Sameer M. Prabhu

Best Practices for Establishing a Model-Based Design Culture

The transition to Model-Based Design must be managed carefully, both to demonstrate short-term benefits and to establish a culture that enables the full realization of the theoretical benefits of this approach. In this paper we introduce the concepts of Model-Based Design, highlight some of its benefits, and then discuss in detail the 10 best practices for adopting a Model-Based Design culture across an organization. These best practices have been gleaned from successful and not-sosuccessful transformations to Model-Based Design at companies from a variety of different industries.

Embedded Real-Time Control via MATLAB, Simulink, and xPC Target

1 The MathWorks, Inc., Simulink Development, 3 Apple Hill Dr., Natick, MA 01760-2098, U.S.A. 2 The MathWorks, Inc., Application Engineering, 39555 Orchard Hill Place, Novi, MI 48375-5374, U.S.A. 3 The MathWorks, Inc., xPC Target Development, 3 Apple Hill Dr., Natick, MA 01760-2098, U.S.A. 4 The MathWorks, Inc., Technical Marketing, 39555 Orchard Hill Place, Novi, MI 48375-5374, U.S.A. 5 The MathWorks, Inc., Application Engineering, 3 Apple Hill Dr., Natick, MA 01760-2098, U.S.A. 6 The MathWorks, Inc., Technical Marketing, 3 Apple Hill Dr., Natick, MA 01760-2098, U.S.A.

Model-Based Design for Off-Highway Machine Systems Development

The increased adoption of electronic controls in offhighway machines increases the complexity of typical machine systems and stresses the traditional process used to develop these machines. To address this issue design engineers are turning from the traditional design methods to Model-Based Design. By using models in the early design stages, engineers can create executable specifications that enable them to immediately validate and verify specifications against the requirements. These models also allow the machine designer to evaluate the complex interactions between mechanics, hydraulics, electronics and other physical phenomena and thereby detect design errors earlier when the cost to fix them is less. This paper presents a model-based approach for developing off-highway equipment machine systems. A dynamic model of the machine and the electro-hydraulic implement and propulsion system is developed and used to verify the overall machine behavior. The models are linked to the machine requirements and instrumented to check the simulation results to achieve verification of machine behavior against requirements in a formal way.

Creating Human Machine Interface (HMI) Based Tests within Model-Based Design

Many of the multimedia and convenience features in today’s passenger vehicles involve Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs), such as the radio face plate or the remote key fob. The functional requirements for these systems are often written in terms of the customer interaction with the interface device. In the past, design engineers would not begin to test requirements for these systems until prototype hardware was available. However, many product development organizations are shifting from this hardware-based traditional development cycle, which relies on designing via a prototype and test iteration, to Model-Based Design. Unfortunately, testing systems with complex human machine interface requirements becomes less intuitive when the prototypes are removed from the design process, because the test cases must be scripted into the modeling environment instead of being applied directly to a prototype of the interface device. In this paper we will show how engineers can create a “soft” representation of an automotive HMI and record the test procedure when specified as a series of interactions with the interface, such as button presses. Next, we will demonstrate how the test procedure can be captured and exported to an editable file for re-use with ModelBased Design. Lastly, we will show how a test file can be used to populate a test harness within the Simulink® software environment.

Multi-Domain Modeling and Simulation of an Electro-Hydraulic Implement System

The need to meet new regulatory requirements as well as customer expectations in terms of machine productivity, safety, maintenance and uptime, is driving a significant transformation from conventional hydraulic and mechanical systems to electro-hydraulic systems in the earth-moving and agricultural equipment industry. The ability to model and simulate such systems plays a key role in this transformation by allowing manufacturers to test whether the system meets requirements using virtual prototypes rather than physical prototypes. Modeling the electrical, electronic, mechanical, and hydraulic domains in the same modeling environment can significantly improve the product development process of such machines. This paper illustrates those benefits using the example of an electro-hydraulic implement system.

Combining Passion with Fundamentals - Applying Model-Based Design to Education

Model-Based Design is increasingly prevalent in industrial sectors including aerospace and automotive, but lacking from college and university curricula. The need for students to be adept at the modeling of systems, their associated subsystems, and overall system controller as per the standard industry practice is the impetus for The MathWorks, Freescale, and MotoTron to partner with Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology to address the lack of students familiar with this industry standard practice. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology has created the Model-Based-System Design Center with the express purpose of introducing the philosophy of Model-Based Design to the educational community. This paper describes the function of the Center and the teaching materials currently being generated.

Testing Human Machine Interface (HMI) Rich Designs using Model-Based Design

Today’s vehicles are typically outfitted with passenger convenience features that require Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs). HMIs can be relatively simple – such as a remote key fob – or more sophisticated – such as a radio face plate. Traditional development of HMIs involves two typically independent processes – (1) Physical Component Design and (2) Functional Logic Design. The physical component design is developed by a team that usually includes both graphics and ergonomics designers to ensure that the HMI is intuitive and fits well with the interior styling of the vehicle. The functional logic design follows a more typical software development process. This process is based on functional requirements commonly written in terms of user requests and system responses as represented by the HMI. As the complexity of the system increases, it is essential for the intuitiveness and ease of use of the HMI to advance as well. For teams using traditional methods to design, prototype, and fully test an HMI, achieving this level of ease of use is becoming increasingly challenging. In an earlier paper, the authors demonstrated how to create a “soft” version of the HMI under development and then use this to generate and record test vectors [1]. These test vectors could then be used to exercise the design under test to determine if the HMI logic was completely tested and if the design met the specified requirements. In this paper, the authors will address two important workflow issues to support the logic design and verification of HMIs – (1) integration of the HMI graphics and HMI logic and (2) formal verification of the HMI logic.

Challenge X Mentoring: A Perspective on an Extraordinary Learning Experience

General Motors (GM), the Department of Energy (DOE), and other U.S. government and industry leaders have joined together to challenge students from 17 North American universities to apply advanced technologies toward the energy and environmental issues facing the automotive industry through the “Challenge X: Crossover to Sustainable Mobility” competition. This competition departs from previous ones by requiring students to use the same product development process that is used by the industry, which emphasizes the use of models. Through the words of students and mentors, this paper reports on some key lessons the students learned in the first year of the competition and the extraordinary insights mentors and university teams gained in the process.