% Exam 2
25% Final Exam
GRADING SCALE (Section 2):
 
The target grading scale for the course is
90-100..... 4.0
85-89........3.5
80-84........3.0
75-79........2.5
70-74........2.0
65-69........1.5
60-64........1.0
0-59..........0.0
 
However, if the course average is "low", the grades will be "curved."

PREREQUISITES:
 
ME 361 (Dynamics) and ECE 345 (Circuits and Devices)