EPSim - Embedded Platform Simulator.

When designing a complex cyber-physical system, components of the system are often designed by different engineers, each with their own expertise in a particular domain, e.g. software, control, and mechanical engineering. In later design stages, the integration of the designed components into one system needs to be performed. This integration phase however often leads to unexpected problems such that the system does not function as it was intended. The goal of this project is to develop EPSim, an engineering tool which tackles an important integration problem between embedded engineering and control engineering. EPSim will focus on the particular problem that embedded platforms introduce time delays on the signal path that is used by the control engineers. Hereto, EPSim will allow for the virtual integration of embedded components into control loops already in early stages of the design process. This will ultimately lead to optimised design processes by reducing, or even avoiding, costly design iterations. The foundations of this idea have already been developed in our lab; the related method and tool is now situated at TRL 3. The current status is attracting attention from some mechatronic companies in the framework of an ICON-project, which is an appealing starting point for further valorisation. By means of this project, we intend to further develop the method and tool towards TRL 5.

Keywords:HARD REAL-TIME SYSTEMS, DEVS, CAN

Disciplines:Embedded and real-time systems, Distributed systems, Modelling and simulation, Embedded systems