Parameterizable, software-implemented interface for data exchange of at least one process variable

Abstract

Parameterizable, software-implemented interface (12) for data exchange of at least one process variable between a simulation model of a drive controller (10) of an electric drive and a periphery (14) of the drive controller of the electric drive, wherein the interface (12) is parameterizable depending on a simulation depth of the simulation model of the drive controller (10) and / or the periphery (14) of the drive controller.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a parameterizable, software-implemented interface for data exchange of at least one process variable between a simulation model of a drive controller of an electric drive and a periphery of the drive controller of the electric drive. State of the art

[0002] Electric drive systems comprising a drive controller and at least one electric motor are well known in the art. Such drive systems are particularly important in the context of the widespread electrification of motor vehicles. The electric motor is controlled by a drive controller. The drive controller includes drive logic in the form of implemented algorithms that are executed on a computing device with at least one processor.

[0003] To correctly represent bidirectional data exchange between the drive controller and a drive controller peripheral, data communication via a fieldbus interface is necessary. This is a cyclically accessed process data interface between the drive controller and a drive controller peripheral.

[0004] To optimize development and / or production times, it is becoming increasingly important—as in numerous other technical fields—to simulate or virtualize such drive systems, especially before they undergo a real (prototype) production process. Various simulation methods for simulating the behavior of a drive system are already known. Examples include dynamic models and kinematic models of electric drives.

[0005] In a dynamic model, depending on the level of detail of the system simulation, a virtualized motor model and / or a virtualized mechanical model and / or a virtualized kinematic model of the electric drive to be simulated are provided so that an actual force value and / or an actual torque value can be made available to the drive controller simulation model. The drive controller simulation model then returns a simulated actual position value in response. In a kinematic model, however, an actual position value is calculated directly by the drive controller simulation model, without the need for additional external simulation models. This type of kinematic simulation therefore serves more to visualize the motion behavior of the electric drive and generally includes a lower level of simulation detail than a dynamic simulation.

[0006] Particularly in dynamic simulation, a standalone simulation of the drive controller is not readily possible, since a simulation model of the drive controller relies on interaction with peripheral system variables, such as an actual force value and / or an actual torque value, to reproduce the control behavior as realistically as possible. Communication via a fieldbus used in reality is generally not possible, since such peripheral variables are not present as real input and / or output variables, but would only have to be considered in the virtual periphery of the drive controller. Thus, a dynamic simulation of a real drive system can currently only be designed as a complete simulation, in which interaction with system variables peripheral to the drive controller must already be implemented in the overall simulation model.

[0007] This is disadvantageous because, for example, connecting and / or adapting a simulation model of a drive controller to an external simulation model of a drive mechanism and / or to an external kinematic model of an electrical machine is not easily possible. Rather, the relevant simulation model of a drive controller must be expanded and / or supplemented by the respective peripheral variable, which in turn requires additional programming effort. External models may also have to be adapted to a programming language used to simulate the drive controller, which increases the susceptibility to systematic errors, which in turn reduces the accuracy of subsequent simulation results.Also, in the state of the art, it is not readily possible to implement a simulation model of a drive controller in a standard software environment of a computer without a physical connection to an electrical machine as stand-alone software, since in order to correctly virtualize a real behavior of the electrical machine and / or the drive system, a corresponding peripheral interaction would first have to be implemented.

[0008] The publication "Modelica Simulation of Electric Drives for Vehicular Applications - The Smart Drives Library" by H. Giuliani et al. is well-known from the state of the art. This publication describes a Modelica library called the "Smart Drives Library," which provides a collection of components for simulating electric drives in vehicles. The library primarily focuses on hybrid drives.

[0009] The invention is therefore based on the object of at least partially overcoming the problems occurring in the prior art and, in particular, of making it possible for a simulation model of a drive controller to interact with a controller periphery without the need for a comprehensive adaptation of the simulation model of the drive controller.

[0010] The problem is solved by a parameterizable, software-implemented interface according to the features of patent claim 1. Disclosure of the invention

[0011] According to the invention, a parameterizable, software-implemented interface is proposed for data exchange of at least one process variable between a simulation model of a drive controller of an electric drive and a periphery of the drive controller of the electric drive. The parameterizable, software-implemented interface preferably serves to emulate a fieldbus interface between a real drive controller of a real drive and a real periphery of the real drive controller.

[0012] The invention further relates to a software-implemented, virtual drive system comprising a simulation model of a drive controller of an electric drive, a simulation model of at least one process variable of a periphery of the drive controller of the electric drive and / or at least one process variable of the periphery of the drive controller of the electric drive, and an interface according to the invention that is configured to transmit the at least one process variable to the simulation model of the drive controller and / or to the periphery. Such a software-implemented, virtualized drive system creates a digital twin of a real drive system that can be used to support the design and / or production preparation of a real drive system. In this way, for example, operating modes of the drive system can be simulated without the need to build cost-intensive hardware models.The interface also makes it possible to simulate different peripherals of a drive controller, as various virtual models of such peripherals can be connected to the drive controller's simulation model via the interface. Communication and / or data exchange between the peripherals and the drive controller's simulation model then takes place via the interface.

[0013] The interface according to the invention preferably provides metadata that is based on fieldbus communication between a drive controller of a real electrical machine and the periphery of the real drive controller. The software-implemented interface essentially provides a virtual counterpart to a real fieldbus interface. The parameterization makes it possible to supply the virtual interface with the at least one process variable as a parameter, which preferably has a direct operative connection and / or operative relationship with the simulation model of the drive controller. A fieldbus is understood to be an interface between the drive controller and / or the drive control system and a periphery of the drive controller. It is preferably a cyclically called process data interface between the drive controller and the periphery, wherein the fieldbus is emulated according to the invention.According to the invention, a parameterizable interface for a virtual peripheral of a virtual drive is provided and implemented in software. The interface is preferably described in software such that it can be connected to another software component or external software can be linked to the interface. According to the invention, the drive logic of a real drive controller is preferably rewritten, particularly as a binary control instruction, such that it runs on a real-time simulation model of a real drive controller.

[0014] According to the invention, at least one process variable, which does not readily exist in the virtual drive, but is provided in the real case only via fieldbus communication, is exchanged between the simulation model of the drive controller and the peripherals or environment of the drive controller via the interface. The interface according to the invention is preferably parameterizable depending on the simulation depth.

[0015] According to the invention, a drive logic of a drive controller is preferably designed on the software side in such a way that it can be executed not only on a computing device of a real drive system, but can also be executed, for example, solitarily or in a stand-alone position in a standard software environment of a computer without a physical connection to an electrical machine and / or other peripherals.

[0016] The interface and / or the system can provide a "drive software-in-the-loop" simulation. This makes it possible to execute firmware on virtual drive hardware, in particular the virtual drive controller, in order to virtually simulate the behavior of the drive system. This supports, among other things, the following real-world technical use cases: machine design and / or dimensioning through a virtual simulation of the drive behavior as part of the underlying machine simulation; and / or drive product presentation and training; and / or virtual drive commissioning through parameterization of the interface to verify parameterization and operating modifications; and / or drive design verification; and / or parallel operation of the virtual drive system with a real drive system as a digital twin.

[0017] In a kinematic simulation of an electric drive or an electric machine, it is preferably assumed to be ideal and mass-free. This is preferably taken into account in the simulation by setting an actual position value of the electric drive equal to a position setpoint of the electric drive. In addition, control loops and / or filters and / or other peripheral variables of a simulated drive control required for the electric drive are preferably not simulated, as these are also idealized. The user preferably receives an actual position value as a simulated output variable from such a kinematic simulation model. Such a kinematic simulation is used, for example, to map the mechanical dimensions of an electric machine and / or product components in order to be able to carry out collision monitoring in the simulation model.

[0018] In dynamic simulation, the behavior of the electric drive's drive controller is simulated in the simulation model itself. The user preferably provides the relevant motor, mechanical, and kinematic models independently. The simulation model preferably provides a force and / or torque setpoint to the user via the interface. For this purpose, the drive controller's simulation model requires an implementation of a simulation model of an electric machine and / or a simulation model of a drive mechanism, so that an actual position value can be returned via the interface as an input variable for the drive controller's simulation model, preferably to close the control loop.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the interface enables the at least one process variable to be read into the simulation model of the drive controller and / or the at least one process variable to be output from the simulation model of the drive controller. This enables bidirectional interaction and / or communication with a virtual periphery of the drive controller. Periphery refers to all mechanical and / or electrical and / or electronic and / or electromagnetic and / or electromechanical components of a drive system that interact with the drive controller and that can have a direct or indirect influence on the drive controller during system virtualization.

[0020] According to the invention, the interface can be parameterized depending on a simulation depth of the simulation model of the drive controller and / or the periphery of the drive controller.

[0021] In other words, the number and / or configurability of the process variables depends on the level of detail with which the virtual drive system as a whole is provided. For example, the simulation depth of a simulation model of a drive controller comprising a master controller, an axis controller of the electric drive, and a motor controller of the electric drive is greater than a simulation model of a drive controller with only one master controller. The same applies to the simulation depth of the periphery, which increases the more the virtual periphery corresponds to a real periphery of a respective drive system. Via the interface, process variables on actuators and sensors that do not actually exist in the virtual drive can be exchanged with an environment, i.e. the periphery in which they are simulated. The process data to be exchanged is preferably dependent on the simulation depth.If the drive controller's peripherals are mapped solely by virtualizing the electric drive's kinematics, the simulation depth is low, but correspondingly higher. If axis control or even motor control is also simulated, the simulation depth increases, and with it the parameterization of the interface.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment, the interface is designed for cyclic data exchange. Therefore, the interface is preferably designed to exchange the process variables based on a sequence resulting from the content of the process variables. The peripheral signals are preferably exchanged with the simulation environment via the cyclically operated interface. The mechanisms used for process data communication are preferably used for this purpose. Data exchange between the simulation model of the drive controller and the peripherals of the drive controller preferably takes place bidirectionally. This is preferred because, in a simulation model of a drive controller, signals from its peripherals are preferably incorporated into the processing of the control algorithm. Examples include an intermediate circuit voltage and / or signals from digital inputs and / or temperature sensor signals.Alternatively or additionally, it is preferred if signals are transmitted from the simulated drive controller to its peripherals. Examples include signals from digital outputs and / or drawn power.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment, the interface can be parameterized by configuring the at least one process variable as an input variable or as an output variable. Other parameterizations can also be implemented, as explained in more detail below.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the at least one process variable is assigned an internationalized domain name (IDN), based on which a data exchange, in particular an exchange direction and / or a cycle time, can be parameterized via the interface. The respective IDN is preferably configurable. For this purpose, the respective IDN preferably comprises a predetermined number of configurable bytes, for example, 16 bytes. The number of assignable IDNs is preferably limited for the interface according to the invention.

[0025] For the operation of the interface according to the invention, the following parameters are used, for example: An IDN includes the following structure, for example: P-0-1890.0 / 1.8 (VPI: control word connection). bit Name / Function 0 Data status 0: Data producer (provider of at least one process variable) does not yet enter any valid process variables. 1: The data producer enters valid process variables. The receiver of at least one process variable can accept the process variables by toggling bit 1 or bit 12. 4 Data exchange direction control 0: For this connection, production or consumption of at least one process variable is enabled. Error monitoring is active. 1: For this connection, the production or consumption of at least one process variable is disabled. Errors are not monitored and do not trigger an error response. 12..15 counter - Initial value of this counter is 0 - any change in this counter indicates new application data in the connection and the application data can be processed; - in the case of an isochronous or cyclic connection, this counter should always be incremented in the respective communication cycle; - In a non-cyclic connection, a change to this counter triggers a watchdog, i.e., after this counter is changed, the monitoring time is restarted. This counter may be incremented no more than once per generator cycle time and at least once per monitoring time after Data Producer Ready (bit 0) has been set to 1; - Bit 12 is preferably equal to bit 1 (new data).

[0026] In a preferred embodiment, the at least one process variable comprises an output variable of an external simulation model, in particular a kinematic model of the electric drive and / or a mechanical model of the electric drive and / or a motor model of the electric drive, and / or wherein the at least one process variable comprises an input variable into an external simulation model, in particular into a kinematic model of the electric drive and / or into a mechanical model of the electric drive and / or into a motor model of the electric drive. The above list is not intended to be exhaustive and should in no way be understood as restrictive.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment, the at least one process variable comprises an intermediate circuit voltage and / or an intermediate circuit current and / or a signal from a throttle device and / or a signal from a measuring probe input and / or a signal from a digital and / or analog input and / or a temperature sensor signal and / or a sensor signal and / or a heat sink temperature sensor signal and / or a diagnostic LED control signal and / or a signal from an output of the drive controller, in particular a position setpoint and / or a torque setpoint and / or a force setpoint and / or a motor voltage value, and / or a signal from an input of the drive controller, in particular an actual position value and / or a motor current value. The above statements are also not to be understood as restrictive.It goes without saying that the process variables can also occur in any combination and, depending on the application, can be transmitted via the interface from the simulation model of the drive controller to the periphery or from the periphery to the simulation model of the drive controller. The process variables are preferably not only transmitted via the interface, but can also be parameterized via it. The interface is preferably parameterized by configuring a data structure of the at least one process variable for specifying a state of the at least one process variable. For example, a validity of the process variable can be specified. Alternatively or additionally, a data flow direction of the process variable and / or error monitoring of the process variable during transmission via the interface can be carried out. In addition, a counter can be configured to monitor interface communication.For example, the at least one process variable can be given a status such as “Initializing” or “Preparing” or “Ready” or “Producing” or “Stopped” or “Waiting” as an attribute.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment of the drive system, the at least one process variable comprises a position setpoint, which is transmitted as an output variable of the simulation model of the drive controller via the interface to the periphery, wherein the periphery preferably comprises a kinematic simulation model of the electric drive, into which the transmitted position setpoint is input. Based on the position setpoint, the kinematic simulation model can, for example, perform a kinematic simulation of the electric drive. This preferably describes the use of the interface according to the invention in a kinematic simulation of a drive system with an open control loop. Such a drive system comprises a comparatively low simulation depth.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment of the drive system, the kinematic simulation model of the electric drive is configured to output an actual position value as an output variable, which is transmitted via the interface to the simulation model of the drive controller and is incorporated therein as an input variable to close the control loop. This preferably describes the use of the interface according to the invention in a kinematic simulation of a drive system with a closed control loop.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment of the drive system, the at least one process variable comprises a torque setpoint and / or a force setpoint, wherein the periphery comprises a motor simulation model of the electric drive, and wherein the simulation model of the drive controller comprises a simulation model of an axis controller of the electric drive, which is configured to transmit the torque setpoint and / or the force setpoint as an output variable via the interface to the motor simulation model, wherein the motor simulation model is configured to calculate an actual position value as an output variable based on the torque setpoint and / or the force setpoint and to transmit it via the interface as the at least one process variable to the simulation model of the drive controller, in particular to the simulation model of the axis controller.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment of the drive system, the at least one process variable comprises a motor voltage and / or a motor frequency, wherein the periphery comprises a motor simulation model of the electric drive, and wherein the simulation model of the drive controller comprises a simulation model of a motor controller of the electric drive, which is configured to transmit the motor voltage and / or the motor frequency as an output variable via the interface to the motor simulation model, wherein the motor simulation model is designed to calculate an actual position value and / or a motor current as an output variable based on the motor voltage and / or the motor frequency and to transmit it via the interface as the at least one process variable to the simulation model of the drive controller, in particular to the simulation model of the motor controller. Such a drive system is particularly characterized by a high level of simulation depth.

[0032] The described designs and further training courses can be combined as desired.

[0033] Further possible embodiments, developments and implementations of the invention also include combinations of features of the invention described previously or below with regard to the exemplary embodiments that are not explicitly mentioned. Short description of the drawings

[0034] The accompanying drawings are intended to provide a further understanding of embodiments of the invention. They illustrate embodiments and, in conjunction with the description, serve to explain principles and concepts of the invention.

[0035] Other embodiments and many of the aforementioned advantages will become apparent upon review of the drawings. The elements illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0036] It shows: Fig.1 a schematic block diagram of a software-implemented virtual drive system with an interface according to the invention.

[0037] The same reference symbols denote the same or functionally equivalent elements, parts or components, unless otherwise stated.

[0038] Fig. 1 shows a schematic structure of a software-implemented, virtual drive system 100. The virtual drive system 100 comprises a simulation model of a drive controller 10 of an electric drive, which is connected to a peripheral 14 of the drive controller 10 via a parameterizable, software-implemented interface 12.

[0039] Depending on the application, the simulation model of the drive controller can comprise 10 different simulation depths or a different level of detail. Fig.1, the simulation model of the drive controller 10 comprises, for example, a submodel of a master controller 16, which is coupled to a control command generator 18. Furthermore, the simulation model of the drive controller 10 comprises a simulation model of an axis controller 20 and a simulation model of a motor controller 22. Furthermore, the simulation model of the drive controller 10 comprises a subsimulation model of a motor protection 24, a submodel of a component protection 26, a subsimulation model of a local input / output interface 28, and a subsimulation model of a power supply controller 30. The simulation models and / or subsimulation models 16 to 30 can each transmit data and / or signals in the form of at least one process variable to the periphery 14 via the interface 12 and / or receive data and / or signals in the form of at least one process variable from the periphery 14. As exemplary process variables or exchange variables, Fig.1 multiple voltages (U uv,w ; U L1,2,3 ; U _DC ) and currents (I u,v ; I u,v,w ) is displayed.

[0040] Depending on the application, the periphery can be mapped or virtualized with different simulation depths or with a different level of detail. Fig. 1, the periphery of the drive controller is simulated with a high level of detail that already comes very close to the physical and / or electrical and / or electronic and / or electromagnetic behavior of an electrical machine or a simulated electrical drive.

[0041] The periphery 14 comprises a motor simulation model 32 of the electric drive, a mechanical simulation model 34 of the electric drive, and a kinematic simulation model 36 of the electric drive. Furthermore, the periphery comprises a simulation model of a drive train 38, which is communicatively coupled to the submodel of a component protection 26 via the interface 12. Furthermore, the periphery comprises an input-output simulation model 40, which is communicatively coupled to the kinematic simulation model 36 and, via the interface 12, to the submodel of the local input-output interface 28. Furthermore, the periphery 14 comprises a simulation model of a power supply 42, in particular a regenerative power supply. The simulation model of the power supply 42 is divided, for example, into various subsimulation models.For example, the simulation model of the power supply 42 comprises a simulation model of a voltage supply choke 44 and a simulation model of a supply network 46. The simulation model of the voltage supply choke 44 is communicatively coupled to the simulation model of the supply network 46. The simulation model of the voltage supply choke 44 is communicatively coupled to the subsimulation model of the power supply controller 30 via the interface 12, wherein the process variables U. uv,w ; U L1,2,3 and I u,v Furthermore, the simulation model of the power supply 42 includes a subsimulation model of a DC link capacitor 48, which is communicatively coupled to the subsimulation model of the power supply controller 30 via the interface 12. The

[0042] The data exchange of the process variables as well as an exchange direction is in Fig.1 indicated by dashed arrows.

Claims

[1] Parameterizable, software-implemented interface (12) for data exchange of at least one process variable between a simulation model of a drive controller (10) of an electric drive and a periphery (14) of the drive controller of the electric drive, wherein the interface (12) is parameterizable depending on a simulation depth of the simulation model of the drive controller (10) and / or the periphery (14) of the drive controller. [2] Interface according to claim 1, wherein the interface (12) is designed to read the at least one process variable into the simulation model of the drive controller (10) and / or to output the at least one process variable from the simulation model of the drive controller (10). [3] Interface according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the interface (12) is designed for cyclic data exchange. [4] Interface according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the interface (12) is parameterizable by configuring the at least one process variable as an input variable or as an output variable. [5] Interface according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one process variable comprises an output variable of an external simulation model, in particular a kinematic model (36) of the electric drive and / or a mechanical model (34) of the electric drive and / or a motor model (32) of the electric drive, and / or wherein the at least one process variable comprises an input variable into an external simulation model, in particular into a kinematic model (36) of the electric drive and / or into a mechanical model (34) of the electric drive and / or into a motor model (32) of the electric drive. [6] Interface according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one process variable comprises an intermediate circuit voltage and / or a signal from a throttle device and / or an intermediate circuit current and / or a signal from a measuring probe input and / or a signal from a digital and / or analog input and / or a temperature sensor signal and / or a sensor signal and / or a heat sink temperature sensor signal and / or a diagnostic LED control signal and / or a signal from an output of the drive controller, in particular a position setpoint and / or a torque setpoint and / or a force setpoint and / or a motor voltage value, and / or a signal from an input of the drive controller, in particular an actual position value and / or a motor current value. [7] Interface according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the interface (12) is parameterized by configuring a data structure of the at least one process variable for determining a state of the at least one process variable. [8] Software-implemented, virtual drive system (100) comprising a simulation model of a drive controller (10) of an electric drive, a simulation model of at least one process variable of a periphery (14) of the drive controller of the electric drive and / or at least one process variable of the periphery (14) of the drive controller of the electric drive and an interface (12) according to one of the preceding claims, which is designed to transmit the at least one process variable to the simulation model of the drive controller (10) and / or to the periphery (14). [9] Drive system according to claim 9, wherein the at least one process variable comprises a position setpoint which is transmitted as an output variable of the simulation model of the drive controller (10) via the interface (12) to the periphery (14), wherein the periphery (14) preferably comprises a kinematic simulation model (36) of the electric drive, into which the transmitted position setpoint is input as an input variable. [10] Drive system according to claim 10, wherein the kinematic simulation model (36) of the electric drive is configured to output an actual position value as an output variable, which is transmitted via the interface (12) to the simulation model of the drive controller (10) and is input thereto as an input variable in order to close the control loop. [11] Drive system according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the at least one process variable comprises a torque setpoint and / or a force setpoint, wherein the periphery (14) comprises a motor simulation model (32) of the electric drive, and wherein the simulation model of the drive controller (10) comprises a simulation model of an axis controller (20) of the electric drive, which is configured to transmit the torque setpoint and / or the force setpoint as an output variable via the interface to the motor simulation model (32), wherein the motor simulation model (32) is configured to calculate an actual position value as an output variable based on the torque setpoint and / or the force setpoint and to transmit it via the interface (12) as the at least one process variable to the simulation model of the drive controller (10), in particular to the simulation model of the axis controller (32). [12] Drive system according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the at least one process variable comprises a motor voltage and / or a motor frequency, wherein the periphery (14) comprises a motor simulation model (32) of the electric drive, and wherein the simulation model of the drive controller (10) comprises a simulation model of a motor controller (22) of the electric drive, which is configured to transmit the motor voltage and / or the motor frequency as an output variable via the interface (12) to the motor simulation model (32), wherein the motor simulation model (32) is configured to calculate an actual position value and / or a motor current as an output variable based on the motor voltage and / or the motor frequency and to transmit it via the interface (12) as the at least one process variable to the simulation model of the drive controller (10), in particular to the simulation model of the motor controller (22).

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