Multi-Disciplinary Design Support using Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation

This paper describes a method using Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation as a means for multidisciplinary design support. The method presented here, aims at supporting the design of heterogeneous embedded control systems. The method considers the implementation process as a stepwise refinement from physical system models and control laws to efficient control computer code, and that all phases are verified by simulation. Since many systems are distributed in nature we use a link driver library based on the CSP channel concept to support this. Communication peculiarities are encapsulated by these link drivers. Experiments with a basic mechatronic set up show that the HIL Simulated system behaves as the real system and can be successfully incorporated.