Best achievable tracking performance in sampled-data control systems

In this paper we study the problem of tracking a step reference signal using sampled-data control systems. We investigate the best achievable tracking performance, where the performance is deemed best for it is the minimal attainable by all possible sampled-data stabilizing controllers. Our primary objective is to investigate the fundamental tracking performance limit in sampled-data systems, and to understand whether and how sampling and hold in a sampled-data system may impose intrinsic barriers to performance. For this purpose we derive an analytical expression for the optimal tracking performance. The result shows that a performance loss is generally incurred in a sampled-data system, in comparison to the tracking performance achievable by continuous-time controllers. This loss of performance, as so demonstrated by the expression, can be attributed to the non-minimum behaviors and the aliasing effects generated by samplers and hold devices.