16.

06 Principles of Automatic Control

Lecture 28

The Nichols Chart

The Nichols chart may be thought of as a Nyquist plot on a log scale. A Nyquist plot is a
plot in the complex plane of

Gpjωq “ RepGpjωqq
looooomooooon ` jImpGpjωqq
looooomooooon
x-coordinate y-coordinate

Instead, on a Nichols chart, we plot

log Gpjωq “ log |Gpjωq| `j =pGpjωqq

looooomooooon loooomoooon
y-coordinate x-coordinate

Notice that we reverse the coordinates - the real part is plotted on the vertical, and the
imaginary part is plotted on the horizontal.
In addition, the chart has contours of constant closed-loop magnitude and phase,

ˇ ˇ
ˇ G ˇ
M “ˇ
ˇ ˇ
1 ` Gˇ
G
N “=
1`G

The Nichols chart template is shown below. Usually, we are interested in the range of
frequencies where the phase is greater than ´180˝ . The Nichols chart is often expanded (see
plot below).

 30

25

20

15 −2
−5

1 dB 0 dB −10
−1 dB
10 2 dB

3 dB
Magnitude, dB

−2 dB
−350 4 dB −20
−340 5 dB
6 dB −3 dB
5 −330
−30
9 dB −4 dB
12 dB
−300 −5 dB

0 −6 dB
−60
−270

−90

−5 −240 −120
−210 −180 −150
−9 dB

−10 −12 dB

−15 dB
−15

−20 dB
−20
−360 −315 −270 −225 −180 −135 −90 −45 0
Phase, deg

 30

25

20

15 −2
−5

1 dB 0 dB −10
−1 dB
10 2 dB

3 dB
Magnitude, dB

−2 dB
−350 4 dB −20
−340 5 dB
6 dB −3 dB
5 −330
−30
9 dB −4 dB
12 dB
−300 −5 dB

0 −6 dB
−60
−270

−90

−5 −240 −120
−210 −180 −150
−9 dB

−10 −12 dB

−15 dB
−15

−20 dB
−20
−225 −180 −135 −90 −45 0
Phase, deg

The Nichols chart was once very useful, since computers were not available to do the kids of
calculations that are now done by e.g., Matlab.
However, Nichols chart may be used to give insight into the closed-loop behavior of systems.
Consider first the system

r +
G1
-

where
?
2 10
G1 “
sp1 ` s{10q
which has ωc “ 10 r/s, P M “ 45˝ .
Bode of G1 :

5
10
1
Magnitude of G

-1
0
10
-2

−5
10 −1 0 1 2 3
10 10 10 10 10
ω
0
Phase, degrees

−50

−100

−150

−200 −1 0 1 2 3
10 10 10 10 10
ω

The Nichols plot can be made by lifting points of the Bode plot, at individual frequencies,
and plotting on the Nichols chart. See plot below for the plot of G1 :

 30

25

20

15 −2
−5

1 dB 0 dB −10
−1 dB
10 2 dB

3 dB
Magnitude, dB

−2 dB
−350 4 dB −20
−340 5 dB
6 dB −3 dB
5 −330
−30
9 dB −4 dB
12 dB
−300
ωr=9.57, Mr=1.31 (2.4 dB) −5 dB

0 −6 dB
−270 ωc=10 −60

−90

−5 −240 −120
−210 −180 −150
−9 dB

−10 −12 dB

−15 dB
−15

−20 dB
−20
−225 −180 −135 −90 −45 0
Phase, deg

Note that ωr « ωc , so the peak in the frequency response (CL) is very close to crossover.
Note also that

Mp “ 0.23

For PM “ 45˝ , we expect

ζ “0.45
ñ Mp “0.21
Mr “1.24

In pretty good agreement with the actual results.

Now consider the plant

100 1 ` s{10
G2 “ ?
2 s2

in a similar unity feedback control. For this system, we have

PM “ 45˝ , ωc “ 10 r/s, also.

Bode plot:

5
10
1
Magnitude of G

0
10

−5
10 −1 0 1 2 3
10 10 10 10 10

0
Phase, degrees

−50

−100

−150

−200 −1 0 1 2 3
10 10 10 10 10
ω

Since the crossover and phase margin are the same, we expect to get similar performance.
Do we?
One clue can be seen in the Nichols chart, below.

30

25

20

15 −2
−5

1 dB 0 dB −10
−1 dB
10 2 dB

3 dB
Magnitude, dB

−2 dB
−350 4 dB −20
−340 5 dB
6 dB −3 dB
5 −330

9 dB
ωr=7.44, Mr=1.61 (4.1 dB) −30
−4 dB
12 dB
−300 −5 dB

0 ωc=10 −6 dB
−60
−270

−90

−5 −240 −120
−210 −180 −150
−9 dB

−10 −12 dB

−15 dB
−15

−20 dB
−20
−225 −180 −135 −90 −45 0
Phase, deg

Note that, in this case, ωr is significantly smaller than ωc , and Mr is larger than might be

expected from the PM. So we would expect that the closed-loop system

G2
T2 “
1 ` G2
would be a bit slower, and have more overshoot, than the system

G1
T1 “
1 ` G1
even though they have the same PM and ωc .
In fact, this is the case, as seen from the step responses below.

1.6

1.4
y2(t) Mp=0.34
1.2

1
Step Response

0.8 y1(t) Mp=0.23

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2
Time, t (sec)

Counting Encirclements on a Nichols Chart

Counting encirclements on a Nichols chart can be tricky, because

1. The ´1{k point can be on either the ´180˝ line or the 0˝ line.
2. CW and CCW are reversed, because the orientation of the axes is reversed.

Will demonstrate with examples.

Example 1.
s ´ 0.1
Gpsq “ 3000
ps ´ 1qps ´ 2qps ` 10q2

Nyquist and Nichols plots are shown below.

Nyquist Diagram
5

N=+1
Imaginary Axis

N=-2
0

−1 N=0

−2

−3

−4

−5
−10 −9 −8 −7 −6 −5 −4 −3 −2 −1 0
Real Axis

 Nichols Chart

19 dB N=-2
20
N=0 6.27 dB
0
3.52 dB
Open−Loop Gain (dB)

−20

N=+1
−40

−60

−80

−100
−270 −225 −180 −135 −90
Open−Loop Phase (deg)

Example 2.
1 ps ` 0.1q2
Gpsq “
s3 ps ` 10q2

-10 -.1

Nichols chart is shown below. Note that care must be used to properly close contour near
ω “ 0.

10
 Nichols Chart
100

N=2
50

0
Open−Loop Gain (dB)

N=1
N=0
−50

−100

N=2
−150

−200
−360 −315 −270 −225 −180 −135 −90 −45 0
Open−Loop Phase (deg)

11

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16.06 Principles of Automatic Control

Fall 2012

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