Design and experimental validation of a nonlinear tracking control law for an electrostatic micromirror

This work aims at demonstrating potential benefits of applying nonlinear control techniques to electrostatic micromirrors in order to extend their stable operational range and enhance the system's performance. A nonlinear tracking control based on feedback linearization and trajectory planning has been developed. Aspects essential to the implementation of such a system, such as prevention of the device from its destruction on contact, modeling and sensing schemes allowing for the removal of on-chip sensors, influence of the dynamics of the driving circuit on the performance, and characterization of the device, have been thoroughly addressed and practical solutions have been proposed. The experimentation is performed on a set-up built with low cost, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) instruments and components in an ordinary laboratory environment. The experimental results show that the developed control system can achieve a stable operation beyond the pull-in position for both set-point and scanning controls.