This article is dedicated to the control of physical systems using a digital computer.
This is a vast field of research, and we'll confine ourselves to the study of servo systems, for which we'll have to define different types of correctors.
The main properties of these closed-loop systems can be seen in various books on continuous linear servo systems, particularly with regard to reduced sensitivity to disturbances or parameter variations.
We can also see (see
) that, to obtain satisfactory results in terms of dynamic response and accuracy, a simple feedback loop is often not enough, and that an analog corrector must be added.
The considerable development of digital computers has enabled them to be used for real-time system control.
The main advantages of using a digital ECU lie in the flexibility with which algorithms can be programmed, making it easy to obtain a wide variety of control laws. This is to be compared with the determination of analog correctors, which are more difficult to realize physically.