“A key benefit to using Altair Embed for
this project is its code generation
capability and how quickly and
fast it works. The speed of how
its drivers work and being able to
interface directly with our ROM
code was really the key enabler for
me, and that was the most important
benefit in this particular project.”
Dave Wilson
Senior Motor Systems Engineer, C2000 Group,
Texas Instruments
Altair Embed in the Simulation Process - Development of Altair Embed Simulation of Entire System
Mr. Wilson had first become familiar with Altair Embed while viewing a web based
presentation 4 years prior. Recalling how easy it was to use, he decided to try it for his current
project. Altair Embed provided him with a solution to create fast and accurate simulations of motor
analog dynamics as well as the digital control. He was then able to automatically create C code
from the controller portion of his graphical diagram, and download the code to run on the
Piccolo target. Using the Altair Embed JTAG Hotlink in a new synchronous mode, Mr. Wilson could
run the motor simulation in lock step with the control running on the target in non real-time.
This allowed Mr. Wilson to verify controller operation against any motor configuration, no matter
how big or small. It also allowed him to take part of the simulation and interface it to the
FAST™ observer. He developed an Altair Embed simulation of the entire system except for the FAST™
piece of code. He could now control any gains he liked. Different parameters like resistances,
inductances, controller gains and voltage tolerances could now be controlled as well. “I could
then characterize what the FAST™ observer in ROM would give me, and I could compare that
to the ideal answer from the simulation. The bottom line is, Altair Embed completely solved the problem
that I was running into,” said Mr. Wilson, “A key benefit to using Altair Embed for this project is its code
generation capability and how quickly and fast it works. The speed of how its drivers work and
being able to interface directly with our ROM code was really the key enabler for me, and that
was the most important benefit in this particular project,” he concluded.
Benefits and Outcome
Deriving the solution using Altair Embed not only allowed generation of the FAST™ TRM (Technical
Reference Manual), it also resulted in a very useful tool. A tool which can enable TI’s customers
to test their motor control requirements using TI’s actual ROM based algorithm that they would
have never before been able to do without having to hook up an actual motor system. This gives
them a quick way to kick the tires on InstaSPIN™ FOC (Field Oriented Control) without having
to build a whole system for it.