Features

  Fully integrated with MATLAB/Simulink, and MATRIXx/SystemBuild

All model preparation for RT-LAB is done with established dynamic system modeling environments, which allows the user to leverage experience in using these tools.

  Specialized blockset for distributed processing, inter-node communication and signal I/O

RT-LAB provides tools for easy separation of the system model into subsystem models that can be executed on parallel target processors (standard PCs running either the QNX Real-Time operating system or RedHawk Linux). In this way, if you need to run a model in real-time that cannot be run on a single processor, RT-LAB provides a means of sharing the load over several processors.

  Fully integrated with third-party modeling environments and user code libraries

RT-LAB supports models from StateFlow, StateMate, CarSim RT, GT-Power RT, AMESim, Dymola, as well as legacy code in C, C++ and FORTRAN.

  Comprehensive API for developing your own on-line application.

Using environments such as LabVIEW, C, C++, Visual Basic, TestStand, Python and 3D virtual reality tools it is possible to create custom user and test automation interfaces.

  Off-the-shelf technologies

RT-LAB is the first fully scalable simulation and control package that allows you to separate models for execution in parallel on a network of standard desktop PCs, PC/104s or on SMP (symmetric multi-processor) servers.
Driven by the demands of a mass market, users take advantage of rapid advancements in a wide range of readily available technologies, as well as relatively low costs. RT-LAB uses standard Ethernet and FireWire (IEEE 1394) communications, and an extensive range of ISA, PCI, PXI and PCMCIA analog and digital I/O boards.

  Shared Memory, FireWire, SignalWire, InfiniBand or UDP/IP interprocessor communication

At execution time, RT-LAB provides seamless support for inter-processor communication, using any combination of UDP/IP, Shared Memory and all readily available technologies for low-latency communication of data between the target processors. You can also interact with the simulation in real-time from the host station using TCP/IP.

  Integrated interface for signal and parameter visualization and control

With RT-LAB's visualization and control panel, you can dynamically select signals to trace, modify any model signal or parameter in real-time.

  Extensive I/O card support - over 100 devices supported

RT-LAB integrates with Opal-RT's OP5000 hardware interface devices for nanosecond precision timing and real-time performance. RT-LAB also supports cards from other leading manufacturers such as National Instruments, Acromag, Softing and SBS.

  Choice of RTOS: QNX, RedHawk Linux or Windows (for software real-time)

RT-LAB is the only real-time simulation framework that offers you a choice of two high-performance Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS). RT-LAB is available for QNX an RTOS with a proven track record for mission-critical engineering applications - and RedHawk Linux - the premier real-time version of the popular open-source Linux operating system - from Concurrent Computer Corp. RT-LAB also offers Windows as a soft-real-time RTOS. More...

  Optimized Hard-Real-Time Scheduler – high performance, low jitter

Within a time step, the system is doing more than computing the dynamic model. It also does administrative tasks, such as reading and writing I/O, updating the system clock, scheduling tasks, logging data, and handling communications. This restricts the amount of time available within a frame to compute the model values limiting the size of model that can be computed on a single processor. RT-LAB has reduced this overhead to a few percent of raw hardware performance without losing functionality, thereby increasing the capacity to compute more complex models.

  High speed XHP Mode – Multirate XHP Mode – Software-Synchronized mode

RT-LAB XHP (eXtra High Performance) mode allows very fast computation of the real-time model on the target system. This has allowed our customers to simulate complex systems over distributed processors, with analog and digital I/O, at cycle times below 10 microseconds.
The XHP Mode of RT-LAB can slash scheduling overhead to less than a microsecond, letting you use the full power of your system for the computation of highly dynamic models in real-time which is a solution for the developers who have the constant challenge of achieving accurate, high fidelity responses for the real-time simulation increasingly complex models. Even when the signals in a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) system need only be updated in the 100s of microseconds time frame, the model may need to be computed many times between each major time step in order to maintain numerical accuracy. The XHP Mode, by far, out-performs any other real-time system, and is particularly useful for modeling electrical systems, such as drive controls and power electronics.