Read a step response
A single target change reveals speed, overshoot, settling and residual error.
First, picture it
A fast response is not automatically good. A controller may reach the target quickly, overshoot it, oscillate, and use far more actuator effort than a slightly slower design.
What the model says
Rise time measures how quickly a response climbs through a stated band; overshoot compares its maximum to the final target; settling time requires it to remain within a tolerance band. Always report the band and observation window. A run that has not settled is 'not settled', not a guessed number. Steady-state error is the remaining difference after transients die out; it may not exist for an unstable response.
M_p=(y_peak-y_target)/|y_target| × 100%This common overshoot definition requires a meaningful nonzero target and suitable initial condition.
Make it concrete
Compare two motor runs with identical target and load. One may settle earlier but require a larger voltage spike. Inspect both speed and control-input traces.
Compare step responsesA metric without its definition and conditions can mislead. Saturation may also make the textbook linear step-response formulas inapplicable.
Check your understanding+
Why should a settling-time report state its tolerance band?
A 2% band and a 5% band can yield different times for the same trace.