This paper addresses the problem of obtaining an estimate of a particular module of interest that is embedded in a dynamic network with known interconnection structure. In this paper it is shown that there is considerable freedom as to which variables can be included as inputs to the predictor, while still obtaining consistent estimates of the particular module of interest. This freedom is encoded into sufficient conditions on the set of predictor inputs that allow for consistent identification of the module. The conditions can be used to design a sensor placement scheme, or to determine whether it is possible to obtain consistent estimates while refraining from measuring particular variables in the network. As identification methods the Direct and Two Stage Prediction-Error methods are considered. Algorithms are presented for checking the conditions using tools from graph theory.

@en

With advancing technology, systems are becoming increasingly interconnected and form more complex networks. Additionally, more measurements are available from systems due to cheaper sensors. Hence there is a need for identification methods specifically designed for networks. For dynamic networks with known interconnection structures, several methods have been proposed for obtaining consistent estimates. We suppose that the internal variables in the network are measured with noise, but that there are external reference signals present in the network that are known exactly. A method that is able to deal with this situation is the two stage method, which solves several open loop identification problems sequentially. In this paper it is shown that solving the problems simultaneously leads to estimates with lower variance.@en