Abstract
The characteristic ratio assignment (CRA) method〔1〕 is new polynomial approach which allows to directly address the transient responses such as overshoot and speed of response time in time domain specifications. The method is based on the relationships between time response and characteristic ratios($\alpha_i$ ) and generalized time constant (T), which are defined in terms of coefficients of characteristic polynomial. However, even though the CRA can apply to developing a linear controller that meets good transient responses, there are still some fundamental questions to be explored. For the purpose of this, we have analyzed several sensitivities of a linear system with respect to the changes of coefficients itself and $\alpha_i$ of denominator polynomial. They are (i) the unnormalized root sensitivity : to determine how the poles change as $\alpha_i$ changes, and (ii) the function sensitivity to determine the sensitivity of step response to the change of o, and to analyze the sensitivity of frequency response as o, changes. As an other important result, it is shown that, under any fixed T and coefficient of the lowest order of s in denominator, the step response is dominantly affected merely by $\alpha_1, alpha_2 and alpha_3$ regardless of the order of denominator higher than 4. This means that the rest of the$\alpha_i$ s have little effect on the step response. These results provide some useful insight and background theory when we select $\alpha_i$ and T to compose a reference model, and in particular when we design a low order controllers such as PID controller.
