Hardware in the Loop for Dynamic Chassis Control Algorithms Test and Validation 2004-01-2059

Active Chassis Controls engineering has been developing a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation system for electric control unit (ECU) testing, evaluating and optimizing the interactions among the chassis control algorithms, and between the chassis control systems within the vehicle. This HIL system consists of physical vehicle mechanical component simulators, an actual electronic control unit, and a virtual 14-DOF vehicle simulation model in a computer system with a high-speed operating platform and data acquisition capability. It simultaneously confers advantages of both hardware testing and computer modeling. Different from a conventional bench tester which lend itself better to testing static or state driven scenarios, the HIL allows testing of dynamic scenarios which require careful synchronization of major signals (such as vehicle speed, steering wheel angle, engine speed, yaw rate, and lateral acceleration, etc.). Also, this HIL system offers the capability to implement ECU dynamic tests with real-time feedback signals for any close-loop controllers. Evermore, this HIL is able to do upfront design and assess performance of the chassis control algorithms, as well as their interactions, in advance of testing and tuning a vehicle. Examples will illustrate how the active chassis control HIL system enables the dynamic ECU tests and the study of new control systems over a wide range of conditions.