A modern control theory based algorithm for control of the NASA/JPL 70-meter antenna axis servos

A digital computer-based state variable controller was designed and applied to the 70-m antenna axis servos. The general equations and structure of the algorithm and provisions for alternate position error feedback modes to accommodate intertarget slew, encoder referenced tracking, and precision tracking modes are descibed. Development of the discrete time domain control model and computation of estimator and control gain parameters based on closed loop pole placement criteria are discussed. The new algorithm was successfully implemented and tested in the 70-m antenna at Deep Space Network station 63 in Spain