MATLAB BASED HIL FRAMEWORK: A GUIDE TO BUILD A HARDWARE IN THE LOOP DAQ PERIPHERAL

Abstract

Testing and validating modern hardware such as some subsystems in modern vehicles is a little challenging especially before assembling them into the final product. To achieve a valid real-time test, the tested hardware or unit must be placed into its real-time environment which is not possible in some cases. Recently, and with the presence of advanced simulation software applications, the hardware environment could be simulated easily to fulfill the real-time test properly. Simulating an environment in one loop with real physical hardware knowing as Hardware-in-the-loop is used nowadays in various development fields, medical, industrial, research, and education. Amongst the aforementioned, HIL is widely used in control systems applications. In the paper, building a framework to enable hardware in the loop (HIL) simulation with the aid of MATLAB/Simulink is discussed. Over serial communication, and inexpensive data acquisition (DAQ) peripheral has been developed using a microcontroller unit. the development of the framework is discussed to be used as a guide for building it by using any microcontroller. The resultant performance appeal to excellent real-time response with quite a small delay of about 70ms in the worst case.