Product category:
Simulation, modelling and validation software
News Release from: Opal-RT Technologies | Subject: TestDrive OP6000 engine ECU testing system
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 15 April 2008
Tester boosts ECU quality
TestDrive OP6000 is a powerful system for improving electronic control unit (ECU) quality throughout the entire production process with real-time open or closed-loop simulation.
Opal-RT Technologies has released a series of improvements to its TestDrive OP6000 engine ECU testing system Based upon Opal-RT's flagship technology, RT-LAB, TestDrive OP6000 is a powerful system for improving electronic control unit (ECU) quality throughout the entire production process with real-time open or closed-loop simulation
TestDrive OP6000's modular design enables test and control engineers to conduct the ECU design process in a complete virtual environment by replicating all the loading and sensory feedback of an actual vehicle under realistic conditions.
TestDrive OP6000 can also be integrated with Opal-RT's eDrivesim real-time simulator to conduct extensive real-time testing and simulation of hybrid vehicle propulsion systems.
Enhancements to TestDrive OP6000 include support for real-time current measurement, the ability to send and receive SPI communications and to generate motor resolver signals.
TestDrive OP6000 also incorporates an enhanced graphical user interface.
"ECU testing has traditionally required the use of inefficient analogue simulation equipment".
"Because outsourced options have not always been available, such equipment was often constructed by the engineer to meet a specific need".
"However, each time a new control system required testing, the engineer would be forced to manually configure and setup this equipment, costing precious development time and impacting the overall length of the design process", said Jean Belanger, President, Opal-RT Technologies.
"TestDrive OP6000 provides a scalable test and simulation option that centralises ECU design applications in a single software-configurable box, reducing time required for setup and configuration and freeing the engineer to focus on the business of high-quality ECU design".
TestDrive OP6000's scalable design means that it can be tailored to meet ECU vendors' increasingly stringent specifications in terms of performance, flexibility, test automation capability and unit cost.
Since the initial launch of TestDrive at SAE World Congress in 2004, the product has been deployed in multiple ECU test plants worldwide.
In addition, a number of major OEMs and tier-one suppliers are currently evaluating the TestDrive OP6000 system.
TestDrive OP6000 easily accommodates up to 10 I/O modules and hundreds of IO channels that can be reconfigured directly from the software interface to test even the most complex powertrain ECUs.
TestDrive OP6000 can also be easily and economically configured to test ECU applications with smaller I/O counts.
It is user friendly, with software-managed voltage protection that provides instant updates on I/O status without interrupting workflow.
The TestDrive graphical user interface facilitates the design and test of ECU software or production-ready ECUs in a complete virtual environment.
The system easily handles automated regression tests to fully validate ECU software reliability.
In addition to its performance as a stand-alone test lab, multiple TestDrive OP6000 systems can be networked together, enabling real-time testing of multiple vehicle systems.
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