A Matlab based framework for the real-time environment at FTU

In this paper we report on recent developments, based on The MathWorks’ Simulink and Real-Time Workshop (RTW) packages, aimed at obtaining a high level environment where a new control law can be easily modelled, simulated with the real-time constraints and then translated in the appropriate executable format. Using this tool, the control designer only needs to specify the control law in the Simulink graphical environment. The arising model is then automatically translated in C code, integrated with control system code and simulated in real-time using the data from the Frascati Tokamak Upgrade (FTU) data base archive. All the necessary steps to adapt the RTW scripts and the control system code to the new simulation/validation environment will be illustrated in this paper. Moreover, we will report on some experimental tests where the actual experiment is compared with the simulations provided by the proposed environment.