Design Tools for EV/HEV

Date
08/16/2011

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Simulation and test expert firm, dSPACE, is in the business of developing tools for the design of electronic control units (ECUs) and mechatronic systems. Testing Virtual ECUs The virtual ECU, or V-ECU, comprises components from the application and the basic software, and provides functionalities comparable to those of a real ECU. Unlike a soft ECU, which uses only a simplified Simulink®/Stateflow® model, a V-ECU usually has the same software components that will run on the finished ECU. There is no strict dividing line between a soft ECU and a V-ECU, but a V-ECU generally represents the real ECU more realistically. Customers can use virtual ECU models for testing and validation throughout the ECU development process. The term 'virtual ECU testing' covers all simulation scenarios in which virtual ECUs are used. Today's ECU software comprises numerous software components (SWCs) with intensive interactions. In the large ECU networks frequently installed in current vehicles, the number of SWCs can easily reach the thousands, and because the task of developing ECU components is usually shared by several departments or even different companies, not only the SWCs themselves have to be tested and validated, but also the interactions between them. Early Testing Without Hardware Previously, the testing and validation of ECU software could not even begin until the prototype ECUs were available. With virtual ECU testing (VET), the SWCs, which are already available, are combined to create a virtual ECU model. This is then tested and validated in offline simulation on a standard PC. This lets developers investigate real-world issues such as task scheduling, the behavior of the basic software, and communication behavior on a virtual CAN bus Simulating EV/ HEV Drives The dSPACE ASM Electric Components simulation package is now supported by JMAG, a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) tool for electromechanical design developed by the JSOL Corporation. Automotive Simulation Models (ASM) electric components are designed for the real-time simulation of vehicle electrical systems or hybrid drivetrains. With JMAG, users can now define the key characteristics of electric motors and export them to parameterize the generic ASM electric motor models. After virtual electric motors are defined, they can be executed on a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulator in real time. The tool coupling gives users convenient graphical designs of complex systems and real-time performance. The easy workflow and high precision speed up developments and ensure the highest quality. www.dspace.com

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