The primary objective of the book is to provide advanced undergraduate or frrst-year graduate engineering students with a self-contained presentation of the principles fundamental to the analysis, design and implementation of computer controlled systems. The material is also suitable for self-study by practicing engineers and is intended to follow a first course in either linear systems analysis or control systerns. A secondary objective of the book is to provide engineering and/or computer science audiences with the material for a junior/senior-level course in modern systems analysis. Chapters 2, 3, 4, and 5 have been designed with this purposein rnind. The emphasis in such a course is to develop the rnathernatical tools and methods suitable for the analysis and design of real-time systems such as digital filters. Thus, engineers and/or computer scientists who know how to program computers can understand the mathematics relevant to the issue of what it is they are programrning. This is especially important for those who may work in engineering and scientific environments where, for instance, programrning difference equations for real-time applications is becorning increasingly common. A background in linear algebra should be an adequate prerequisite for the systems analysis course. Chapter 1 of the book presents a brief introduction to computer controlled systems. It describes the general issues and terminology relevant to the analysis, design, and implementation of such systems.
