Co-simulation for verification of digital control implementation

Abstract

As digital control finds its way into applications, tools for verification of hardware implementation becomes attractive as it will save time and reduce cost in the development phase. This paper presents a method to co-simulation a plant model on a computer with algorithms running on actual hardware. A simulation platform is developed to support co-simulation of processes' model and actual digital control hardware, with modeling of analog/digital signal interfaces. The effects of discrete sampling times, calculation delays caused by the processor can be accurately analyzed. Source code for the final application can be developed and verify with the "virtual plant" in the co-simulation environment prior to testing with real power stage prototype. The propose approach is valuable to a digital controller whose instruction-set- simulator is not available. To demonstrate the approach, co-simulation results of a simplified maximum power point tracker for solar power system is presented.