Custom Real-Time Interface Blockset Development in Matlab/Simulink for On-Target Rapid Prototyping

In GM R&D Powertrain/Engine Control Group, rapid prototyping controller (RPC) systems with Matlab/Simulink are used extensively to design, simulate and implement advanced engine control algorithms and models. However, those RPC systems use powerful microprocessors with large amounts of RAM contrary to engine control modules (ECM) in production vehicles. Therefore, a thorough analysis on the comparatively much more complicated algorithms and models cannot be performed during the research stage, since there are not enough tools to enable the smooth transition from Matlab/Simulink to the production type processor. The Real-Time Interface (RTI) Blockset for a production like microprocessor would close the transition gap between rapid prototyping controller systems and production type microprocessors by leveraging the power and popularity of Matlab/Simulink in control engineering world and automatic code generation tools. Therefore, RTI Blockset with different customized functionalities for a production like microcontroller is developed in Matlab/Simulink in order to facilitate on-target rapid prototyping. Moreover, an engine control algorithm, which was developed before on a production like microcontroller via handwritten C-code is implemented on the same hardware using Matlab/Simulink Embedded Coder and the aforementioned RTI Blockset.