Embedded Control Systems in C/C++: An Introduction for Software Developers Using Matlab
Implement proven design techniques for control systems without having to master any advanced mathematics. Using an effective step-by-step approach, this book presents a number of control system design techniques geared toward readers of all experience le
Why Read This Book
You will get a pragmatic, low-math introduction to designing and implementing control algorithms for embedded systems, with worked examples that move from MATLAB design to C/C++ code you can deploy. The book focuses on making control concepts accessible to software engineers, so you can quickly apply PID, discrete filters, and control logic on microcontrollers without getting bogged down in advanced theory.
Who Will Benefit
Software engineers or firmware developers with basic control or signals exposure who need to design and implement digital controllers on embedded hardware.
Level: Intermediate — Prerequisites: Basic C/C++ programming, familiarity with MATLAB (or willingness to learn basic MATLAB), and a working knowledge of calculus and basic signals/control concepts.
Key Takeaways
- Implement common digital controllers (PID and variants) in C/C++ suitable for microcontrollers
- Translate continuous-time controller designs into discrete-time implementations using sampling and discretization techniques
- Use MATLAB to simulate, design, and validate control loops before coding
- Handle practical embedded issues such as sampling, quantization, fixed-point arithmetic, and interrupt-driven timing
- Design and apply digital filters and anti-aliasing for sensor conditioning
- Integrate controller code into real embedded projects and debug controller behavior on hardware
Topics Covered
- Introduction: control for software developers
- MATLAB basics for control design
- Modeling physical systems for embedded control
- Time-domain response and basic control concepts
- PID control: design and tuning
- Discrete-time control and discretization methods
- Digital filters and anti-aliasing
- Implementation in C/C++: structure, timing, and interrupts
- Numerical issues: fixed-point, overflow, and robustness
- Observers and simple state-space ideas (practical view)
- Testing, debugging, and deployment strategies
- Case studies and example projects
- Appendices: code listings and MATLAB scripts
Languages, Platforms & Tools
How It Compares
Less theory-heavy than Ogata's Modern Control Engineering and more implementation-focused than typical control texts; it complements control theory books by showing the MATLAB-to-C/C++ workflow for embedded projects.
