Space missions are amongst the most complex technical challenges engineers are facing today. This includes the design and test of GNC (Guidance, Navigation and Control) or power management system containing battery or fuel cell-based energy storage.
Suppliers and development teams need to create test benches for satellite actuators while OEM’s and integrators need to verify the entire assembly.
Inter Satellite communication, ground station communication and tracking of orbital bodies require sorrow testing and verification.
Design and test your onboard microgrid or your BMS (battery management system) using a digital twin of your complete spacecraft.
Using Simulink® Real-Time™, you can perform HIL tests with the same models you used for the desktop simulation. This enables you to verify the integration of your new line-replacement unit (LRU) an early design stage both in the model domain and the physical domain before the actual orbital platform is available.
"The cost of setting up and using a HIL solution is very low compared to performing all ADCS tests with a physical test setup emulating the orbit environment." "The ability to perform HIL testing allows even the most complex satellite mission operations to be verified on real hardware." Tuomas Tikka, Aalto University
"The cost of setting up and using a HIL solution is very low compared to performing all ADCS tests with a physical test setup emulating the orbit environment."
"The ability to perform HIL testing allows even the most complex satellite mission operations to be verified on real hardware."
Tuomas Tikka, Aalto University
Cube Satellite
Develop, test, and verify the attitude controller for your Cube Satellite or orbital vehicle. Perform HIL testing on the power control system and verify its integration in the auto flight system while keeping track of all requirements to ensure a successful mission.
Frequently Used I/O Interfaces
Simulink® Application Resources
HIL-Testing of a Spacecraft
Minimize your mission-risk by testing the compatibility of different communication and control systems of your spacecraft using HIL-testing. Virtual and physical components can be tested simultaneously, enabling OEM’s to build a digital twin and test its integration.
Power Management Systems
Develop, test, and verify the Power Management System for your spacecraft. Power-HIL testing enables you to test the power control system and verify it’s integration in the communication system, which is crucial for the mission.
Onboard Power Generation
Simplify Power Hardware-in-the-Loop (P-HIL) testing by using high fidelity FPGAs to sample high frequencies up to 1 Gsps and verify your onboard power system. You can perform stress tests on your system by performing fault insertion in the physical domain to determine how this influences your system requirements in the modeled domain in real-time to validate your complete design.
Battery Management Systems
Design and test your BMS for your onboard microgrid and power electronic system. You can perform hardware-in-the-loop tests for estimates state-of-charge (SoC) and state-of-health (SOH) monitoring. The emulation of individual cells or complete battery packs enables you to perform early testing of your BMS and evaluate how they interact with your onboard power system.
Fuel Cell
Verify the design of your electric hybrid hydrogen fuel-cell and battery-based propulsion system using HIL to ensure the required design assurance level (DAL) for your new prototype. Ensure seamless integration of your energy storage technology into your onboard microgrid using Desktop Simulation and grid emulation.
Test Bench For Satellite Actuators
Perform sorrow stress and validation tests on your actuators and components for your next mission. Use a digital-twin to perform Rapid Control Prototyping (RCP) and test the plant model, which leads to shorter development and integration cycles.
Success Stories
Lockheed: Spacecraft
Scientific Aviation Association
Aalto University: Students' mission to get Finland's first satellite into orbit
Nasa's Artemis Program
Relevant Resources
Hardware-in-the-Loop Testing of Battery Management Systems - Webinar
HIL and Automated Testing Applications for Aerospace - Webinar
Electrification Testing and Certification Workflows in Aerospace - Webinar
Rapidly prototype control designs by applying rapid control prototyping, test embedded controllers withhardware-in-the-loop simulation of digital twins, and leverage Speedgoat systems as embedded controllers.
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