RT-LAB release delivers exacting real-time simulation management capability.

Opal-RT announces the latest versions of RT-LAB supporting INTEL CORE2 multicore processors, QNX and XILINX SG for very accurate real-time simulation, design and hardware-in-the-loop testing of power electronics systems.

Opal-RT Technologies Inc., the world technology leader in supplying high-performance, distributed real-time simulation solutions for PC-based platforms, today announces the availability of RT-LAB 8.1, Artemis 4.1 and RT-Events 3.0. These simultaneous releases encourage greater engineering productivity by providing more tools with additional functionality for engineers managing real-time test simulation of power electronic systems.

RT-LAB is the leading software platform for PC- and FPGA-based distributed real-time simulation and electronics control testing including rapid control prototyping and hardware-in-the-loop simulation. Optimized for automotive, aerospace and power electronics applications, RT-LAB empowers engineers to perform high-speed design and testing of dynamic systems built using MATLAB/Simulink and XILINX FPGA SG.

RT-LAB 8.0, launched in 2006, introduced a range of new capabilities designed to expand the capacity for initiating parallel simulations using heterogeneous simulation tools, while emphasizing how those simulations are controlled and managed. RT-Lab Orchestra was launched as a new hard-real-time co-simulation framework to enable multiple, different and parallel applications to be loaded, managed and controlled from a single host station. Orchestra can enable dynamic connection and dis-connection of model components at run-time and offers real-time co-simulation with performance with time step values below 10 microseconds, which is unique for co-simulation tools. A new Python-based script language enables engineers to create routines that can be saved and retrieved at a later time, thereby increasing the repeatability of a given test scenario.

Continuing this trend, RT-LAB 8.1 gives more tools for managing and understanding elaborate simulations, encouraging greater productivity on existing system configurations. Powerful, new multi-core processor support from AMD and INTEL enables high-speed, distributed simulation at the same time as command station communication; and extensions to the Python-based interface greatly improve command line control. Recent tests using a standard computer motherboard equipped with eight processors (two quad-core Core2 INTEL processors) demonstrate the capability of RT-LAB to fully take advantage of this very powerful and affordable technology.

Highlights of RT-LAB 8.1:

• Optimized QNX6 multi-core support enables parallel task execution and command station control, at speeds of less than 5 microseconds on eight (8) cores, resulting in greater computational capability.
• RT-LAB Orchestra menu-driven co-simulation interface guides data inputs and performance capability for real-time co-simulation with time step values below 10 microseconds.
• Powerful wrapper extends Python-based scripting and editing with context-sensitive help, meaningful default values and return parameters, thereby increasing simulation management and repeatability.
• Search-capable online help.

ARTEMIS is an add-on to the SimPowerSystem toolbox that increases the accuracy and performance of simulation of electromechanical systems in off-line and real-time environment.

Highlights of ARTEMIS 4.1:

• New block model is optimized for simulating complex distributed electrical network simulation in real-time, and is unique in its ability to produce consistent offline and real-time results.
• New capability to facilitate the use of multi-core processor boards.

RT-Events is a Simulink toolbox for managing continuous-time and discrete-time events in a fixed-time-step simulation of control and electrical systems.

Highlights of RT-Events 3.0:

• Toolbox expansion of 20 new blocks, including Space vector PWM, Period Meter and Permanent Magnetic Synchronous Motor, enables engineers to model more intricate configurations.
• New block algorithms permit simulation of as many as 256 events within each time step, significantly increasing the level of detail of high frequency phenomena.
• New RTE scope block enables engineers to visualize events that occur between time step calculations.

"Opal-RT is a leader in real-time simulation of power electronics control and testing systems, "says Jean Bélanger, President, Opal-RT Technologies Inc. "These latest releases once again demonstrate our ability to meet the increasing demands of real-time hardware-in-the-loop simulation; our unique solution fills an important gap in the design of electric drives and power electronics by greatly improving both the speed of the design process and the accuracy of the models that are used in hardware-in-the-loop testing."

Available for Windows, QNX and RedHawk platforms, RT-LAB 8.1, ARTEMIS 4.1 and RT-Events 3.0 are distributed at http://www.opal-rt.com/download/software.html, including documentation and user manuals. Pricing and further information are available from your local distributor or sales representative, or please register at www.opal-rt.com for details, and to request access for downloads.