Introduction:

Increasingly, real-time simulation is applied to the design of mechatronic systems. This is especially true if the process, the hardware, and the software are developed simultaneously in order to minimize iterative development cycles and to meet short time-to-market schedules.

 

Classification of simulation methods with regard to speed and application examples:

 

 

 

Classification of real-time simulation.

Values as the real, dynamically operating component. This becomes a computational problem for processes which have fast dynamics compared to the required algorithms and calculation speed.

 

Different kinds of real-time simulation methods.

The reason for the real-time requirement is mostly that one part of the investigated system is not simulated but real.

 

Three cases can be distinguished:

1.       The real process can be operated together with the simulated control by using hardware other than the final hardware. This is also called “control prototyping.”

2.       The simulated process can be operated with the real control hardware, which is called “hardware in- the-loop simulation.”

3.       The simulated process is run with the simulated control in real time. This may be required if the final hardware is not available or if a design step before the hardware-in-the-loop simulation is considered.