The problem of deadbeat controller design for a class of discrete-time linear multi-variable systems with inaccessible state is considered. A deadbeat controller, based upon a minimal-order observer, and specified by two gain matrices in compact form, is presented which can drive the system state from any arbitrary initial state to the origin in at most νc+ ν0— 1 steps where νcand ν0respectively are the controllability and observability indices of the system. The simplicity and generality of the design is demonstrated by numerical example.