Root Locus Techniques: ELEC 312

Root Locus Techniques
ELEC 312
Closed-Loop Control
 The control input u (t ) is synthesized based on
the a priori knowledge of the system (plant),
the reference input r (t ), and the error signal,
e (t )
 The control system measures the output, and
compares it to the desired output (reference
input) through a feedback path to generate an
error signal
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What is a Root Locus?
 A graphical description of the movement of
each of the closed-loop poles in the complex
s-plane as open-loop parameter (gain, pole
value, etc.) varies.
 Obeys magnitude and phase criteria
 Points on the root locus are the only possible
closed-loop pole locations
 Used in predicting the system’s overall
performance (transient response dynamics,
steady-state error, and system stability)
 Aid in controller design
 For a given value of K, a point s in the complex

plane can be a closed-loop pole (i.e. on the root
locus) of the above system if s satisfies the
following criteria:
Magnitude: 𝐾𝐺 𝑠 𝐻(𝑠) = 1
Phase: 𝐾𝐺 𝑠 𝐻 𝑠 = ±180° 2𝑙 + 1 , 𝑙 = 0,1,2, …
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Security Camera
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Example
For the following system, determine the standard
form of the characteristic equation whose closed-
loop poles can be used to construct the root locus
of the system.
5
Example
For the following system, determine the standard
form of the characteristic equation whose closed-
loop poles can be used to construct the root locus
of the system.
Root Locus Construction Rules

 The goal is not to necessarily be able to
draw a root locus in all its detail
 Rather, to understand what is going on
in terms of poles movement in the s-
plane as a gain is varied
 No in-depth derivation for the rules
 A total of seven rules will be presented
assuming a negative feedback system
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Rule 1
 The root locus has as many branches as
there are open-loop poles
 Each branch represents the perambulation
of a closed-loop pole in the s-plane as K
varied from 0 to 
 Each branch begins at an open-loop pole
(K = 0) and ends at a finite open-loop zero
or at a zero at infinity (K )
 Assuming real systems, all coefficients are
real. Consequently, the root locus plot will
be symmetric about the real axis
Rule 2: Real-axis locus

 Starting at + and moving along the
real-axis toward the left, the root locus
lies on the real axis to the left of an
odd number of real-axis open-loop
poles or zeroes (in any combination)
 Multiplicities taken into account
 Only the cumulative number of poles
or zeroes (odd or even) is important
 Poles or zeroes off the real axis not
included
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Example
Example: Determine the root locus for each of the
systems defined by the following transfer functions:
(𝑠 + 2) (𝑠 + 2)(𝑠 + 3)
1) 𝐺1 𝑠 𝐻1 𝑠 = 2) 𝐺2 𝑠 𝐻2 𝑠 =
(𝑠 + 1)(𝑠 + 3) (𝑠 + 1)(𝑠 + 4)
Rule 3: Break-away and Break-in

points
 Both points lie on the root locus in
between two open-loop poles
 Break-away: a point where the root
locus leaves the real axis
 Break-in: a point where the root locus
enters the real axis
 At these points, branches form an angle
of 180/n with the real axis, where
n = # of CL poles arriving or departing
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Example
Determine the root locus for each of the systems
defined by the following open-loop transfer functions:
(𝑠 + 3)(𝑠 + 4) (𝑠 + 2)(𝑠 2 + 5𝑠 + 10.25)

𝐺3 𝑠 𝐻3 𝑠 = 𝐺4 𝑠 𝐻4 𝑠 =
(𝑠 + 1)(𝑠 + 2) (𝑠 + 1)(𝑠 + 3)(𝑠 + 4)
Rule 4: Asymptotes & Centroid

 Asymptotes give general directions in
which root locus branches will radiate
toward the zeroes at infinity
 A centroid is a common point on the
real axis where the asymptotes come
together
 n-m branches of the root locus go to
infinity as K assuming n > m
 n = # of open-loop poles
 m = # of open-loop zeroes
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Rule 4
The root locus goes to infinity by radiating from
a centroid located at
at angles of
Example
Determine the root locus for the systems defined by
1
𝐺5 𝑠 𝐻5 𝑠 =
(𝑠 + 1)(𝑠 + 2)
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Example
1
𝐺6 𝑠 𝐻6 𝑠 =
(𝑠 + 1)(𝑠 + 2)(𝑠 + 3)
Example
1
𝐺7 𝑠 𝐻7 𝑠 =
(𝑠 + 1)(𝑠 + 2)(𝑠 + 3)(𝑠 + 4)
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Example
Determine the root locus for the system defined by
(𝑠 + 2)
𝐺8 𝑠 𝐻8 𝑠 =
(𝑠 + 1)(𝑠 + 3)(𝑠 + 4)
Evaluation of Complex Functions

Using Vector Notation
m
 ( s  zi ) ( s  z1 )( s  z 2 )........( s  z m )
F (s)  i 1

n
( s  p1 )( s  p2 ).............( s  pn )
 ( s  pi )
i 1
Evaluating F(s) at s = s1 yields F(s1) = M where

m m
 | s  zi |  (length from s1 to zi )
M  F ( s1 )  i 1
n
 i 1
p
 | s  pi |  (length from s1 to pi )
i 1 i 1
  F ( s1 )   zero angles   pole angles

m n
  ( s1  zi )   ( s1  pi )
i 1 i 1
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Example
( s  1)
Given F ( s )  , evaluate F(s) at the point s = 3+j4.
s ( s  2)
Graphical method for determining the angle and magnitude of

𝐾(𝑠 + 𝑧1 )
𝐺 𝑠 𝐻 𝑠 =
(𝑠 + 𝑝1 )(𝑠 + 𝑝2 )(𝑠 + 𝑝3 )(𝑠 + 𝑝4 )
𝐾𝐵1
𝐴1 𝐴2 𝐴3 𝐴4
∠𝐺 𝑠 𝐻 𝑠 = 𝜙1 − 𝜃1 − 𝜃2 − 𝜃3 − 𝜃4
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Rule 5
The root locus makes an angle D (angle of
departure) with respect to the positive real
axis as it leaves the complex conjugate pole
with positive imaginary part, p1.
This equation comes from satisfying the phase

criterion at a point near p1.
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Rule 5 (Continued)
The root locus makes an angle A (angle of
arrival) with respect to the positive real
axis as it arrives at the complex conjugate
zero with positive imaginary part, z1.
This equation comes from satisfying the phase

criterion at a point near z1.
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Example
(𝑠 2 + 2𝑠 + 2)
𝐺9 𝑠 𝐻9 𝑠 = 2
(𝑠 + 5𝑠 + 10)
Example
1
𝐺10 𝑠 𝐻10 𝑠 =
(𝑠 2 + 2𝑠 + 2)
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Example
1
𝐺11 𝑠 𝐻11 𝑠 =
𝑠(𝑠 2 + 2𝑠 + 2)
Example
(𝑠 + 2)
12) 𝐺12 𝑠 𝐻12 𝑠 =
(𝑠 + 1)(𝑠 + 3)(𝑠 2 + 2𝑠 + 2)
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(𝑠 + 3)
𝑠(𝑠 + 2)(𝑠 2 + 4𝑠 + 5)
(𝑠 + 3)
𝑠(𝑠 + 2)(𝑠 2 + 4𝑠 + 13)
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Rule 6
At any point on the locus, the variable (K ) can
be calculated as the product of distances from
the point to the open-loop poles divided by the
product of distances from the point to the
open-loop zeroes.
Notes: 1. If there are no zeroes, the denominator

is 1.
2. The calculation assumes that G(s)H(s)
has a numerator with a leading
coefficient of 1.
Rule 7 Crossing of the j axis

If branches of the root locus cross the
imaginary axis, the locations of the crossings
( 1) and the value of the corresponding gain
K can be found by
1) Form the characteristic equation from the
closed-loop transfer function
2) Replace s with j and equate the real and

imaginary parts and solve
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Example
Determine the root locus gain at the three points
indicated on the plot below.
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Example
Plot a root locus if the four poles are at -1, -4, -5 and
-8. The single zero is at s = -3. Find the gain which
produces instability. Also, calculate the gain for a
damping ratio of 0.5.
num = poly([-3]);
den = poly([-1 -4 -5 -8]);
rlocus(num,den)
sgrid(0.5,[]); axis([-10 2 -10 10])
[k poles] = rlocfind(num,den)
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Root Locus Techniques

 For a given value of K, a point s in the complex

Root Locus Construction Rules

Rule 2: Real-axis locus

Rule 3: Break-away and Break-in

(𝑠 + 3)(𝑠 + 4) (𝑠 + 2)(𝑠 2 + 5𝑠 + 10.25)

Rule 4: Asymptotes & Centroid

Evaluation of Complex Functions

Evaluating F(s) at s = s1 yields F(s1) = M where

  F ( s1 )   zero angles   pole angles

Graphical method for determining the angle and magnitude of

This equation comes from satisfying the phase

This equation comes from satisfying the phase

Notes: 1. If there are no zeroes, the denominator

Rule 7 Crossing of the j axis

2) Replace s with j and equate the real and

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