Overview

This chapter provides an overview of several software tools for simulation model development, non-real-time simulation, and HIL simulation. Like other software products, these tools undergo constant development and improvement, while introducing the occasional bug along the way. However, most of these products have been on the market for several years, which means that the basics of the user interface and the approach to simulation development used by each one can be expected to remain relatively unchanged for some time to come.

I will demonstrate each of the simulation tools by implementing and executing a model of the same example dynamic system. The modeling of the same simulated system with each tool will help to clarify differences between the tools and will also permit a comparison of results.

The system chosen for implementation on each of these tools is the turntable driven by a DC motor described in Section 6.6.1. In this system, a digital control system receives a position command input signal and drives the turntable to the desired position using the turntable's measured position as a feedback signal. This system includes a number of nonlinear effects that require accurate modeling. Although this is a relatively small simulation, it exercises a number of features that are important in simulating complex dynamic systems.

Accurate simulation of this system requires support for combined discrete-time and continuous-time simulations, as well as nonlinear elements such as the DAC and the position encoder. It is also helpful to have supoort for elements represented...