Control Systems Toolbox Update

[A. Scottedward Hodel]

The Octave Control Systems Toolbox (OCST) has been revised this summer
- bug fixes
- documentation enhancements
- numerical improvements for discrete algebraic Riccati equations
The revised OCST will appear in the next "bleeding-edge" release of
Octave.  However, since John Eaton is overworked and underpaid, he hasn't
had time to post such a release.  With his permission, I've posted a temporary 
snapshot release of my current working version of Octave and the OCST at 
    ftp://ftp.eng.auburn.edu/pub/hodel.
The files:

octave-2.1.7.3.tar.gz: Contains:
    - OCST (in scripts subdirectory)
    - updated texi documentation for the OCST (almost complete)
    - qz built-in function (documented on-line, but not in texi 
      documentation)
    - updated balance built-in function (for generalized eigenproblems)
    - figs menu.m and src/input.cc functions for the OCST demo functions.

    NOTE: This will overwrite the existing octave-2.1.7 files, if you are
    working with this "bleeding-edge" version of Octave.

OCST-980904: The toolbox only. Several functions require the new qz
  function (and updated balance command). Also contained in this
  snapshot (not included in octave-2.1.7.3) are examples of using
  .oct files, which are a regular topic on the help mailing list.

The OCST has a tutorial called DEMOcontrol that can be used to learn
most of its functions.  (The demo is what triggered the bug in menu.m that
is now fixed.)

I've compiled and run this version on both a SunOS and DEC Alpha system.  
Most of the changes have also been run and compiled on a Macintosh running 
MachTen Unix, but that's a lower priority for me while I've got the Alpha 
to work with.  (The Mac does not yet have dynamic loading, so I can't use it
to work on .oct files yet.)

A S Hodel Assoc. Prof. Dept Elect Eng, Auburn Univ,AL  36849-5201
On leave at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (205) 544-1426