A modular design of interface communications for the hardware-in-the-loop simulation in the ground testing system of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer

Communication interface for hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation, a technique that assists with verification and validation of embedded systems, is a bridge between real hardware and simulated environment. A multiprotocol interface is adopted in the HIL system for testing onboard software of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS). We propose a modular design to manipulate the interface with an enhanced code reusability, and the implementation has been proved efficient and flexible. This paper presents the modular design methodology and its applications in different scenarios.