Control System, Controlling System
Control system is the system that manages, administrates, and runs its component devices using control loops and flows. The underlying concept, control flow, is a fundamental aspect of any computing and is implemented on the low hardware level as labels and jumps, also known as “gotos.” [1, 79-108]
The control flow can be classified into two main sides: branching and loops. The first one implements the machine’s ability to run in multiple routes depending on the specific condition. In most programming languages, this concept is fulfilled with if - if else - else chains and switch-case statements. The other one allows the system to to return to the previous point in its execution and run it again. There are two kinds of loops: while loops that run as long as its condition is satisfied and breaks as soon as it evaluates the condition to false, and the for loops, which provide a deterministic shortcut to run a loop for a series of values at the start to end with specified step. The for loop has a variation, foreach loop, that takes a collection of discrete items (such as array or tree), enumerating through them [2, 30-102].
Control systems are present everywhere in software and enable hardware systems to run uniquely to the set of conditions, and allow the degree of expressiveness, portability and flexibility.
J. D. Steffano, A. Stubberud, I. Williams. (1990). Feedback and control systems. McGraw-Hill: Shaum’s outline series.
T. R. Kuphaldt. (2021). Lessons In Electric Circuits, Volume IV - Digital. [pg. 30-102] Retrieved from: https://www.ibiblio.org/kuphaldt/electricCircuits/Digital/DIGI.pdf