dSPACE MCU Power HIL Solution: Power-Level Validation Platform for Motor Controllers and Traction Inverters
As electric vehicle electric drive systems move towards high voltage and high power, the control strategies and power-level protection behaviors of Motor Controllers (MCU) and traction inverters become increasingly complex. However, traditional 'Signal-Level HIL' cannot cover true power behavior under high voltage and large currents; while traditional 'Physical Motor Dynamometer Benches' are not only expensive to build and maintain and time-consuming to adjust mechanical parameters, but also come with the mechanical dangers of high-voltage rotating parts.
Jotactic introduces the dSPACE Motor Controller Power-Level HIL (Power HIL) solution to you. Using high-dynamic electronic load power modules, we directly 'simulate the motor and battery' at the power level, applying real voltage and current without a rotating motor, allowing you to complete full-function closed-loop testing of electric powertrain controllers safely and reproducibly in the laboratory!
Core Principle: Bridging the Gap Between Signal-Level Testing and Real-Road Testing
The technical key of dSPACE Power HIL lies in utilizing decentralized FPGA-controlled high-dynamic electronic loads to perfectly twin the physical characteristics of the battery and motor at the power level, forming a highly dynamic closed-loop system with the MCU under test.
Battery Emulation
Replacing the real battery to provide the inverter with programmable DC high voltage and current, perfectly reproducing the battery state of charge (SOC), internal resistance, and the dynamic load behavior of the high-voltage DC interface.
E-Motor Emulation
Simulates the Back Electromotive Force (EMF) and phase currents of a three-phase motor at the power level. Real full electrical loads can be applied without a physical rotating motor.
Core Hardware and Power Interface Analysis
1. SCALEXIO Real-time Simulation Platform and High-Speed FPGA Core
The SCALEXIO real-time simulator provides multi-core deterministic real-time computing and is the core of the entire power closed-loop control.
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Microsecond-level Response
Equipped with the DS2655 FPGA base module to execute high-precision motor and inverter models, its voltage dynamics reach up to 10 V/μs, capable of generating phase current and PWM interface responses with ultra-low latency calculations at the microsecond (μs) level.
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Electrical Fault Injection (FIU)
Supports simulating open circuits, short circuits, and ground faults at the power level, safely testing the MCU's hardware/software diagnostics and overcurrent protection mechanisms when encountering electrical failures.
2. DS5386 High-Voltage Electronic Load Power Module
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High Voltage and High Power
Supports traction inverter testing requirements with voltages up to 1,250 V and power up to several MWs.
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Decentralized and Modular Expansion
Utilizes decentralized FPGA power board control, allowing multi-module parallel connection according to the power scale of the MCU under test, flexibly expanding to hundreds of kW or MW-level power cabinets.
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Low-Voltage Electronic Loads (≤ 60 V)
Provides several kW of dedicated low-voltage power testing dispatch for 48V mild hybrid systems, Electronic Power Steering (EPS), starter generators, and power tools.
Unified Toolchain and Workflow
dSPACE provides a one-stop integrated solution from pure software validation to power-level hardware validation, where models and test scenarios can be 100% seamlessly and losslessly reused:
Virtual validation (VEOS SIL) and physical power-level validation (SCALEXIO HIL) share the same ASM motor/battery real-time models. Engineers can switch motor types (e.g., PMSM, IM, SRM) with one click within minutes or dynamically adjust parameters (inductance, speed, temperature), replacing the lengthy working hours of traditionally modifying mechanical benches.
Through AutomationDesk and Real-Time Testing (RTT), the test pipeline can automatically execute complex condition traversals around the clock and automatically generate compliant test result reports.
Uses ControlDesk's real-time HMI dashboards for measurement, data calibration, and real-time parameter observation.
Cross-Industry Application Areas
dSPACE Power HIL has been widely deployed among global automakers and Tier 1 suppliers:
Electric Passenger and Commercial Vehicles
(E-Mobility)
Testing for electric vehicle traction inverters (Inverter), On-Board Chargers (OBC), and high-voltage DC-DC converters.
Low Voltage and Micro-Mobility
48V mild hybrid systems, power tools, and smart air conditioning drive controllers.
Aerospace and Rail Transit
(Aerospace & Railway)
Validation for More Electric Aircraft (MEA), electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) electric drive systems, and rail traction converters.
Industry and Renewable Energy
High-power industrial drives, wind/solar converters, and back-to-back bench testing.
Five Core Enterprise Benefits of Implementing Power HIL
| Benefit Aspect | Description | Corresponding Core Capability |
|---|---|---|
| 📉 Drastically Reduce Costs | Completely replaces expensive dynamometer benches with electronic loads, reducing the mechanical setup and operational electricity costs of high-power rotating motors. | DS5386 High/Low Voltage Electronic Loads |
| 🛡️ No Rotating Parts, Absolute Safety | Safely reproduces power extreme faults like short circuits and open circuits in the lab. No mechanical rotation or fire/explosion risks, making tests 100% reproducible. | Power-Level Fault Injection (FIU) and ControlDesk |
| 🚀 Enhance Condition Coverage Rate | Directly reproduces high-voltage DC and AC behavior at the power level, validating power protection strategies that Signal-Level HIL absolutely cannot reach. | SCALEXIO Real-time Platform and ASM Models |
| ⏱️ Shorten Calibration Cycles | Through FPGA real-time models, motor and battery chemical characteristics can be switched within minutes, supporting 24/7 fully automated regression testing. | FPGA Motor Models and AutomationDesk |
| 🤝 One-Stop Single Source | Real-time simulators, high-precision motor/battery models, and high-power electronic loads are all provided by a single source—dSPACE, eliminating cross-vendor integration barriers. | Jotactic Local Integration of Unified Toolchain |
Building a Power HIL system that meets megawatt-level dynamics, high voltage, large current, and microsecond-level FPGA closed-loop responses requires extremely high-spec power electronics and electrical protection technology. The Jotactic team provides localized pre-sales technical consulting in Taiwan, customized Mapping Cabinet design, ASM parameter calibration, and one-stop system integration consulting services to help you quickly build a mass-production level electric drive validation laboratory.