Emulator-based control for actuator-based hardware-in-the-loop testing

Hardware-in-the-loop (HWiL) is a form of component testing where hardware components are linked with software models. In order to test mechanical components an additional transfer system is required to link the software and hardware subsystems. The transfer system typically comprises sensors and actuators and the dynamic effects of these components need to be eliminated to give accurate results. In this paper an emulator-based control strategy is presented for actuator-based HWiL. Emulator-based control can solve the twin problems of stability and fidelity caused by the unwanted transfer system (actuator) dynamics. Significantly EBC can emulate the inverse of a transfer system which is not causally invertible, allowing a wider range of more complex transfer systems to be controlled. A robustness analysis is given and experimental results presented.