Rapid Prototyping

Research team

Petru Dobra, Daniel Moga, Mirela Dobra

Research fields

• Control algorithms

- Hardware in the loop simulations

- Rapid control prototyping

- Real-Time Interface to Simulink via dSPACE

• Vision-based monitoring and intelligent control

- Calibration methods of vision systems

- Advanced control algorithms

- High precision positioning systems

- Complex testing-calibration systems

• PLC Equipment in industry

- Design, production, operation, maintenance, refitting, recycling 

- Low cost automation

- PID control

- Virtual machinering

Recent research projects

“RADEPA- Rapid development of prototyping for actuators systems”, national research grant funded by CNCSIS, A – 1257, (2006-2009).

“ViSICoM - Vision Bases Systems for Intelligent Control and Monitoring”, national research grant funded by ANCS, CEEX, no. X2C21/18.07.2006.

“Research on sensors technology and design algorithms for signal processing”, research project funded by MulstiPRO Amsterdam, no.22520/30.11.2005, (2005-2006).

“Research on Test Compression and LBIST”, research project funded by Philips Semiconductors, no. 23800/21.12.2005, (2005-2006).

Daniel Moga, project manager.

Publications

P. Dobra, R. Duma, M. Dobra, D. Moga, “Adaptive System Identification of Automotive Power Generation”, 1st IFAC Workshop on Convergence of Information Technologies and Control Methods with Power Plants and Power Systems, ICPS'07, July 09-11, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, pp.111-116.

L. Tomesc, P. Dobra, M. Abrudean, “Low-Cost Power Quality Analizer”, 1st IFAC Workshop on Convergence of Information Technologies and Control Methods with Power Plants and Power Systems, ICPS'07, July 09-11, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, pp.157-162.

P. Dobra, M. Trusca, D. Petreus, “Stability aspects in DC-DC converters using PID controller”, Control Engineering and Applied Informatics, CEAI Journal, 2007, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 33-40.

P. Dobra, M. Trusca, ”Analysis of stability nonlinear systems with varying parameters using Popov Criterion”, IEEE Symposium on Computer-Aided Control Systems Design (CCA/CACSD/ISIC 2006), Munich, Germany, 4-6 October 2006, pp. 1163-1172.

M. Trusca, P. Dobra, ”Stability aspects in case of small delayed robot manipulators systems”, IEEE Conference on Control Applications (CCA/CACSD/ISIC 2006), Munich, Germany, 4- 6 October 2006, pp. 266-270.

P. Dobra, L. Nagy-Kulcsar, M. Trusca, D. Moga, R. Balan, ”Stability of tha fast voltage control loop in DC-DC converters”, Proceedings of International IEEE-TTTC, International Conference on Automation, Quality and Testing, Robotics AQTR 2006 (THETA 15), Cluj-Napoca, May 25-28, 2006, pp. 107-112.

M. Trusca, Gh. Lazea, P. Dobra, ”Effects of the small delays in robotic control systems”, Proceedings of International IEEE-TTTC, International Conference on Automation, Quality and Testing, Robotics AQTR 2006 (THETA 15), Cluj-Napoca, May 25-28, 2006, pp. 302-306.

P. Dobra, M. Trusca, D. Moga, “Designing and Testing of Modern Tools for Control Systems Prototyping”, 16th IFAC World Congress, Prague, Czech Republic,4-8 July, 2005.

P. Dobra, M. Trusca, D. Petreus, “Rapid Prototyping of Controllers for Electrical Drive Systems”, Proceedings of the 6th International Symposium on Advanced Electromechanical Motion Systems, ELECTROMOTION 2005, Laussanne, Switzerland, 27-29 September, 2005.

Research description

RADEPA - Rapid development of prototyping for actuators systems

Introduction

Rapid Control Prototyping is a way out of this situation, especially if the control algorithm is complex and a lot of iteration steps are necessary. Intelligent software and hardware tools relieve the control engineer from cumbersome hand coding. The need to make use of these tools grows with the complexity of the control system to develop.

Hardware for Rapid Control Prototyping has to be much more powerful than the target controller, especially when complex controller functions shall be implemented. Moreover, I/O of the prototyping system ideally corresponds to the I/O of the target controller. The hardware introduced in this grant is tailored for applications in the fields of electrical drives and provides both, high computational power and a wide range of powerful I/O (digital, A/D and D/A, PWM, incremental encoder interface, CAN interface).

Objectives

- PID Controller Design

- Hardware Architecture

- dSPACE Simulator for Hardware in-the-Loop Simulation

- Multitasking Implementations

The main target is a drives application, in which a new PID tuning method is proposed for a class of unknown, stable and minimum phase plants. The experimental application for a DC motor illustrates the effectiveness and the simplicity of the proposed method for robust PID controller design

Results

The developed system provides the following features for the user of the real-time part of the system:

- Data Acquisition, 

- Parameter Changes, 

- Template for Structural Changes, Algorithm Portability, 

- Interface to data plotting and analysis (MATLAB).

New control strategies are designed in the MATLAB/Simulink environment. The real-time code for the complete system, including I/O functions, is automatically generated by-means of the Real-Time Workshop and the Real-Time Interface. No hand coding is required. Time for implementation and test of the new algorithm is minimized.