Nearly every modern engineering system employs some sort of critical, digital communication protocol. OPAL-RT simulators emulate industry-standard communication protocols, enabling users to perform the most realistic real-time simulations possible. Consult our comprehensive list of supported protocols below to learn more!
S7 is a Siemens proprietary protocol made to connect Siemens S7 programmable logic controllers (PLCs) programming, data exchange and access purposes.
PROFIBUS (Process Field Bus) is a standard fieldbus communication protocol for automation technology openly published as part of IEC61158.
OPC Unified Architecture is a future-proof, updated version of on OPC Classic capable of operating on a variety of platforms with added security to provide real-time data transfer functionality for industrial applications.
Modbus is an easily deployable, simple and robust serial communication protocol, now commonly used within SCADA systems across industry.
Fieldbus is the name of a family of industrial computer network protocols used for real-time distributed control, standardized as IEC 61158.
EtherCAT is a general purpose ethernet-based Fieldbus protocol, whose main feature is the use of a single data frame addressing all slaves of the network in a daisy-chain fashion.
DNP3 is used between components in process automation systems, especially in SCADA systems.
Developped as a cheaper alternative to CAN, Local Interconnect Network (LIN) is a serial network protocol used for communication between an every-increasing number of vehicle components.
FlexRay is an automotive network communication protocol developed by the FlexRay Consortium to govern on-board automotive computing. It is designed to be faster than CAN.
CAN bus is used to interface multiple devices without a host computer and while using less wiring.
MIL-STD-1553 defines the mechanical, electrical, and functional characteristics of a serial data bus.
ARINC 429 is self-clocking, self-synchronizing data bus protocol for aircraft avionics.
S7 is a Siemens proprietary protocol made to connect Siemens S7 programmable logic controllers (PLCs) programming, data exchange and access purposes.
OPC Unified Architecture is a future-proof, updated version of on OPC Classic capable of operating on a variety of platforms with added security to provide real-time data transfer functionality for industrial applications.
Modbus is an easily deployable, simple and robust serial communication protocol, now commonly used within SCADA systems across industry.
C37.118 is the IEEE standard for transmitting synchrophasors within power systems. It defines PMU and the data they must transmit.
IEC-60870-5-104 is an International Communications Protocol Standard for the telecontrol of electric power transmission systems. The standard specifies the use of permanent directly connected links between Telecontrol stations.
IEC 61850 is used for the design of electrical substation automation, such as ethernet-based MMS, GOOSE and SV ethernet-based mappings.
IEC 61850 is used for the design of electrical substation automation, such as ethernet-based MMS, GOOSE and SV ethernet-based mappings.
DNP3 is used between components in process automation systems, especially in SCADA systems.
UDP (User Datagram Protocol) is a connectionless internet protocol (IP). It provides unreliable but a fast and simple service well suited for many real-time applications.
TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) is a connection-oriented internet protocol (IP). It is the basic communication protocol of the Internet.
S7 is a Siemens proprietary protocol made to connect Siemens S7 programmable logic controllers (PLCs) programming, data exchange and access purposes.
RS-485 is a differential communication protocol that can transfer data at rates up to 10 Mbit/s over cables up to 1200 m in length. Up to 32 devices are supported.
RS-422 is a differential serial communication protocol that can transfer data at rates up to 10 Mbit/s over cables up to 1200 m (4000 ft). Up to 10 devices are supported.
RS-232 is a single-ended serial communication of data that can transfer data at rates up to 1 MBit/s over cables up to 14 m (50 ft) in length.
Reflective memory provides a deterministic interface that permits data to be shared in real-time between many systems.
PROFIBUS (Process Field Bus) is a standard fieldbus communication protocol for automation technology openly published as part of IEC61158.
Gigabit Ethernet is a term that describes various technologies used to transmit Ethernet frames at a rate of a gigabit per second.
Developed by Xilinx, the Aurora protocol is a high-speed link layer communications protocol for use on point-to-point serial links between FPGAs, controllers and other embedded systems.
Inverter team at Karma Automotive provides in-house development of power inverters (HW and SW) for world-class Karma EVs. As a main step in inverter SW and HW development, we developed a Hardware-in-the-Loop unit and an inverter fast prototyping tool. The Hardware-in-the-Loop unit is a main tool for SW development task, and it is now being extended to include SW verification tests, too. On the other hand, the fast prototyping tool is an essential tool to facilitate the implementation of inverter HW for the future EV platforms. This unit also provides a powerful tool for development of SW application layer with the possibility of high frequency sampling and monitoring.
The presentation file will discuss the structure of Hardware-in-the-Loop unit (power stage and monitoring) using OP5700 platform and its interaction with control board via CAN bus. It also covers the CAN unit of OP5700 platform to be used for implementation of automatic verification tests. As another discussion, the development of the fast prototyping tool (including motor control algorithm, protection, diagnostics, and CAN communication) using OP4510 platform will be discussed. The testing of the fast prototyping unit with the hardware-in-the-loop unit will be also presented.
Dr Geng Niu, Senior Manager, Powertrain Hardware, Karma Automotive, is leading the electrified powertrain development for various Karma vehicle programs, including EREV and BEV architecture. He received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Beihang University, Beijing, China, followed by his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. In his 3-year career in Karma Automotive, he was leading the in-house product development team to design the second generation power inverters for Karma Revero GT and Revero GTS. Also he was overseeing the e-drive system software development and control algorithms for traction derive and range extender.
Full vehicle simulation models are needed to assess attributes such as fuel economy and performance. In this session, you will learn how MathWorks automotive modeling tools can be used for powertrain selection studies. Specifically, we will examine the impact of adding an electric motor at different locations along the driveline (e.g., pre- or post-transmission). In order to make a fair comparison between alternatives, an optimal supervisory control strategy known as ECMS (Equivalent Consumption Minimization Strategy) is applied. With these closed-loop models, we can quantify the performance / fuel economy tradeoffs for the architectures under consideration and determine an optimal powertrain selection.
Brad is an application engineer at MathWorks, focusing on control design. Prior to joining MathWorks, Brad worked for Ford Motor Company for 14 years. His Ford experience included advanced powertrain controls design, vehicle and powertrain controls for Ford’s Formula 1 racing program, and vehicle dynamics simulation, tools and methods work. Prior to Ford, Brad worked for several years as a logic design engineer at Cray Research. Brad holds a M.S.E. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and a B.S. from Iowa State University, both in electrical engineering.
The key reasons for using digital control in power electronics are
• Lower cost
• Complex control requirements
• Configurability
• Optimizing for operating point variation
• Control adaption
• Management of the non-linearity of the converter
• The ability to tune the switching times precisely to minimize the power loss and maximize the efficiency.
The advantages of digital control of power electronics bring with them challenges. Dealing with these challenges before they expose problems is the key to fast product delivery and reliable and robust operation. The challenges include
• Limited Number of Bits
• Sampling and limited bandwidth
• Processing Delay
• Producing and maintaining high quality software code
The presentation explores the detail of these challenges and presents tools, methods and quality approaches to address them.
Hamish Laird is CTO at ELMG Digital Power, Inc. His work is helping people realize the benefit of digital power electronics control to speed time to market, minimize the converter cost, maximize efficiency and provide stable robust operation. His converter control experience includes HVDC transmission control, hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles and rail traction along with telecom power and battery energy storage. He has thirty years of experience in the design, research, development and commercialization of power converters with strong focus on manufacturability and production.
Hamish worked for Alstom Grid, Aucom and Eurotherm Drives before completing his Doctorate in Shunt Active Filtering and founding ELMG Digital Power. Current ELMG Digital Power customers include large electrical OEMs such as ABB, energy storage companies, traction companies and automotive companies.
Hamish recently worked with the PSMA (Power Supply Manufactures Association) to develop guidelines for software quality in the digital control of power electronics. He is a regular and well-respected presenter at APEC and other conferences.
Biography
Benjamin A. Black is a Principal Market Develop Manager for Power Electronics Real-Time Test at National Instruments and a Lecturer in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Departments of The University of Texas at Austin. He earned his Ph.D. in 2007 from the George Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. His research focused in the use of passive haptic robotics for teleoperation. From 2007 through 2012, he worked as a System Engineer at National Instruments focusing on advanced control and advanced simulation projects. Currently he focuses his time on developing the NI platforms and strategy for the area of power electronics and power systems real-time simulation.
Biography
Mostafa Mahfouz (S’14-M’18) received the B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in electrical engineering from Cairo University in 2014 and 2016 respectively. He is currently a PhD candidate at the Centre for Applied Power Electronics (CAPE), Electrical and Computer Engineering Department (ECE), University of Toronto. He is also Engineering Intern (EIT) at Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO). His research interests include AC/DC microgrids’ and electric vehicles fast-charging stations’ operation and control. He has been working as a Research and Teaching Assistant at Cairo University and currently at University of Toronto where he got involved in teaching energy systems and distributed generation, power systems analysis, operation, and control.
Presentation:
In this presentation, we will discuss about using eHS to develop NI controller for DC Fast Charging System (DCFCS) including a local battery storage system.
The key challenge for fast EV charging is the limitations of the existing power grid infrastructure. Fast charging requires a large amount of energy in a very short time, and the distribution power grid was not designed for this. Therefore, the DCFCS includes a battery storage system to reduce the impact of DCFCS that is incurred during charging. Power electronics converter configuration, its controller design and development of a 60-kW prototype will be discussed in this presentation.
Biography
Dr. Nabavi is a Senior Member of IEEE and a professional engineer in the Province of Ontario, Canada. He received the B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in electrical engineering from Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran, in 1987 and 1990, respectively, and the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada, in 1996. Upon his graduation he joined the University of Mazandaran/Iran as a faculty member in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Since then he has been actively engaged in research and development in the general area of power systems, and power electronics as well as teaching and supervising of graduate students. He was elevated to the rank of associate professor in 2003. Since 2004, he has been with the Centre for Applied Power Electronics (CAPE), University of Toronto, as a Senior Research Associate and has been actively leading/collaborating on research projects with various utilities and advanced industries. During his academic career, he has supervised more than 29 graduate students, published more than 22 journal papers, 45 technical papers, numerous proprietary industry presentations and technical reports and six patent disclosures in the areas of energy systems, power electronics and power systems.
Presentation:
In this presentation, we will discuss about using eHS to develop NI controller for DC Fast Charging System (DCFCS) including a local battery storage system.
The key challenge for fast EV charging is the limitations of the existing power grid infrastructure. Fast charging requires a large amount of energy in a very short time, and the distribution power grid was not designed for this. Therefore, the DCFCS includes a battery storage system to reduce the impact of DCFCS that is incurred during charging. Power electronics converter configuration, its controller design and development of a 60-kW prototype will be discussed in this presentation.
Take OPAL-RT’s solution for a spin today — completely free and with no obligation. With the demo, you can import a model designed with your favorite circuit editor, configure the simulation parameters, and create customized test scenarios to generate faults or simulate other events and maneuvers.
Access our Download Center now and learn how to install the software for the demo.
If you need help to install or use OPAL-RT’s products, please contact OPAL-RT Technical Support >
Discover OPAL-RT’s new range of flexible and configurable conditioning boards with Fault Insertion (FIU) for National Instruments’ Switch, Load, and Signal Conditioning (SLSC) platform.
The SLSC modules enables HIL users to maximize their time and resources through our configurable signal conditioning stage, ensuring that signals are the right level and type, as well as by providing configuration for voltage level shifting, dividing and multiplying or integrated filters and impedance matching.
Every card provides an on-board flexible fault insertion unit (FIU) giving full relay control during testing when applying faults to the Device Under Test (DUT) through NI’s VeriStand interface.
OPAL-RT’s SLSC conditioning boards are part of the Automotive HIL Testbed Reference Architecture, which is an open and customizable solution allowing engineers to test and develop Electric Vehicles and Battery Management Systems in real time, using latest technologies.
With the Automotive HIL Testbed Reference Architecture, OPAL-RT provides an open, flexible solution that you can customize to adapt to changing research requirements for Electric Vehicle and Battery Management System testing.
By combining modular hardware and our FPGA-based simulation solver to easily import real-time models created with any modeling software, these systems help you take advantage of third party components to i) reduce your setup burden and ii) offer a common starting place for your research team members around the world.
With the Automotive HIL Testbed Reference Architecture, researchers can prototype a wide variety of electrical vehicular devices under test (DUTs).
By guiding the integration of complex automotive testing structures and helping engineers to develop specific EV and BMS HIL testing architecture based on best integration practices, OPAL-RT enables automotive manufacturers to cut costs, reduce risks and improve time-to-market.
The solution combines hardware and software from OPAL-RT, National Instruments, and other prime partners in order that each component can provide robust and unique functionality to leverage your EV & BMS testing systems.
The OPAL-RT & Comemso BMS test bench approach allows users to integrate the BMS testing designed for electrical vehicles. OPAL-RT’s NI partnership solution makes it easier to migrate existing physical testbeds onto real-time HIL simulation platforms when testing all type of BMS testing projects. OPAL-RT provides the engineering required to extend the BMS HIL test bench’s functionalities, from extra protection, shunt emulation, break-out box, current and voltage sensing to complete integration of other controls for electrical vehicles, ADAS systems or a complete vehicle.
