Synthesis and Implementation of Distributed Supervisory Controllers with Communication Delays

TL;DR

This paper presents a method for distributing supervisory controllers using dependency matrices and localization, analyzes the impact of communication delays with delay robustness theory, and employs mutex algorithms to ensure delay robustness, validated through a case study.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach combining dependency structures, localization, and mutex algorithms to create delay-robust distributed supervisors.

Findings

Distributed supervisor synthesis using dependency matrices.

Delay robustness achieved with mutex algorithms.

Validated approach through case study and hardware-in-the-loop testing.

Abstract

In literature, extensive research has been done with respect to synthesis of supervisory controllers. Such synthesized supervisors can be distributed for implementation on multiple physical controllers. This paper discusses a method for distributing a synthesized supervisory controller. In this method, dependency structure matrices are used to distribute a system, the supervisor is then distributed accordingly, using existing localization theory. The existence of communication delays between supervisory controllers is unavoidable in a distributed application. The influence of these delays on the behavior of a supervisor is therefore studied using delay robustness theory. This paper introduces the use of mutex algorithms to make the distributed supervisor delay-robust. A case study is used to demonstrate the method and hardware in the loop testing is used to validate the resulting distributed supervisor.