The Design and Implementation of a GUI-Based Control Allocation Toolbox in the MATLAB Environment

Control Allocation addresses the problem of the management of multiple, redundant control effectors. Generally speaking, control allocation is any method that is used to determine how the controls of a system should be positioned to achieve some desired effect. An infinite number of allocation methods exist, from the straight-forward direct allocation technique, to the daisy chaining approach, to the computationally simple generalized inverse method. Because different methods have advantages and disadvantages with respect to others, the determination of the "optimal" control allocation method is left to the system designer. The many tradeoffs that are addressed during control system design, of which control allocation is an integral part, dictate the need for a reliable, computer-based design tool. The Control Allocation Toolbox for MATLAB satisfies such a need by providing the designer with a means of testing/comparing the validity of certain allocation methods under prescribed conditions. The issues involved in the development and implementation of the Control Allocation Toolbox are discussed.