Creation, maintenance and further development of simulation models

Reliably validating electronic control units on hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) systems requires the exact replication of associated sensors and actuators if different test scenarios are to be mapped. In addition to in-depth expertise in the area of sensor and actuator models, MicroNova has many years of experience in scenario and environment modeling – both in the area of automotive testing and in the testing of wind turbines.

MicroNova Consulting offers different levels of abstraction for modeling to simulate ECUs: from the simulation of bus communication for a non-existent ECU to a completely virtual ECU (electronic control unit) with the goal of enabling virtual ASIL-relevant tests.

• Actuator models
• Sensor models
• Battery models
• Models for vehicles and wind power plants
• Scenario models
• Environment models
• AI-based model components
• Support for EXAM library models
  (test automation)

The software and system house MicroNova has been developing HiL systems itself for many years. This competence naturally also has a positive effect on the quality of the models. Systematic modularization, which has been incorporated into the entire NovaCarts product range, significantly shortens model compilation times. This means that a separate model is created for each control unit and each function, which can be run independently directly on the HiL simulator – without the need for costly recompilation of the entire model. In addition, no special hardware is required for modeling. Modifications to the models can also be carried out easily and with minimum time loss.

Besides the development time, the runtime of a model is crucial in order to achieve the desired real-time behavior. We accomplish this both by the type of modeling and by adapting the computing hardware, for example co-simulation on optimized simulation computers or different constellations of FPGAs.

These advantages are particularly evident in the NovaCarts HiL systems, as the entire architecture is designed to efficiently replicate control units. Of course, we also have many years of experience in integrating our models into the test environments of all common hardware vendors.

MicroNova offers flexible basic models, which we tailor to exactly meet the focus of your application. If necessary, further modifications can be easily made at any time. We also develop individual models for a huge range of applications, for example for the exact determination of a battery’s status (state-of-health, SoH) using electro-impedance spectroscopy or for conversion between two buses (RDB and ADTF).

For the development and testing of battery management systems (BMS), MicroNova has developed the "MicroNova Battery Model", a flexible basic model. The real-time capable simulation model for battery cells accurately reproduces their electrical and thermal behavior and offers automotive manufacturers and suppliers numerous individual customization options for high-quality battery testing.

If an individual component of a vehicle is to be tested, the component in question must be taken to its operating point, i.e. put into operation as realistically as possible. Depending on the complexity and requirements, this is achieved through restbus simulation (statically), behavioral models (dynamically) or possibly even in combination with environment models.

An appropriate restbus simulation can be created by MicroNova’s NovaCarts restbus generator practically “at the push of a button”. Behavioral models are also already available for many ECUs as basic models and can be adapted for a higher level of detail if required.

Environment models, for example for the validation of autonomous driving functions, are usually very specific. MicroNova Consultants create such models in close cooperation with the customer.

In networked HiL systems, the complete network is generally reproduced. The focus of testing is on networked functions, so environmental influences and the environment are particularly relevant here. For vehicles this may be a road landscape or the traffic on the roads, for wind turbines it may be the wind and other factors affecting the turbines.

In both cases, the experts from MicroNova Consulting have extensive experience and can provide comprehensive support in creating or expanding the models required.

This type of model simulates hardware in order to be able to alter influencing conditions on the control unit under test without any mechanical effort. This allows errors to be simulated with less effort, and certain new types of error can be introduced making a suitable testing possible in the first place. Such tests at the boundary – or beyond – significantly improve the quality of the test object.

Unlike the use cases described above, virtualization is a simulation of the control unit itself. This type of modeling requires a little more effort initially, but then offers unparalleled flexibility and scalability: errors can be introduced systematically, or chip designs can be tested, without having to build expensive prototypes.

Our team manages model integration with the test infrastructure directly at the client’s site. This includes commissioning in the test system together with the control unit and other components. Furthermore, we will gladly handle the integration of real control units with the simulation on your behalf, as this requires consideration of a large number of interfaces and interrelationships within the overall system.

Benefit from over 30 years of experience in model creation as well as the maintenance and extension of customer models. MicroNova consultants have extensive experience in agile software development gained from numerous projects. Our internal hardware development is also agile. In modeling, our experts and customers are usually organized together in scrum teams.

MicroNova consultants support your development processes on site. Individual project tasks can also be outsourced to nearby countries.