Implementation of Matlab Controllers onto real systems

[parislad]

Hi All,

I am an engineer with limited knowledge of the mechanisms with link hardware to software designs, for example in real time control systems, and wonder if you could help me understand what happens.

Can somebody explain to me what the typical process might be; let's say for instance I designed a PID feedback control system in Matlab/Simulink to control the flow rate through a pipe using a valve. Once I've built this controller on my computer screen, how would I then get this onto a pcb board and have it control real things? I know you can compile the code into C code for example, but what next?

I understand how Labview works as it has it's own dedicated hardware kits which talk to the software you've designed, the hardware is powered and generates and receives the signals etc - I'm specifically thinking about Matlab now though.

Hope I make sense, I am rather confused in this subject matter.

Thanks

 

[NateD]

in advance.The process of getting your Matlab/Simulink design onto a PCB board and controlling real things is dependent on the type of system you are designing. If you are designing an embedded system, then you will need to compile your Simulink model into C or assembly code and then use a microcontroller to implement the control algorithms. You can then use a development board such as an Arduino to connect the microcontroller to the valve and other sensors. Once you have the hardware set up, you can then write code in the language supported by the microcontroller (C, assembly, etc) to configure the controller and execute the PID control algorithm. If you are designing a larger system, such as an industrial controller or a distributed control system, then you will need additional hardware components such as I/O cards, network cards, and actuator/sensor boards. You can then write code in the language supported by the controller (C, assembly, etc) to configure the controller, read inputs from sensors, and write outputs to actuators. Depending on the complexity of the system, you may also need to develop a user interface or database to store data.In either case, you will need to have a good understanding of the hardware components and their associated protocols in order to successfully integrate your Matlab/Simulink model with the real-world system.