Research Platforms for Embedded Control and Design

Control, Robotics, Mechatronics & Embedded

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Graphical System Design

A Platform-Based Approach for Measurement and Control
Test Monitor Embedded Control Mechatronics

Industries and Applications

Hardware and I/O Devices

Desktops and PC-Based DAQ

PXI and Modular Instruments

NI CompactRIO

Open Connectivity With Third-Party I/O

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Multi-Modal Rover for Search and Rescue

Coordinated Robotics Lab

With both an FPGA and a PowerPC processor, the Single-Board RIO platform has the flexibility to handle a variety of programming tasks and algorithms in an efficient manner. Onboard Ethernet, combined with a Wi-Fi adapter, enables real-time wireless communication, debugging, and deployment of software
Nick Morozovsky, Mechanical Engineering PhD student, Switchblade project leader

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MIT: Cheetah Robot Control & Test Systems

sbRIO-9642 (Treadmill Control) cRIO-9082 (Robot Control) Developing a control architecture for legged locomotion Sensor fusion for multi-parallel IMUs and laser distance sensors array Significant time saving for system integration

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2012 Graphical System Design Achievement Awards Overall Winner

Andy Clegg & Petros Savidis

Industrial Systems & Control (ISC) Ltd. Controlling a Motion Compensated Gangway to Access Offshore Turbines

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"The combination of NI LabVIEW and NI CompactRIO was ideal for this application, combining the computational power to handle the low level control and inverse kinematic calculations while running the operational logic and monitoring function at the same time. time. The small and low power nature of the cRIO and touch panel computers is perfectly suited to the marine environment. environment. Andrew Clegg, Industrial Systems and Control Ltd

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Mechatronics System Components

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Improving the Efficiency of Design Teams

Domain Experts System Architects
Domain Experts

In the past, we would have needed a team of four people a controls expert, a mechanical engineer, an electrical engineer, and a programmer, programmer, person. now it takes only one person . Mechanical Designers Sean Dougherty
Software Designers FPGA Designers
Mechatronics Supervisor MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates

Custom IC Designers

ASIC Designers

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Development with Traditional Tools

1
Develop algorithm Prepare for Dual Core

2
Generate C Code

3
Compile for Real-Time Target

4
Debug Application on Real-Time

Programming Environment

Multithreading scheduller

C Generator

Real-Time Compiler, Linker, Debugger

+ Real-Time Processor and Other Hardware

Development Tool Chain

Third-Party Embedded Tools

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Development with LabVIEW

1
Graphical and Textual Programming

Prepare for Dual Core

C Code Generation

Compiler for Real-Time Target

Debug Application on Real-Time

LabVIEW MathScript RT Module

Inherent Multithreading

LabVIEW Compiler

LabVIEW Real-Time Module

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Design

Prototype

Deploy

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A Highly Productive Graphical Development Environment for Engineers and Scientists

Hardware APIs

BuiltBuilt-in Libraries

Custom User Interfaces

Deployment Targets
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Technology Abstractions
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Programming Approaches

LabVIEW Control Design & Simulation

Construct and analyze system models Design basic and advanced control algorithms Simulate response of controller designs Analyze control efficiency and stability interactively Implement systems with built-in real-time I/O
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Standard Notation Reduces Learning Curve

LabVIEW Control Design & Simulation Module

The Simulink Software Environment

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Simulink is a registered trademark of The MathWorks, Inc.

Dynamic System Simulation & Control

Single environment for:

Simulation of dynamic systems Real-time implementation for rapid control prototyping or hardware-in-theloop simulation

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LabVIEW MathScript RT

Powerful textual programming for Control Design, Signal Processing, and Math

Hundreds of built-in functions Reuse many of your m-file scripts created with The MathWorks, Inc.s MATLAB software and others

A native LabVIEW solution

Interactive and programmatic interfaces Does not require 3rd party software

MATLAB is a registered trademark of The MathWorks, Inc.

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Combined Graphical / Textual Programming

A Hybrid Approach

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Fractal Generation .m Script Integration Muilti-Core Processing

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40 Million Tonnes
UK Road Fuel Consumption

The Problem

30%
UK Energy Consumption

Aerodynamic Drag
Most energy waste at motorway speeds

80%
Caused by Rear Airflow Separation

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Feedback Control for Road Vehicle Drag Reduction Using Pulsating Jets
We are synthetically controlling airflow, which directly results in significant reductions in road transportation fuel consumption and carbon emissions.

Inputs: 12 Pressure Sensors Outputs: jets of air driven by loudspeakers enclosed in the body

Using a high performance real-time NI PXI system, we acquired data across 12 channels and multiplied by high-order transfer functions within just 50s.
Georgios Rigas
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Flow Control Group

Feedback Control for Road Vehicle Drag Reduction Using Pulsating Jets
We are synthetically controlling airflow, which directly results in significant reductions in road transportation fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
Inputs: Pressure Sensors To program this, we used12 LabVIEW system Outputs: jets integrate of air driven by design software to seamlessly with loudspeakers enclosed in the body algorithms previously implemented in MATLAB with high-performance NI hardware. Using a high performance real-time

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Georgios Rigas MATLAB is a registered trademark of The MathWorks, Flow Inc. Control Group
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NI PXI system, we acquired data across 12 channels and multiplied by high-order transfer functions within just 50s.

Models of Computation in Action

Timing

Textual Math

I/O integration

Data Flow

Parallel

C & HDL Code

Statecharts

Control & Simulation

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Design

Prototype

Deploy

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Critical Real-Time Applications

Event Response

Closed-Loop Control

Critical Tests

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Real-Time Development Tools

Compiler Linker Debugger System Analysis Tools RTOS
Real-Time Hardware

Development Software

LabVIEW Real-Time

Execution Trace Tool

Microprocessor I/O Connectivity

LabVIEW Real-Time Target

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Prototyping Hardware NI CompactRIO

Rugged, reconfigurable deployment platform for controls, mechatronics, and robotics applications FPGA parallel processing capabilities to optimize your control algorithms Up to 40 MHz control loop rates with FPGA-based backplane Modular I/O modules for flexible I/O provide optimum flexibility and mixed-signal integration

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Introduction to Real-Time OS

Real-time does not always mean real fast Real-time means absolute reliability Real-time systems have timing constraints that must be met to avoid failure Determinism is the ability to complete a task within a fixed amount of time

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Operating System Characteristics

General Purpose OS
High-priority tasks can be preempted by lower-priority tasks Extraneous background programs Screen savers, disk utilities, virus software, etc. Peripheral Interrupts Mouse, keyboard, etc. Loop Rate Software Jitter

10-100 Hz

Unbounded

Real-Time OS
Scheduler ensures high-priority tasks execute first Direct control over all tasks Stand-alone (no mouse, keyboard, etc.)
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Up to 100 kHz

Bounded

Introduction to FPGA Technology

What is an FPGA?

Field programmable gate array (FPGA) A silicon chip with unconnected gates and other hardware resources Enables user to define and re-define functionality Circuit behavior is defined using software Circuit specification (gate connection, etc.) is loaded into the hardware No OS is needed for execution of logic Custom hardware, fast execution, critical code Reconfiguration required after deployment

How does an FPGA work?

When is an FPGA used?

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FPGA Technology

Programmable Interconnects

Logic Blocks

FieldField-Programmable Gate Array

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I/O Blocks

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FPGA Logic Implementation

Implementing Logic on FPGA: F = {(A+B)CD} E E F LabVIEW FPGA Code

A B C D

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Why are FPGAs useful?

High Reliability Designs implemented in hardware High Performance Computational abilities open

new possibilities for measurement and data processing speed Low Latency Run algorithms at deterministic rates down to 5 ns Reconfigurable Create DUT / application-specific personalities True Parallelism Enables parallel tasks and pipelining, reducing test times
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FPGA Technology - Abstract Complexity

Counter Analogue I/O I/O with DMA

LabVIEW FPGA
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VHDL

~4000 lines

High-Speed Control

About 200 kHz loop rate

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Design

Prototype

Deploy

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Blind Driver Challenge

Student Design from Virginia Tech

Road Ready Vehicle for Blind Non-visual driving interfaces FPGA Parallel Processing Potential Field Algorithms

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NI Single-Board RIO Platform

The power of CompactRIO on a single board.
Digital I/O Analog I/O Real-Time Processor FPGA C Series I/O

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NI Single-Board RIO Platform

Model

Processor Speed (MHz) 266 400 266 400 266 400 266 400

FPGA Size (Gates) 1M 2M 1M 2M 1M 2M 1M 2M

3.3V DIO Lines 110 110 110 110 110 110 110 110

AI Channels (NI 9205) 0 0 32 32 32 32 32 32

AO Channels (NI 9263) 0 0 0 0 4 4 4 4

24V DI/DO (NI 9425 & NI 9476) 0 0 0 0 0 0 32/32 32/32

C Series Expansion (Slots) 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

sbRIO-9601 sbRIO-9602 sbRIO-9611 sbRIO-9612 sbRIO-9631 sbRIO-9632 sbRIO-9641 sbRIO-9642

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NI LabVIEW RIO Evaluation Kit

RIO Evaluation hardware (315)
sbRIO-9636 400 MHz Real-Time Controller AI, AO, DIO, LCD Screen 90-day extended evaluation version of NI LabVIEW, Real-Time and FPGA Step-by-Step Tutorials All necessary cables and accessories Online Community Support Every customer interested in LabVIEW RT or FPGA

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LabVIEW Controlled Quadcopter

Application: An aerial vehicle designed, developed and deployed using Graphical Systems Design

NI Products used: LabVIEW FPGA, LabVIEW Real Time, NI sbRIO, VISA Drivers

Reasons for choosing NI Products: Development of this type of project from the ground up could not have been achieved using any other platform in just three months. The LabVIEW PID toolkit took weeks off development time and the sbRIO provided simple integration of COTS sensors
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Hexapod
Inverse Kinematics and Closed Loop Balancing on sbRIO

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Graphical System Design

Design
Interactive Algorithm Design Control design Dynamic system simulation Digital filter design Advanced mathematics

Prototype
Tight I/O Integration I/O modules and drivers COTS FPGA hardware VHDL and C code integration Design validation tools

Deploy
Deployable Targets Rugged deployment platforms Distributed networking Custom designs

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