Fixed Structure Feedforward Controller Design Exploiting Iterative Trials: Application to a Wafer Stage and a Desktop Printer

In this paper, the feedforward controller design problem for high-precision electromechanical servo systems that execute finite time tasks is addressed. The presented procedure combines the selection of the fixed structure of the feedforward controller and the optimization of the controller parameters by iterative trials. A linear parametrization of the feedforward controller in a two-degree-of-freedom control architecture is chosen, which results in a feedforward controller that is applicable to a class of motion profiles as well as in a convex optimization problem, with the objective function being a quadratic function of the tracking error. Optimization by iterative trials avoids the need for detailed knowledge of the plant, achieves the controller parameter values that are optimal with respect to the actual plant, and allows for the adaptation to possible variations that occur in the plant dynamics. Experimental results on a high-precision wafer stage and a desktop printer illustrate the procedure.