An adaptive algorithm is presented to incorporate deadbeat control as a principle design criterion. Since this algorithm does not require the solution of the diophantine equation at each sampling step, it possesses a computational advantage over the existing deadbeat control approaches, and so is suitable for application to adaptive systems. The meeting of the internal stability requirement enables this algorithm to handle easily any stable or unstable, minimum or non-minimum phase system. By selecting the zero assignment of the sensitivity function the system can be made to track a class of changeable reference signals and exhibit a deadbeat response with minimum settling time. Some constraints on the transfer function make sure that the derived controller is realizable. The non-linear saturated system and the lathe system are simulated to illustrate the validity of the proposed design algorithm.