Multi-mode Sampling Period Selection for Embedded Real Time Control

Recent studies have shown that adaptively regulating the sampling rate results in significant reduction in computational resources in embedded software based control. Selecting a uniform sampling rate for a control loop is robust, but overtly pessimistic for sharing processors among multiple control loops. Fine grained regulation of periodicity achieves better resource utilization, but is hard to implement online in a robust way. In this paper we propose multi-mode sampling period selection, derived from an offline control theoretic analysis of the system. We report significant gains in computational efficiency without trading off control performance.