Opal-RT & Imagine Join Forces To Streamline Transmission Design Process

Opal-RT Technologies Inc. and IMAGINE S.A., today announced that the two companies have joined forces to develop a means by which electromechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic systems can be readily modeled and simulated in real-time for hardware-, software-, and operator-in-the-loop applications.

The relationship will bring together high-fidelity engineering plant models developed in AMESim from IMAGINE and the RT-LAB distributed real-time computation platform from Opal-RT.

AMESim offers a complete and unique simulation environment, providing the most adaptive solutions for fluid power (gas and liquid), mechanical, thermo-fluid and control systems. The package enables the study of the dynamic behavior of any component or circuit with a friendly application-oriented approach. This is achieved through the concept of application-specific toolbox libraries and customization facilities.

Opal-RT is the world leader in distributed simulation on PC-based platforms. Its core technology, RT-LAB, allows easy conversion of non-real-time dynamic systems models, created in tools like Simulink and MATRIXx, into real-time simulations using off-the-shelf PC technologies.

Opal-RT and IMAGINE have been working on a joint system that will allow automotive engineers to develop high-fidelity models of automatic transmissions that can be used for design validation, control prototyping and Electronic Control Unit (ECU) testing.

There is a growing pressure on engineering professionals to maintain faster and less expensive product design cycles. With this system, transmission models can now be developed that can be reused as the design evolves from concept to final product. This revolution in the design process assures consistency throughout the design process while saving considerable time and cost by allowing analytical models in AMESim to be incorporated in the validation and test cycle without rework.

"There are very few high fidelity plant modeling tools that engineers in the auto industry trust - and AMESim is one of the best, " said Jean Belanger, President of Opal-RT Technologies Inc. "Integrating RT-LAB's real-time capability with AMESim not only overcomes the problem of model availability for hardware-in-the-loop, but also means that, for the first time, this very capable simulation tool is now available for use in the design and simulation of almost all aspects of automotive systems."

"RT-LAB's flexible real-time environment and use of commercial-off-the-shelf components make it a perfect fit for integration into with AMESIM," said Vincent Braibant, President and CEO of IMAGINE S.A., "Indeed, Opal-RT has fast gained a leadership position as a company committed to making the engineer's job easier by developing the technology needed to create a complete suite of proven real-time models that can be used, and reused, throughout the entire design process " .