Low-Cost Hardware-in-the-Loop Platform for Embedded Control Strategies Simulation

Alceu Bernardes Castanheira De Farias,Reurison Silva Rodrigues,Andre Murilo,Renato Vilela Lopes,Suzana Avila

doi:10.1109/access.2019.2934420

Alceu Bernardes Castanheira De Farias, Reurison Silva Rodrigues + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2019.2934420

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Journal: IEEE Access	Publication Date: Jan 1, 2019
Citations: 39	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Universidade de Brasília

Abstract

The increasing need for testing and prototyping designs under more realistic conditions is responsible for the advancement of new types of simulation. In this scenario, one type of simulation which has gained high notoriety and applicability is the one known as Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL). This technique allows real and virtual components of a system to be tested together, making it possible to perform tests under realistic (and even extreme) conditions without harming the real system or a prototype built only for testing. The objective of this work was to develop a low-cost HIL simulation platform to be used for many different applications, unlike most commercial ones, that are developed for one exclusive field of application, such as automotive, aerospace, power electronics, among others. Thus, the main contribution of this work is the project of a HIL platform capable of simulating different types of systems, making it possible to validate embedded control strategies designed for them. Two different applications are tested in order to validate the HIL platform: an active suspension and a satellite attitude control air bearing table, both controlled using a discrete Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) designed for each of them.

Highlights

The increasing advancements in the field of computation and the need for testing and prototyping different types of systems faster, in order to reduce time-to-market and cost issues, has led to the creation of sophisticated and complex simulation tools for many areas of study
ACTIVE SUSPENSION The results for both MIL and HIL simulations can be seen in Fig. 9 - Fig. 12, where HIL simulations are plotted in blue while MIL simulations are plotted in red
HIL simulations are widely used in industry and academia to validate control systems

Summary

Introduction

The increasing advancements in the field of computation and the need for testing and prototyping different types of systems faster, in order to reduce time-to-market and cost issues, has led to the creation of sophisticated and complex simulation tools for many areas of study. One approach to solve this problem and attempt to reduce this gap between simulation and real conditions is a type of simulation known as Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL). This technique is characterized by the operation of real components of a system in connection with simulated ones. Even though it is a not a rule, usually the control system hardware and software are implemented as real components and the controlled process (actuators, physical processes, and sensors) are fully or partially simulated, mainly due to the controlled process either not being available or because.

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