Technical Publications
SystemVision for Embedded Mechatronic Systems: Hardware Modeling
The low cost of microcontrollers makes them increasingly popular for electronic control of a wide range of embedded systems. An embedded mixed-signal or mechatronic system is one that uses a microcontroller to control some physical aspect of the system such as motion, speed, and temperature. The added dimension of software presents a significant challenge to the design, integration and verification of this class of systems. This paper will discuss how the IEEE standard VHDL-AMS language can be used to describe the behavior of the heterogeneous hardware technologies typically present in embedded mechatronic systems. SystemVision by Mentor Graphics utilizes VHDL-AMS as the key technology for the design and verification of these systems.
More Techpubs
Simulating Vector Controlled Induction Motors Using Space Vector Modulation
This paper illustrates the development of a comprehensive vector-controlled induction motor drive system. Power delivery schemes will also be implemented and analyzed, including current-regulated pulsewidth modulation (CRPWM), and space vector modulation (SVM) topologies. The SystemVision simulation tool was used for the development and simulation of all of the designs in this paper.
Mechatronic System Integration and Design
While today’s multi-discipline mechatronic systems significantly outperform legacy systems, they are also much more complex by nature—requiring close cooperation between multiple design disciplines in order to have a chance of meeting schedule requirements, and first-pass success. Mechatronic system designs must fluently integrate analog and digital hardware—along with the software that controls it—presenting daunting challenges for design teams, and requiring design processes to evolve to accommodate.
Simulation Provides Key to Explosive Automotive Design Challenges
Not only has the typical system design grown in overall size to accommodate ever-increasing demands for functionality and performance, but these designs must fluently integrate analog and digital hardware, as well as the software that controls it. Successfully integrating and verifying that system components work in concert with each other often proves to be costly in terms of time, money and engineering resources. And, at the same time, there is increased pressure to reduce development cycle time. In order to keep pace with these new realities, new processes and development tools are required. In particular, the development and intelligent use of computer models of these complex systems—once considered a luxury—are becoming critical to the success of the overall development process.
FPGA Design and Verification in Mechatronic Applications
The biggest challenge in using FPGA devices may be one of methodology. FPGA designers are familiar with HDL-based requirements-driven design methodologies for digital electronics. But how can requirements be expressed for a system that, while it contains digital elements, is fundamentally non-digital? Fortunately an executable HDL exists that extends the capabilities of the digital VHDL language. VHDL-AMS language is an undiscovered asset for FPGA designers - a powerful tool to define and verify requirements in a non-digital context.
Modeling a Digitally Controlled Power Supply
Power supply designs are going digital. It is now common to see what would have once been a completely analog design incorporate some combination of Digital Signal Processing (DSP), microcontroller (uC), and/or Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technologies. This paper illustrates how the SystemVision simulation environment can be used to design and analyze this class of power supply on a 150 W, 100 KHz half-bridge converter.
How to Model Power Systems Using SystemVision
This booklet introduces practical guidelines and specific techniques for developing and analyzing complex power systems with the aid of computer simulation. The general concept of computer simulation (referred to simply as simulation in this booklet) is to use a computer to predict the behavior of a system that is to be developed. To achieve this goal, a system model of the real system is created. This system model is then used to predict actual system performance and to help make effective design decisions.
CAN Bus Signal Integrity Design
VHDL-AMS (IEEE Standard 1076.1) provides hardware modeling capabilities that are well suited for CAN signal integrity analysis. This includes modeling the analog, digital and mixed-signal aspects of the transceivers, as well as the behavior of twisted-pair transmission lines, connectors and other components of the CAN Physical Layer. SystemVision supports both VHDL-AMS as well as traditional Spice modeling methods. This paper presents various modeling approaches applicable to the key hardware components of a CAN bus. It also provides examples of simulation-based techniques for CAN signal integrity design.
DO-254 Compliant Design and Verification with VHDL-AMS
The functionality and performance of modern military and aerospace systems has become heavily influenced by their electronic content. Consequently, selecting the right electronic components and choosing the optimal design methodology is vital in developing a successful product. The flexibility and capabilities of new digital components is still growing exponentially. The potential of these devices, however, cannot be fully (and safely) utilized without incorporating the latest design and verification methodologies. Design methodologies for mil-aero applications must consider the complexities of mechatronic systems. The VHDL-AMS language is an undiscovered asset for mil-aero digital designers - a powerful tool to define and verify safety-critical requirements in a non-digital context. This paper discusses the use of VHDL-AMS for safety-critical digital systems.
Lit Number: TECH7810-w
Combining ModelSim and Simulink in an Integrated Simulation Environment
SystemVision has the ability to effectively integrate compiled ModelSim libraries, Simulink block diagrams, and additional multi-technology design elements into a single simulatable system.