ABSTRACT

Design, development, modification, and control of a mechatronic system require an understanding and a suitable “representation” of the system; specifically, a “model” of the system is required. Any model is an idealization of the actual system. Properties established and results derived are associated with the model rather than the actual system, whereas the excitations are applied to and the output responses are

measured

from the actual system. This distinction is very important particularly in the context of the present chapter. A mechatronic system may consist of several different types of components, and it is termed a

mixed system

. It is useful then to use analogous procedures for modeling such components. In this manner the component models can be conveniently integrated to obtain the overall model. In particular, analytical models may be developed for mechanical, electrical, fluid, and thermal systems in a rather analogous manner, because some clear analogies are present among these four types of systems. In view of the

analogy

, then, a unified approach may be adopted in the analysis, design, and control of mechatronic systems.