The problem of LQG optimal control via a limited capacity communication channel

The paper addresses a LQG optimal control problem involving bit-rate communication capacity constraints. A discrete-time partially observed system perturbed by white noises is studied. Unlike the classic LQG control theory, the control signal must be first encoded, then transmitted to the actuators over a digital communication channel with a given bandwidth, and finally decoded. Both the control law and the algorithms of encoding and decoding should be designed to archive the best performance. The optimal control strategy is obtained. It is shown that where the estimator-coder separation principle holds, the controller-coder one fails to be true. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.