Simulink real time controller implementation in a DSP based motor drive system

The increase in desk top computing has lead to an increase in the sophistication of both design and simulation tools available to the design engineer. One such tool becoming more widespread amongst academia and industry is Mathworks Simulink/Matlab package. This paper describes how Simulink can be used as an integrated development environment for the simulation and real-time control of electric motor systems. The paper starts by describing how motor and drive systems can be dynamically simulated within the Simulink/Matlab environment. This is then illustrated with the control example of a permanent magnet motor. The Simulink environment allows a controller to be modelled with the aid of block diagrams, allowing the user to concentrate on the model, rather than its implementation. This approach can be become even more powerful, if the same Simulink control circuit can then be taken and implemented in real time. The system that is described uses Mathworks Simulink C-Code generator toolbox to achieve an automated high-level real time programming environment for a TMS320C31 DSP based motor control system. The software system described takes the generated C-Code and optimises the code for speed, also interfaces to real-time program libraries and the DSP compiler to generate real-time executable code. The nature of the developed software allows the system to be used with a variety of processors