Control System Design Using Finite Laplace Transform Theory

The Laplace transform theory violates a very fundamental requirement of all engineering systems. We show that this theory assumes that all signals must exist over infinite time interval. Since in engineering this infinite time assumption is not meaningful and feasible, this paper presents a design for linear control systems using the well known theory of Finite Laplace transform (FLT). The major contributions of this paper can be listed as: (a) A design principle for linear control systems using FLT, (b) A numerical inversion method for the FLT with examples, (c) A proof that the FLT does not satisfy the convolution theorem as normally required in engineering design and analysis, and (d) An observation that the FLT is conceptually similar to the analog equivalent of the Finite Impulse Response (FIR) digital filter.