Real-Time Simulation and Testing with Simulink and Speedgoat

In today’s highly competitive world, identifying design flaws early in the development process is crucial to avoiding costly mistakes and ensuring project success. Rapid Control Prototyping (RCP) and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing are two powerful techniques that aid in this endeavor. By leveraging RCP and HIL testing, engineers can save time, resources, and effort by identifying and rectifying design flaws early.

Rapid Control Prototyping

Rapid Control Prototyping (RCP) allows engineers to quickly implement and evaluate control algorithms in real time. This technique involves creating a simplified model of the system under consideration and deploying it onto a rapid prototyping platform or target hardware. With RCP, engineers can iterate rapidly, fine-tune control algorithms, and evaluate their performance in a real-time environment. This approach enables the early detection of design flaws and shortcomings, facilitating timely modifications and improvements.

Hardware-in-the-Loop

Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing, on the other hand, complements RCP by connecting a real-time simulation model to physical hardware components or subsystems. By replicating real-world conditions and responses, HIL testing allows engineers to assess the behavior and performance of the hardware and control system integration in a controlled environment. This technique helps identify design flaws that may arise from the interaction between the control algorithm and the physical hardware, leading to early adjustments and improvements.

The combination of RCP and HIL testing offers a comprehensive approach to design validation. RCP allows for quick algorithm development and evaluation, while HIL testing ensures an accurate representation of hardware interactions. By leveraging these techniques, engineers can identify and rectify design flaws early in the development process, reducing the risk of critical issues and optimizing system performance.

Design validation with RCP and HIL

In this video, recorded at the SciEngineering Conference 2022, I delve deeper into the world of RCP and HIL testing. I explain how RCP and HIL testing can be utilized to detect design flaws early in the development process. By the end of this video, you will have a clear understanding of why to leverage these powerful techniques to save time, effort, and resources while ensuring the success of your engineering projects:

Conclusion

If you would like to take your education to the next level, check out our Training Services. But if you don’t have time to investigate what are the exact benefits of implementing RCP and HIL testing in your particular design workflow, you don’t have to miss out on world-changing trends.
Reach out to our Consulting, our professional services, and see how u can take your microgrid design to a new level.

Featured products

All products mentioned in this blog post are developed by MathWorks.

• MATLAB
• Simulink
• Speedgoat