Distributed architectures and implementations of observer based controllers for performance optimization

In this paper we address the problem of synthesizing controllers that have to be implemented distributively and have structure. The effect of sub-controller to sub-controller communication noise on stability and performance is considered. Using an observer based controller parameterization, we provide suitable stabilizing sub-controller architectures that directly take into account the effect of communication noise on performance. In particular, the overall performance optimization can be cast as a convex problem in the Youla-Kucera parameter Q. Similar results hold for banded controller structures, i.e., when there is also a delay in the subsystem to subsystem communication.