Frequency domain precision analysis and design of sliding mode observers

Estimation precision and bandwidth of sliding mode (SM) observers are analyzed in the frequency domain for different settings of the observer design parameters. It was shown previously that the SM observer could be analyzed as a relay feedback-feedforward system. It is feedback with respect to the measured variable of the system being observed, and feedforward with respect to the control applied to the system being observed. This approach is now further extended to analysis of effects of design parameter change on observer performance. An example of SM observer design for estimation of DC motor speed from the measurements of armature current is considered in the paper. The input-output properties of observer dynamics are analyzed with the use of the locus of a perturbed relay system (LPRS) method.