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Rapid Control Prototyping

Autocoding

HIL Testing

Rapid Control Prototyping

Autocoding

HIL Testing

Rapid
Controland
Prototyping
Systems
Applications

Autocoding

HIL Testing

Rapid Control Prototyping

Autocoding

HIL Testing

Aerospace Solutions

Contents
The Challenge of Control System Development 3
Product Overview

Customer List

Application Examples

Typical Use Scenarios for dSPACE Products

The Challenge of Control System Development

Growing Requirements
As global air traffic increases, so do the requirements on
the fuel consumption, noise emission, flight range and
economic efficiency of aircraft. On top of all that, aerospace developers and manufacturers must adhere to very
high safety standards and guidelines.
To rise to these challenges, they are pushing forward with
development work in many different fields. dSPACE systems
play a vital role throughout the entire development process
for electronic control systems, giving aerospace engineers
the tools they need to set up high-performance development environments.

Single-Source Solutions
As an independent system partner, dSPACE pioneered
optimized mechatronic control system development.
dSPACE supports all stages of development. The advantages are threefold: a considerable saving in time and
cost, greatly enhanced software quality, and more efficient interaction between manufacturer and supplier.
This brochure is designed to answer your questions concerning the dSPACE development environment. Whether
you use our tools throughout the entire process or at
individual stages, you can rely on dSPACE to make a real
impact on the efficiency of your development cycle.

Control System Development

Overview of dSPACE Products for

Developing Aerospace Applications
Software
Product

Description

Real-Time Interface

n Implementation of real-time I/O and communication interfaces within Simulink/Stateflow models

n Automated code generation and implementation of Simulink/Stateflow models on dSPACE platforms

ConfigurationDesk

n Configuration and implementation software for dSPACE SCALEXIO hardware

n Graphical configuration of real-time I/O and application execution
n Management of external devices
n Hardware reconfiguration independently of the MATLAB/Simulink behavior model

MotionDesk

n 3-D online animation of simulated systems in real time

n Intuitive graphical scene design
n 3-D object library
n Multitrack mode for synchronized replay of multiple animations
n Slow and fast motion

ControlDesk

n Universal, modular experiment and instrumentation software1)

n Powerful experimental interface, measurement and post-processing
n Wide range of instruments: sliders, gauges, look-up tables, plotters, etc.
n Synchronized data capture from different sources

AutomationDesk

n Convenient, graphical development of test sequences

n Automated execution of test sequences
n Offline test execution and development
n Automated generation of test results/documentation
n Open interfaces for integration of third-party software, e.g., IBM Rational DOORS
n Real-time testing with Python scripts
n Debugger
n Complex signal evaluations

TargetLink

n Automatic generation of C code directly from Simulink/Stateflow models of control functions

n Dramatic reduction in coding and development time
n Generated code used on current production programs certified for DO178B level A

1)

The aerospace instruments in ControlDesk Next Generation are planned for 2013.

Product Overview

Partial dSPACE
Customer List:

Hardware
Product

Description

Airbus

Single-Board Hardware

n For setting up a complete real-time control system with just one controller board

Astrium

n Programmable in Simulink with dSPACE Real-Time Interface (RTI)

Boeing
CIRA

Processor Boards

n Multicore, multiprocessor platforms for real-time computation of simulation

models
n Programmable in Simulink with dSPACE Real-Time Interface (RTI)
n Scalable hardware architecture provides easy migration to networked

multiprocessor topology for computation-intensive applications

I/O Boards

n Wide selection of I/O boards to support analog/digital signal measurement and

generation
n Special programmable FPGA-based I/O boards for generating and measuring
complex signals
n Aerospace communication bus support hardware for AFDX, MIL STD 1553,
ARINC429, 1394B, ARINC 717, SCRAMNET, etc.
n Flexible system configuration of any combination of I/O and communication hardware
n Programmable in Simulink with dSPACE Real-Time Interface (RTI)
AutoBox/Tandem-AutoBox

n Robust solution for mounting the processor and I/O boards in a vehicle for field

tests
n Link board for connection to the host is included, optional link boards are
available for Ethernet, ISA and PCI, etc.

DEIMOS Space
Diehl Avionik Systems
DLR
EADS
Eurocopter
Goodrich
Honda Aircraft Company
Honeywell
LIEBHERR-AEROSPACE
Lockheed Martin
Moog
MTU
NASA

MicroAutoBox II

n Compact and robust system with high processing power for field tests
n Available in six standard variants (each with different interfaces and I/O).

All variants can integrate an additional embedded PC.

dSPACE Simulator

n Highly flexible, open hardware concept with standard components that are set

up according to customer requirements

n Single-processor or multiprocessor systems for calculating models
n Freely expandable with dSPACE I/O boards
n Signal conditioning, load simulation and electrical failure simulation
n Available in various setups and sizes

SCALEXIO

n Advanced, flexible technology for HIL simulation

n Versatile hardware and software for various test tasks

Nord-Micro
Northrop Grumman
Corporation
Raytheon
Silver-Athena
THALES
The Aerospace Corporation
Turbomeca
United Technologies

n Highly scalable system architecture

n Configured completely by software
n Connectable to existing systems
n New aerospace bus solutions under development1)

1)

Please contact dSPACE for further information.

Product Overview

Application Examples

Navigation system for a reentry vehicle

n Innovative heat shield technologies are tested
with a high-altitude test rocket
n The dSPACE system allows complete
preflight simulation of the mission and indepth checks of the reentry nose cones
navigation system
(Beating the Heat, dSPACE Magazine
3/2010; Quick Link1): 1427)

Intelligent UAVs for autonomous flight

missions
n Development of intelligent mission control
software algorithms for autonomous UAVs
n Using the dSPACE system, comprehensive
virtual test flights can be performed in the
laboratory before real outdoor test flights
(Blade Runner, dSPACE Magazine 1/2011;
Quick Link1): 1500)

Testing extreme flight conditions

n Aircraft flight dynamics in abnormal conditions
are investigated using a subscale UAV
n The dSPACE system plays the role of the flight
control computer and allows quick, flexible
changes to the UAVs test conditions
(NASAs Top Model, dSPACE Magazine
2/2010; Quick Link1): 1360)

Whisper mode for helicopters

n Deflections of additional flaps in the rotor
blades divert air vortexes and reduce noise
and vibrations
n The dSPACE real-time system controls the flap
deflections, reducing noise by almost 50% and
vibrations by virtually 90%
(Comfort Mode for Helicopters, dSPACE
NEWS 3/2007; Quick Link1): 688)

Application Examples

Advanced systems integration testing facility

n Testing aircraft hardware and software
systems in an actual electrical harness
n The dSPACE system supports the simulation
of the environmental and aerodynamic
conditions
(First Flight of HondaJet Advanced Systems
Integration Test Facility a Success,
dSPACE Newsletter 1/2010; Quick Link1): 1634)

Cabin pressure control

n Development of the
a cabin pressure cont
n The control software
dSPACE TargetLink,
requirements accord
(Maximum Safety,
Quick Link1): 1028)

Satellite rendezvous
n Relative navigation of two satellites
n The dSPACE system performs the simulation
of the satellites behavior and controls the
hardware of the satellite models motion
systems
(Simulated Satellite Rendezvous, dSPACE
Newsletter 2/2011; Quick Link1): 1630)

Advanced control surface actuators

n Testing diverse types of electrical control
surface actuators in different configurations
n The dSPACE multiprocessor system makes it
possible to simulate realistic flight maneuvers
and to adapt the test facility to new actuator
concepts with a minimum of effort
(Flying with the Iron Bird, dSPACE NEWS
3/2005; Quick Link1): 203)

Thrust reversal system

n Development of a fully electrical thrust reversal
system with no hydraulic or pneumatic elements
n The dSPACE system was used for capturing
diverse sensor signals (positioning motors,
air flow, etc.) and to optimize the control
algorithms for the strength of thrust reversal
(Breaking at Full Speed, dSPACE NEWS
1/2007; Quick Link1): 500)

system
control software for
trol system
was autocoded by
and fullfills aviation
ding to DO-178B level A
dSPACE Magazine 1/2009;

1)

Propulsion systems
n Development and optimization of turbine
engine control algorithms
n The dSPACE system performs the real-time
simulation of turbines and aircraft models,
which interact with real turbine hardware
(Turbine Tweaking, dSPACE Magazine
1/2008; Quick Link1): 806)

Emergency power system

n Development of a fuel-cell-based emergency
power system
n The dSPACE system makes it possible to test
the full range of operating states and failure
modes comprehensively in the laboratory
(Never Without Power, dSPACE Magazine
3/2009; Quick Link1): 1173)

To download the complete article, type the quick link code on www.dspace.de/go/quicklink

Application Examples

Typical Use Scenarios for dSPACE Products

Aircraft Systems
Electric and electronic systems play a major role in
modern aircraft, and aircraft support and flight systems
are increasingly controlled and monitored by electronics.
At the same time, environmental legislation is forcing
companies to reduce aircraft weight and lower overall
fuel consumption. These trends affect a wide range of
aircraft systems, such as flight control systems (control
surfaces and cockpit controls), navigation systems, health
and usage monitoring systems (HUMS), and aircraft networks (AFDX, MIL-STD-1553, ARINC 429, etc.).

Airframe
Modern airframes, including components such as control
surfaces, landing flaps, slats, landing gear, etc., contain
countless electric components. For example, control surfaces are activated by electric or electro-hydrostatic actuators instead of hydraulic actuators. Iron birds aircraft
test benches are vital tools in developing these systems,
as they automatically and realistically reproduce any conceivable flight situation. dSPACE systems play a central
role here, calculating models for real-time flight maneuver
simulation.

Aircraft states
Thrust lever
DS1005 PPC Board

Aircraft controller
Flight states
Configuration changes
Flight maneuvers
Autopilot

Actual values

DS1005 PPC Board

Engine data
for rudder
hinge
moments

DS1005 PPC Board

Actuators

Aircraft systems simulation

Requirements

Actuators
Hydraulics
Control surfaces
Rudder hinge moments

System states

Actual
values

Requirements
ARINC

Aircraft model
Flight mechanics model
Aerodynamics
Ethernet

Ethernet Switch

CANaerospace
Pilot commands

Cockpit computer

Host computer

Visualization computer

LAN

Projector

Cockpit
VGA

Sidesticks, thrust levers, pedals, flaps,

control levers, speed,brakes, indicators...

Use Case: Actuator Tests on an Iron Bird

This iron bird can easily run through a wide range of
flight situations and simulate a large number of faults
in the hydraulics, electrics, flight control system, and
actuators. The faults that can be simulated include
pressure changes in the hydraulics and component
failures.

Use Scenarios

Each of the DS1005 boards has its own task to perform, such as calculations for the real-time simulation
of flight maneuvers, the hydraulic system or control
surfaces, or autopilot functionalities like automatic
landings. One special strength of the dSPACE components is their flexibility, which makes it possible to
adapt the test facility to new actuator concepts and
aircraft types with a minimum of effort.

Aircraft Engines
The demands on modern aircraft engines are getting
tougher. They have to be quieter, more efficient and more
eco-friendly, yet also provide increasing performance.
To achieve all these objectives, engine manufacturers
need to explore new strategies in many different areas.
Each engine must pass special tests both during development and after, to verify that it is completely safe and
reliable and to gain aviation authority approval. These

Host PC

tests cover a wide range of different aspects, such as the

effects of cold and heat, continuous operation, vibration
and even bird strikes. dSPACE systems make it possible,
for example, to simulate turbines and calculate aircraft
models in real time, together with real turbine hardware
components if necessary. This approach enables engineers to study various configuration scenarios in a minimum of time and at low cost.

AutoBox

Engine Nacelle

ControlDesk
DS817 Link Board

Optical
connection

DS814 Link Board

DS4003 Digital I/O
Board
DS1005 PPC Board

Electric motor
position
Electromechanical
brake
Primary lock system

Actuating
variables

Position
signals

Signal
conversion

Actuating
variables

Position
signals

Resolver Interface

Transcowl
position sensor

ARINC Interface

Electronic engine
control (or emulator)

Use Case: Developing a Thrust Reversal System

The dSPACE prototyping system, consisting essentially
of the DS1005, I/O, diverse interface boards, and the
ControlDesk experiment software, offers an easy-touse environment for developing the algorithms for a
fully electrical thrust reversal system. The control algorithms can be designed in MATLAB/Simulink and
executed on the prototyping hardware with dSPACEs
experiment software ControlDesk. One of the tasks of
the dSPACE prototyping system is to capture sensor

signals (including the speed and positions of various

positioning motors and air flow) via I/O interfaces and
a resolver interface dedicated to electric motors. This
data is then used to calculate the actuating variables
for the strength of thrust reversal.
Using this development environment saves a lot of
time, and the final embedded software development
can begin at an early phase.

Use Scenarios

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being introduced in
many different areas, including surveillance, security, crop
monitoring, law enforcement, and even package delivery.
One particular challenge is autonomous flight in general airspace shared with normal manned commercial
aircraft. To meet this challenge, high-performance environment recognition and intelligent on-board real-time

aircraft control software are absolute necessities. dSPACE

systems are perfectly suited for developing such systems:
for intricate tasks such as processing sensor data in real
time during actual flight, or testing the onboard systems
in virtual laboratory test flights, dSPACE prototyping and
HIL test systems speed up development, and help cut
costs and improve software quality and reliability.

Video
Data

Safety pilot

Telemetry
Aircraft nose
camera video
Data from aircraft

Commands for aircraft

dSPACE System
Real-time processing of sensor data from aircraft
Processing pilot commands for aircraft

Setup
2x DS1005 Processor Board (optically linked)
DS2003 A/D Board (32 channels)
DS5001 Digital Waveform Capture Board (for PWM signals)
DS4003 Digital I/O Board (96 channels)
2x DS4201-S Serial Interface Bord (RS422, 4 channels)
10 Mbit/s Ethernet Interface
DS814 Link Board (for connection to host PC)

Test pilot station

Monitoring station

Flight director station

Execution of test flight

maneuvers

Monitoring of hardware and

software systems

Test flight coordination

and planning

Aircraft states, alerts,

environment etc.

GPS data from aircraft

Ground-based video tracking system

Tracking video

Use Case: Researching Extreme Flight Situations

In this example, a UAV is used to study flight situations that would be too dangerous and too expensive
with a real aircraft. The ground-based flight control
system is implemented as a dSPACE system, which
provides the high performance required by the complex real-time computations during test flights with
the UAV. The system processes the measurement
values collected by the UAV and also the flight commands in real time, supports the generation of data
for flight displays, and records test data for post-flight
analysis. The dSPACE system communicates with
the UAV over a high-bandwidth telemetry link. The
ground stations computer systems consist of two
DS1005 Processor Boards and several connected
workstations for display generation and data log-

10

Use Scenarios

ging. One CPU in the dSPACE system handles the

pilot inputs, manages the telemetry stream to and
from the aircraft, and calibrates and processes data
to drive real-time displays. The second dSPACE CPU
is dedicated to research control algorithms which are
invoked during the flight under both nominal and
failed vehicle configurations. These control algorithms
are routinely swapped out for different flight experiments, and implement code developed and prototyped in Simulink using a simulation model for the
vehicle. The use of a secondary CPU for this code not
only provides a high level of computing power but
also allows the master CPU to monitor and isolate any
software faults, including code lockup, segmentation
faults, or unbounded behavior.

Space Flight
When developing space flight technology, aerospace
engineers are constantly striving to push the limits of
what is technically possible. At the same time, system
reliability is their top priority, since an error in space can
result in expensive losses and delays, and have fatal consequences. So it is imperative for system engineers to get

it right the first time. Thats where dSPACE systems can

help. The typical applications of dSPACE equipment in the
field of space flight are in developing navigation systems,
satellite position controls, and propulsion (combustion
control, thrust control, vibration damping).

Spirent GPS Simulator

SimGen PC

Signal Generator

PPS

RF Link

GPS receiver

Rotation table

Rotation table
controller

PPS

IMU

Host PC
with ControlDesk

Use Case: Testing a Navigation System

In this use case, the dSPACE systems task is to simulate the atmospheric reentry of a rocket nose cone.
The dSPACE system allows complete preflight simulation of the flight sequence after reentry, including
navigation signals, in order to test the interaction
between all components. In the first test step, the
experiment setup consists solely of the dSPACE system
and the navigation computer. The actual navigation
devices inertial measurement unit (IMU), GPS, star
tracker are not connected at this stage, so their signals are all simulated by the dSPACE system. This test
phase validates and optimizes the basic functionality
of the navigation software. In the second step, the

RS 422
Dig. In

Navigation computer

RS 422
Dig. Out

GPS I/F

STR I/F

RS 422

Launcher
I/F
CCC I/F

TM/TC I/F

RS 422

Digital I/O

STR Activate

IMU I/F

RS 422

DS 4201

Serial I/F

DS 2202

STR SIM

STR Trigger

RS 422
Dig. Out

ScramNet
I/F

Dig. In

DS 4503

TCP/IP I/F

DS 1006

Mission
simulation

dSPACE System

DS 4504

Trigger

Umbilical
I/F

Development PC

GPS and a GPS signal generator are connected

so that GPS navigation can be tested. The third step
(see diagram above) then connects the IMU, which
is mounted on an ACUTRONIC rotation table to simulate different craft movements. The integrated star
tracker receives a simulated map of the stars from
a Jenoptik sky simulator.
One special challenge handled by the dSPACE system
is to synchronize the measurement signals with the
navigation computers internal clock. This is particular
important because of the high velocities of the nose
cone during reentry, when time delays in GPS measurements seriously affect the navigation solution.

Use Scenarios

11

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Copyright 2012 by dSPACE GmbH.

All rights reserved. Written permission is required for reproduction of all or parts of this publication. The source must
be stated in any such reproduction. dSPACE is continually improving its products and reserves the right to alter the
specifications of the products at any time without notice. "AutomationDesk", "CalDesk", "ConfigurationDesk",
"ControlDesk", "dSPACE", "Embedded Success dSPACE", "Green Success", "ProMINT", "SCALEXIO", "SYNECT",
"SystemDesk", "TargetLink", and "VEOS" are trademarks or registered trademarks of dSPACE GmbH in the United
States of America or in other countries or both. Other brand names or product names are trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective companies or organizations.

Company Headquarters
in Germany

08/2012

United Kingdom

France

dSPACE GmbH
Rathenaustrae 26
33102 Paderborn
Tel.: +49 5251 1638-0
Fax: +49 5251 16198-0
info@dspace.de

dSPACE Ltd.
Unit B7 . Beech House
Melbourn Science Park
Melbourn
Hertfordshire . SG8 6HB
Tel.: +44 1763 269 020
Fax: +44 1763 269 021
info@dspace.co.uk

dSPACE SARL
7 Parc Burospace
Route de Gisy
91573 Bivres Cedex
Tel.: +33 169 355 060
Fax: +33 169 355 061
info@dspace.fr

China

Japan

USA and Canada

dSPACE Mechatronic Control

Technology (Shanghai) Co.,Ltd.
Unit 1101-1104, 11F/L
Middle Xizang Rd. 18
Harbour Ring Plaza
200001 Shanghai
Tel.: +86 21 6391 7666
Fax: +86 21 6391 7445
infochina@dspace.com

dSPACE Japan K.K.

10F Gotenyama Trust Tower
4-7-35 Kitashinagawa
Shinagawa-ku
Tokyo 140-0001
Tel.: +81 3 5798 5460
Fax: +81 3 5798 5464
info@dspace.jp

dSPACE Inc.
50131 Pontiac Trail
Wixom . MI 48393-2020
Tel.: +1 248 295 4700
Fax: +1 248 295 2950
info@dspaceinc.com