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Real-Time Controllers

Real-Time Controllers. Brian Phillips. Real-Time Controllers. Overview and capabilities Use in industry System details Products xPC Target dSpace CompactRIO Use in research Concluding remarks. Real-Time Controllers. Overview and capabilities Use in industry System details Products

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Real-Time Controllers

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  1. Real-Time Controllers Brian Phillips

  2. Real-Time Controllers • Overview and capabilities • Use in industry • System details • Products • xPC Target • dSpace • CompactRIO • Use in research • Concluding remarks

  3. Real-Time Controllers • Overview and capabilities • Use in industry • System details • Products • xPC Target • dSpace • CompactRIO • Use in research • Concluding remarks

  4. Overview • Basic idea: combines control and data acquisition with dedicated, fast hardware • Advantages: speed, reliability, and versatility • Disadvantages: cost, mess of buzzwords, steep learning curve • Current status: used extensively throughout automotive and aerospace industry and somewhat in communication, power, and automation

  5. Definition: The process of quickly assembling a working model to evaluate portions of the design. Aimed at reducing risk and cost. Definition: Ratio of simulation time to actual time is 1:1 Capabilities • Efficient computing facilitates real-time control • Dedicated devices can be more compact and portable than desktop computers • Many flexible alternatives available with expandable and interchangeable I/O cards and panels • Allow for rapid prototyping of system using combination of numerical and analytical components • Simulation of complex environment for exhaustive testing of existing component

  6. Prototyping System of Interest System of Interest Simulation

  7. Real-Time Controllers • Overview and capabilities • Use in industry • System details • Products • xPC Target • dSpace • CompactRIO • Use in research • Concluding remarks

  8. Uses in Automotive • Prototype electronic control unit (ECU) for design and testing • Engine control unit • Climate control unit • Speed control unit • Anti-lock brakes, etc • Simulate road conditions for exhausting virtual testing of ECUs (virtual plant) • Complications of alternative fuel cars Prototype: ECU Plant: Car

  9. Uses in Aerospace • Simulate flight loads on components • Evaluate pressure and climate control strategies • Prototype vibration control strategies

  10. University of Adelaide EDGAR University of Paderborn Magnetic Driven Railway Shuttles University of Linz Autonomous Bipedal Robot Other Uses • Rail control systems • Self balancing scooters • Autonomous robots

  11. Real-Time Controllers • Overview and capabilities • Use in industry • System details • Products • xPC Target • dSpace • CompactRIO • Use in research • Concluding remarks

  12. Definition: Simulation technique where an embedded system (actual electronic or physical component of interest) is tested in real-time with a plant simulation (numerical model of the remaining system components) Apply Excitation • Simulink • Labview Code Generation Experiment Target PC Host PC Measure Feedback Monitor Results Typical Components for Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation • Host computer • Real-time target computer • I/O Cards

  13. Inner Workings of a Real-Time Controller CompactRIO Data Flow Diagram, courtesy of NI

  14. Real-time controller types • Single card • Fits inside host computer • Require I/O panel • Dedicated Unit • Modular • Full scale • Industrial level application • Very large

  15. Real-Time Controllers • Overview and capabilities • Use in industry • System details • Products • xPC Target • dSpace • CompactRIO • Use in research • Concluding remarks

  16. xPC Target • Produced by the MathWorks, the same company as Matlab • Focused around engineer friendly Matlab • Designed to work with Simulink and Real Time Workshop Laptop host with compact target

  17. xPC Target Advantages • Target system may be any computer, utilizing over 250 standard I/O boards, including NI • Inexpensive, on the order of $5,000, depending on types of I/O cards xPC Target Disadvantages • The Mathworks does not manufacture hardware • User must create target PC to suit their own needs, requiring familiarity with signal conditioning A/D conversion, computer hardware, etc. • Arguably the least proven real-time control system of the three

  18. dSpace • Produced by dSpace, headquartered in Germany • Designed to work with Simulink and Real Time Workshop • Large footprint in the automotive and aerospace industry Mid-Size Dedicated Unit

  19. dSpace Advantages • Experienced company, founded in 1988 (Germany) and 1991 (North America) • Very proven system, especially in the automotive sector (13,000 systems worldwide) • Clients range from Boeing to Volkswagen • Numerous success stories • Extensive array of software, simulation packages, visualization tools, hardware options dSpace Disadvantages • Expensive, on the order of $30,000 for basic system

  20. CompactRIO • Produced by National Instruments • Designed to work with LabVIEW Real-Time applications • Focus on standalone hardware device CompactRIO

  21. CompactRIO Advantages • NI heavily pushing CompactRIO • Rugged construction (50 g shock protection!) • LabVIEW derivatives at core of modeling • Moderately priced at $15,000 for basic system CompactRIO Disadvantages • Can use Simulink and Real-Time Workshop, but in a roundabout way • Requires both knowledge of Simulink and LabVIEW

  22. Real-Time Controllers • Overview and capabilities • Use in industry • System details • Products • xPC Target • dSpace • CompactRIO • Use in research • Concluding remarks

  23. Research Applications • Hybrid Testing • Embedded system: experimental substructure • Plant simulation: numerical substructure • Prototyping of structural control algorithms • Active energy dissipation devices • Active mass dampers, actuators • Semi-active energy dissipation devices • Variable orifice dampers, MR dampers

  24. Force Factor Servo Control Loop G Ground Motion Discrete State-Space Structure of Interest Experimental Stiffness m k2 k1 k1 k2 Numerical Stiffness c Application in Hybrid Testing Real-Time Controller Key Acceleration Force Displacement

  25. LaboratoryApplication Servo Control Loop I/O Panel Servo Controller Servovalve Specimen LVDT dSpace Computer Load Cell Real-Time Controller Actuator Experiment

  26. Real-Time Controllers • Overview and capabilities • Use in industry • System details • Products • xPC Target • dSpace • CompactRIO • Use in research • Concluding remarks

  27. Conclusions • Technology readily available for real-time control • Requires some detailed investigation • Choice of system depends on • Budget, number of channels, sample rate, comfort • Advances will lead to wider use • Increase sampling rate • Increase number of I/O channels • Potentially increase number of competitors • Decrease cost

  28. Main References • dSPACE • http://www.dspaceinc.com/ • The Mathworks • http://www.mathworks.com/products/xpctarget/ • National Instruments • http://www.ni.com/compactrio/

  29. Thank you

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