LMI optimization approach to robust decentralized controller design

A new approach for design of robust decentralized controllers for continuous linear time‐invariant systems is proposed using linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). The proposed method is based on closed‐loop diagonal dominance. Sufficient conditions for closed‐loop stability and closed‐loop block‐diagonal dominance are obtained. Satisfying the obtained conditions is formulated as an optimization problem with a system of LMI constraints. By adding an extra LMI constraint to the system of LMI constraints in the optimization problem, the robust control is addressed as well. Accordingly, the decentralized robust control problem for a multivariable system is reduced to an optimization problem for a system of LMI constraints to be feasible. An example is given to show the effectiveness of the proposed method. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.