Research on hardware-in-the-loop simulation for attitude control of vehicles with dSPACE emulator

Lateral jet and grid fin combined control is a new attitude control method, and has advantage in reducing aerocraft weight and improving control efficiency. For checking the control capability and control method optimization, hardware-in-the-loop simulation (HILS) system should be established. Attitude stability of aerocraft and propellant consumption of lateral jet system can be analyzed based on the simulation data, then the engineers may evaluate the performance of combined control method. Hardware-in-the-loop simulation system of aerocraft control based on dSPACE is established in this paper, has real-time simulation capability that complicated model calculating needs, and solves the problems of high data communication and rapid development of simulation system in HILS. This paper introduces the hardware architecture and key technologies of the simulation system. Ground simulation of aerocraft attitude is realized with communication between DS4201s card and turn table, feedback voltage acquisition of two actuating mechanism and A/D conversion is solved using DS2002 card, the control algorithm is downloaded to DSP processor in the onboard computer using the RTW tool. Single instrument tests and interaction between two instruments are finished. Testing results of the hardware indicate that communication and signal transferring are proper. Attitude simulation is realized with serial-port communication between dSPACE and turn table, interference in A/D acquisition channel is reduced by adding filtering module in DS2002. Attitude control in the ascending phase of aerocraft is simulated under the HILS environment. Actuator deflection and on-off status of lateral jet system are derived by analyzing HILS results. We can examine and certify the control capability of lateral jet and grid fin combined control method and optimize the control algorithm.