In the past few years, the demand for more complex system development and the ever-increasing requirement for improvement in software productivity have amplified the need for graphical programming and automatic generation of controller software. This paper discusses the implementation of graphical code generation in the context of a fully automated calibratable system.
Generally, controller parameters coarse tuning is done at the simulation level with a virtual plant and then fine-tuned when the code is downloaded onto the target controller. The tuning process is then based on trial and error approach relying on experienced calibrators to perform this tedious work.
We are proposing an innovative concept that will automate the whole process of controller development. This process goes from the control algorithm code generation to the real-time calibration of the controller parameters on the actual target controller. The graphical programming includes the control algorithms, and I/O device drivers. The tuning process relies on advanced optimization with configurable cost function and target on an actual plant. The parameters updating and monitoring is done via a communication network such as CAN.
This approach will inherently provide a platform for robust controller development that will produce stable code and optimized controller parameters that matches system requirements at different operating conditions. This will deliver an efficient platform for very quick system development and evaluation cycle.