TMO-HILS architecture for real-time control system

Real-Time Simulation is a most important tool that allows for prediction of system behavior in response to operator actions and events via the use of real-time and archived data. Virtual testing of operator actions prior to implementation can reveal potential problems, hence reducing human errors and the risk of service power system interruptions. Hardware-in-the-loop simulation (HILS) assists operators, engineers, and planners in making informed and logical decisions that will reduce operating costs and improve system reliability. There are some kinds of real-time embedded systems, such as UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) and UGV (Unmanned Ground Vehicle) etc, which require high confidence real-time computation and rigorous analysis to deliver high levels of mission reliability. To measure reliability of these control systems and reduce the risk of costly errors, we present the architecture of a TMO-HILS which can accept from small rapid control prototyping systems to large-scale distributed real-time simulators. To design TMO-HILS, we use a time-triggered message-triggered object (TMO) model which is a well-known real-time object model for distributed and timeliness-guaranteed computing, and makes easy to analyze and design the actual system. TMO-HILS provides easy way to validation of real-time control system like the UAV control system.