A Hybrid Computer Simulation of the Recreational Snowmobile

This paper describes the development of a hybrid-computer simulation of a recreational snowmobile. The vehicle has been mathematically represented by a displacement-driven, damped nonlinear spring-mass system with two degrees of freedom. The analog circuit and the logic level control system of the analog/hybrid computer is discussed. The use of a hybrid system using Hytran Operational Interpreter to perform OFF-LINE and ON-LINE checks is also discussed. Finally, a method to display a visual representation of the vehicle on an oscilloscope screen is presented. The simulation permits vehicle designers to vary at will the various design parameters and to observe immediately the effect of so doing.