Sampled‐data control of networked nonlinear systems with variable delays and drops

This paper investigates the stabilization problem of the nonlinear networked control systems (NCSs) with drops and variable delays. The NCS is modeled as a sampled‐data system. For such a sampled‐data NCS, the stability properties are studied for delay that can be both shorter and longer than one sampling period, respectively. The exponential stability conditions are derived in terms of the parameters of the plant and time delay. On the other hand, a model‐based control scheme based on an approximate discrete‐time model of the plant is presented to guarantee the stability of the closed‐loop system subject to variable time delays and packet losses. The performance of the proposed control schemes are examined through numerical simulations of an automated rendezvous and docking of spacecraft system. Moreover, the simulations show that by employing the model‐based controller, a higher closed‐loop control performance can be achieved. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.