A & D Technology Inc.
A & D Technology

Real-time Measurement, Simulation and Control

Overview of the AD5435

The AD5435 is a high-speed measurement and control system that can be customized for a wide variety of applications. It addresses various systems requirements by combining multiple I/O boards and a CPU employing RTOS with excellent real-time performance through the medium of MATLAB/Simulink® control models and the GUI generating and experimentation support tool, VirtualConsole. MATLAB and Simulink are registered trademarks of The MathWorks, Inc.

 

After downloading compiled Simulink/Stateflow models onto the AD5435, it is possible to monitor and change parameters for operation, measurement, and control. The AD5435 has 14 programmable function keys and a touch-screen interface for stand-alone functionality, or it can be controlled via a Windows PC Ethernet connection and A&D's VirtualConsole software. It is also possible to connect, modify, and operate multiple AD5435s over a network for advanced applications requiring ultra-high processing power or for distributed control.

User-Friendly GUI

A&D has developed VirtualConsole as the graphical user interface (GUI) development and host software environment. Within VirtualConsole, the user can create GUIs with programmable functionality to meet specific application or experimentation needs. By simply selecting control components from a library on a host Windows PC, dragging and dropping them onto the screen, and connecting them to parameters from the Simulink model, the user can graphically create custom layouts and screens for the operation environment. The components can be further customized in function, color, texture, size, etc. all via simple menu-driven interfaces; no programming experience is required.

The operation of the AD5435's 14 function keys can also be custom programmed via VirtualConsole. The Designer screen shows the image of the main touch-screen panel including the function keys, and enables WYSIWYG configuration of display screens and the behavior of the specific keys based on the user's specific application.

VirtualConsole enables easy, user-friendly configuration of comprehensible operation and experimentation screens to enhance the user's and the AD5435's productivity by reducing many man-hours spent generating GUIs specific to custom needs.


(VirtualConsole)

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Versatility and Expandability

The AD5435 offers 7 slots for dedicated I/O boards that can be installed in various combinations to address specific measurement and control applications. Hardware configuration is straightforward and easy to do with A&D-provided S-functions. Users can drag and drop the S-function blocks directly into the Simulink model to control the behavior of the individual I/O boards.

 

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Measurement, Simulation, and Control Applications

Whether it's high-speed, in-vehicle data measurement, ECU rapid prototyping, or HiL simulation, the AD5435 is well-suited to fulfill your real-time application needs. The performance and flexibility of the AD5435 has proven itself in the following applications and many more:

 

  • Test cell dynamometer control for engine-in-the-loop vehicle simulation
  • ECU bypass and fullpass rapid control prototyping for powertrain and chassis development
  • Hybrid vehicle motor control development
  • Transmission ECU software release checking
  • ABS hydraulic system durability testing
  • Body electronics wiring fault simulation and control
  • Robotics and servo-motor control
  • End-of-line engine quality checking
  • In-vehicle data measurement ("flight recording")
  • Wheel torque measurement
  • Industrial process control
  • Competitive benchmarking for engine design and mapping

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The A&D Software Concept

Development of A&D application software is carried out using the model based design concept. The framework is realized with a combination of tools from the MathWorks as the specification and code generation environment, with VirtualConsole supporting the real-time target implementation and execution. Real-time processing functions, control algorithms, simulation models, analysis functions, and system behavior are graphically created using block diagram model in Simulink (and/or Stateflow). This model is then automatically coded for the AD5435 target by Real-Time Workshop (and Stateflow Coder if necessary). With VirtualConsole, the code is compiled and downloaded seamlessly, and a user interface can be easily developed by arranging GUI components on the PC screen. Legacy applications as well as other tools can be linked effectively with new applications via the COM interface.

  • No coding necessary
  • Minimal user action for setup
  • Re-utilization of existing models
  • Re-utilization of GUIs
  • Re-utilization of Legacy Applications

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Option boards:

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