Emulator hardware-in-loop architecture and control logic for vehicle steer-by-wire test system

An emulator test system for calibrating a vehicle steer-by-wire (SBW) system of a motor vehicle, the emulator test system comprising:

• a computer workstation with a CPU Workstation Controller (CWC) programmed to receive a selected test procedure form a user and responsively initiate the selected test procedure, initiating the selected test procedure including outputting a target input curve corresponding to the initiated test procedure;
• a Motor Controller (MC) communicatively connected to the CWC and programmed to process the target input curve output by the CWC and determine therefrom a power input command;
• a Driver Simulator Motor (DSM) communicatively connected to the MC and configured to receive from the MC the power input command and responsively generate a rotational output via a DSM output shaft, the rotational output of the DSM simulating user operation of a steering wheel of the motor vehicle;
• an emulator with an emulator input shaft mechanically coupled to the DSM output shaft, the emulator being configured to generate emulator state data resulting from the DSM operating according to the power input command, the emulator being operable to replicate reaction of the motor vehicle to the rotational output of the DSM;
• and
• a Real-time Operating System (RTOS) communicatively connected to the emulator and the CWC, the RTOS being programmed to receive from the emulator the emulator state data and to determine, via a vehicle dynamics math model corresponding to the SBW system, a vehicle response based on the emulator state data.

A non-transitory, computer readable medium storing instructions executable by one or more controllers of an emulator test system for testing and calibrating a steer-by-wire (SBW) system of a motor vehicle, the instructions causing at least one of the one or more controllers to perform operations comprising:

• initiating a test procedure for the SBW system;
• identifying a target input curve corresponding to the initiated test procedure;
• commanding a Driver Simulator Motor (DSM) to operate at a power input based on the target input curve, the DSM including an electric motor operable to simulate user operation of a steering wheel of the motor vehicle;
• receiving, via a Real-time Operating System (RTOS) from an emulator mechanically coupled to the DSM, emulator state data resulting from the DSM operating at the power input, the emulator being operable to physically replicate reaction of the motor vehicle to a steering input generated by the DSM when operating at the power input;
• and
• determining, via the RTOS with a vehicle dynamics math model corresponding to the SBW system, a vehicle response based on the emulator state data.