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FPGA-based Arbitrary Topology Power Electronics Real-Time Simulation Tools from ModelingTech

Hi all,

I am pleased to let you know that ModelingTech has updated and released several products to support FPGA-based General (Arbitrary Topology) Power Electronics Real-Time Simulation (step size < 2 microsecond ).

The underlying technical foundation is the Backward Euler solver and the switch LC modeling, the below graph shows how to model the switch for FPGA-based simulation. 

Backward Euler and Switch Modeling.png

The switch conductance will be the same no matter of switch states. The difference between switch 's states is the way to update the history current. The constant switch conductance feature leads to the constant system admittance matrix. This feature makes the FPGA-based electrical system small step real-time simulation feasible.

Our solution includes two products:

StarSim Offline:  The offline tool is useful for users to evaluate the model and the solver, and is also very useful for customers to tuning the important parameter of Backward Euler solver, Gs.  Below are links of the product page and the online help, you can get the installer from the product page, we provide three-month free evaluation.

http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/en/nid/211170

http://www.modeling-tech.com/products/starsim/help/index.html?StarSimVIs.html

StarSim FPGA Express:  This is a configuration-based tool for users to deploy StarSim power electronics model to FPGA to achieve 1-2 us step size real-time simulation. The coolest point of this tool is that users do not need to program or compile FPGA.  They just need to load the model, map the hardware IO and the model IO, and then download and run. The below is the Analog IO mapping screenshot of this tool. Currently StarSim FPGA Express only supports NI CompactRIO 9039, we will soon support NI PXIe-7975R. 

Please feel free to contact me ( kevin.wang@modeling-tech.com ) or info@modeling-tech.com if you would like to know more about our FPGA-based solution.

Best Regards,

Kevin Wang | Business Development Manager

ModelingTech

IO Mapping Page.png

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Hi Kevin, does the the CRIO act as a Hardware in the Loop (HiL) system even if it cannot go below us? Can I map the measures of the simulation model to the Digital to Analog output of the cRIO? Moreover, can I send the PWM pulses to the cRIO digital I/O an then to the switches of the model?

If so, which NI modules do you support?

Thanks, very interesting product. We are currently very close to buy a cRIO-9039 and those features would be very interesting.

If the cRIO can perform as HiL, it canbe used to setup the control algorithm directly working on the final control board.

Cheers,

AL3

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www.ped-board.com

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Hello AL3,

Yes, CompactRIO acts as the real-time simulator. The whole simulator system consists of  one 9039, two 9263, one 9264, four 9401.  This simulator can form a closed-loop with a real controller. I will post a demo photo  soon.

By the way, I am not quite sure about what you mean about 'it cannot go below us', do you mean that CPU of the cRIO cannot go below microsecond. If so, I agree with you. But our power electronics models are running on the FPGA, FPGA can run very fast.

Please feel free to email me if you have any other questions.

Best Regards,

Kevin Wang | Kevin.Wang@modeling-tech.com

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Hi Kevin,

in your post you wrote

"StarSim FPGA Express:  This is a configuration-based tool for users to deploy StarSim power electronics model to FPGA to achieve 1-2 us step size real-time simulation."

I understood that your simulator cannot go below that time step. I supposed it was with reference to FPGA of course.

What you call 'simulator' can be intendeted as hardware-in-the-loop system? Model runs in real-time on the FPGA and measures are availables through digital-2-analog outputs? Moreover, PWM pulses from the actual control board, are captured bu the digital I/O port and then applied to the model. is it correct?

Thank you again. I'sorry if I insist but from this side we are very interested in HiL systems especially if we can use NI products.

BTW, what we want to do is connecting the control board we use (www.ped-board.com) to a real-time simulator (HiL) to develop and test new control algorithm avoiding at the first stage to use the real hardware increasing safety operation.

AL3

PS

I took a look to yor configuration, DACs seem to be very slow, 25 kS/s, for HiL system we need faster DACs. Digital input are also slow 100ns resolution could not be enough for HiL simulation.

In many cases ADCs are not necessary, however, faster would be better.

Below the config. we are going to buy:

Controller cRIO-9039.

1 X NI 9221 Screw Term, +/-60 V, 12-Bit, 800 kS/s, 8-Ch AI Module

3 X NI 9263 Screw Term, +/-10 V, 16-Bit, 100 kS/s/ch, 4-Ch AO Module

4 X NI 9402 4 ch, 50 ns, LV TTL Digital Input/Output Module

We can have up to 16 PWM capture units, 12 analog out for emulated measures and 8 analog input channels.

Does you RT simulator support that configuration?

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Hello AL3,

It is great to hear from you! Our simulator is working as you described in your email. Its uses DI (9401) to capture PWM pulses of the actuall controller and send  simulation results out through AO modules (9263). 

Since the step size of system model (running on FPGA) is just 1-2 microsecond, so maybe 9401 is enough. I know that the faster analog output the better, however, the fastest AO NI provided is the 9263 (100kS/s).

For analog input (in case you need them), instead of 9221, we select 9220 (16 ch, 100kS/s). The reason is that 9220 support the simultaneous sampling, but 9221 does not support it.

We also support this set of hardware: one 9039, three 9263, four 9401, one 9220.

Please feel free to contact me through my email: kevin.wang@modeling-tech.com to discuss more technical details.

Below are application notes of our past HILsuccessful stories, it migh give you more info about our company.

https://decibel.ni.com/content/message/104398#104398 (the model is running on PXI FPGA board).

https://decibel.ni.com/content/message/71073#71073 (the model is running on the multicore CPU of PXI )

Best Regards,

Kevin Wang

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