Plotting and Calibrating the Root Locus

Breakaway points are where the root locus leaves the real axis as system poles transition to the complex plane, occurring between open-loop poles where gain peaks. Break-in points are where the locus rejoins the real axis between two zeros, where minimum gain occurs. These critical points signal pole migration and are essential for understanding system behavior.

A point lies on the root locus where the sum of total angles from all poles and zeros to that point equals an odd multiple of 180 degrees. Test points along a damping ratio line are selected and their angular sum is evaluated. Once a point satisfies this angle condition, the gain at that location can be calculated.

Gain is calculated by dividing the product of distances from all poles to the point by the product of distances from all zeros to that point. This ratio determines the system gain required for the poles to occupy that specific location. The calculation uses vector representation complex numbers to measure these distances accurately.

When increasing gain pushes system poles into the right half-plane, it signals potential instability. The jω-axis serves as the boundary between stable and unstable operations. Crossing this boundary indicates the system may become unstable, requiring careful gain selection during control system design.

Root locus branches form an angle of 180/n degrees with the real axis, where n represents the number of branches at a breakaway or break-in point. This angular relationship is a fundamental property that helps predict how poles diverge as they transition from the real axis to the complex plane.

Multiple test points are selected along the damping ratio line, and the angular sum from poles and zeros to each point is evaluated. When the total angle equals an odd multiple of 180 degrees, that point lies on the root locus. The gain at the intersection is then calculated using the pole and zero distance ratio.

The jω-axis crossing marks the critical boundary between stable and unstable system operations. This crossing point indicates the gain value at which the system transitions from stability to instability. Identifying this crossing is essential for determining safe operating ranges and ensuring robust control system design.