Sampling, infinite zeros and decoupling of linear systems (Q1108240)

It is well known that if a continuous-time system is controllable (observable), then its discrete-time version is also controllable (observable), but it has not been clarified that invertibility, input- output decoupability and disturbance decoupability will also be preserved. By examining the number and order of zeros at infinity, the following points are disclosed in this paper: (1) If a continuous-time system is left (right) invertible, then its discrete-time version is also left (right) invertible. This means that if a continuous-time system is row-by-row decoupable with dynamic feedback, then its discrete-time version is also so. Moreover, if a continuous-time system is block decoupable with dynamic feedback, its discrete-time version is not always so. (2) If a continuous-time system is dynamically decoupable (including statically decoupling), its discrete-time version is statically decoupable. As for disturbance decoupling, disturbance decoupling is destroyed by time-sampling.