Networked Control Systems

Networked Control Systems (NCS) is a new field in control systems that has emerged by the use of communication networks in control systems. NCS refers to a control system in which sensors, actuators, and controllers are connected via a communication network and enable remote monitoring and control. The use of communication networks in control systems have many advantages, like reducing the cost of wiring, increasing flexibility, and improving scalability. However, the integration of communication networks in control systems will also carries new challenges such as data transmission delay, data packet loss, and network congestion, that require new methods for modeling and designing control systems. Research in the networked control systems is focused on the development of new modeling, estimating, identifying, and designing methods, which the effects of communication networks on the system’s behavior will be taken into account. In general, the field of NCS is an important research area because it allows the control systems to be applied in a wide range of applications and develop it in more efficient and flexible way. NCS can be found in various applications such as industrial automation, smart energy grids, transportation systems, and house automation. This article describes the emergence of control systems from the field of continuous time to networked control and compares it with traditional control systems. Furthermore, the most important challenges in NCS and related approaches will be discussed. Important applications of networked control systems by reviewing some featured case studies in Iran and other countries are also discussed. In the end, possible future directions in the development of networked control systems will be presented.