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Opal-RT Technologies, Inc.
Real Time Simulation and Control
Introduction to Opal-RT
Opal-RT Technologies Inc. is a leading supplier of cost-effective Simulink®-Based systems for real-time control and simulation of mechatronics systems; Opal-RT products are used in all engineering areas for research, teaching, laboratory and industrial applications.
Opal-RT provides a complete range of HIL (hardware-in-the-loop) simulation products - from small rapid control prototyping systems to large-scale distributed real-time simulators to turnkey engineering simulators, all based on its flagship real-time software RT-LAB.
RT-LABTM
RT-LAB is an advanced platform for real-time simulation and control of dynamic systems that enables the user to run its Simulink® models in real-time, ready to be connected to actual equipment.
With RT-LAB, the user develops its model graphically with Simulink®, easily adds any type of analog or digital input or output to the block diagram, and then the model is automatically compiled and downloaded to the powerful RT-LAB PC-based system, ready to be connected to the physical equipment to be controlled.
RT-LAB comes with different Simulink® toolboxes designed for real-time modeling and simulation of different types of systems (electric drives libraries, aerospace library, power system toolbox, etc).
The three major types of applications of RT-LAB are:
- Rapid Control Prototyping (RCP):
The Simulink model running on RT-LAB is a control algorithm that controls a real equipment like an electric motor, a robot, or an unmanned vehicle, etc
- Hardware-In-the-Loop Simulation (HIL):
The Simulink model running on RT-LAB is a model of the plant connected to a real controller to test the controller against a 'virtual' plant; some applications are: testing Electronic Control Unit for a Hybrid Vehicle, testing of a FACTS controller connected to a virtual power grid simulated in RT-LAB, etc
- Fully Digital Simulation:
Both the plant and control are modeled and simulated digitally; examples are power system and power electronics simulation studies, control strategy optimization of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV cluster), etc.
Features
- Control algorithms and models are built by the user graphically as block-diagrams in MATLAB/Simulink®
- State-of-the-art processors, all PC-based (Intel, AMD), single-, dual-, and quad-core
- Very fast sampling rate as low as 10 to 20 microseconds for the control loop
- Analog and digital Inputs/Outputs are controlled by FPGA; all their parameters are easily set on the block diagram
- Generation/detection of digital signals (like PWM) at very high frequencies with a 100 MHz FPGA
- The user interacts with the real-time controller through a graphical user interface running under Windows®
- Multi-rate execution
- Data logging to save signals in real-time for post processing and analysis, etc.
Applications
PC-based RT-LAB real-time system is used in many fields (electrical and
other), across the world:
- Research and education labs and courses:
Indian Institute of Technology, MIT, University of Tennessee, University of Texas A&M, University of Toronto, University of Quebec, Marintek (Norwegian Marine Technology Institute), Dresden University of Technology, École Polytechnique Montréal, University of Michigan, University of Alabama, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, , etc
- Electric systems control and simulation, and power systems
simulation:
BHEL (Bhopal, Hyderabad and Bangalore in India), Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Japan), Hitachi (Japan), GE Transportation Systems (USA, India & China), ABB (China), TRW (UK), BAE Systems (USA), Messier Bugatti (France), University of Alberta (Canada), Osaka University (Japan), etc
- Robotics and control:
Canadian Space Agency, NASA (USA), Hydro-Quebec (Canada), European Space Agency (France), Bombardier (Canada), Pratt & Whitney (Canada), etc
- Automotive (Conventional & Hybrid electric vehicles, in R&D & Production programs):
Tata Motors(India), Mahindra (India), GM, Ford, Delphi, Allison Transmission of GM (USA); Toyota, Denso, Aisin (Japan): Peugeot, Renault (France), etc.
- Aerospace & Defense (Flight simulators, UAV simulators):
ADE (India), RCI(India), Canadian Defense, Embraer (Brazilian national aircraft manufacturer), DSO National Labs (Singapore), Mechtronix Systems (Canada), United Defense (USA), University of California in Berkley, University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, etc
Opal-RT Website:http://www.opal-rt.com
Papers/applications notes :http://www.rt-lab.com
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