Velocity estimation: assessing the performance of non model-based techniques

The performance of modern motion control systems is strongly related to the resolution of the position sensor and to the digital filtering algorithm used to estimate the velocity. This brief discusses a systematic approach to analyze and assess the performance of non-model-based estimators. A new methodology for the analytical characterization of the velocity estimation error, both in the time and in the frequency domains, is proposed. A case study illustrates how this methodology can be exploited in the analysis of existing velocity measurement systems and/or in the design of a new one.