Method for providing a real-time-capable simulation for control unit development, and simulation device for control unit development

A simulation device for control unit development, the simulation device being real-time-capable and simulates a control unit or an environment of the control unit or a combination of the control unit and the environment of the control unit, the simulation device comprising:

• a real-time-capable sub-simulation with a first simulation time corresponding to a real time;
• a non-real-time-capable sub-simulation adapted to interact with the real-time-capable sub-simulation, the non-real-time capable sub-simulation having a virtual, second simulation time that is coupled to the first simulation time, the second simulation time adapted to match the first simulation time at a start of the real-time-capable simulation;
• and
• a communication path (16) adapted to exchange simulation data between the real-time-capable sub-simulation and the non-real-time-capable sub-simulation,
• wherein the non-real-time-capable sub-simulation calculates the calculated simulation data Sn and provides the calculated simulation data Sn to the real-time-capable sub-simulation,
• wherein the real-time-capable sub-simulation checks whether the non-real-time-capable sub-simulation has provided the calculated simulation data Sn for a pending macro-simulation step at a given time and determines a check result of
• provided when the non-real-time-capable sub-simulation has provided the calculated simulation data Sn for the pending macro-simulation step at the given time and
• not provided when the non-real-time-capable sub-simulation has not provided the calculated simulation data Sn for the pending macro-simulation step at the given time,
• wherein when the check result is determined to be the provided, the real-time-capable sub-simulation is adapted to use the calculated simulation data Sn for the pending macro-simulation step if the non-real-time-capable sub-simulation has completed calculating the calculated simulation data Sn for the pending macro-simulation step and has provided the calculated simulation data Sn to the real-time-capable sub-simulation,
• wherein when the check result is determined to be the not provided, the real-time-capable sub-simulation is adapted to use estimated simulation data Sg for the pending macro-simulation step if the non-real-time-capable sub-simulation has not completed any calculated simulation data Sn for the pending simulation step and has not provided the calculated simulation data Sn to the real-time-capable sub-simulation,
• wherein the non-real-time-capable sub-simulation is adapted to set the second simulation time to the first simulation time after completing a calculation of the calculated simulation data Sn that was not provided by the given time,
• wherein the non-real-time-capable sub-simulation comprises one or more processors or processor cores, and
• wherein, when the check result is determined to be the provided, after the pending macro-simulation step, the calculated simulation data for the pending macro-simulation step is provided to the real-time-capable sub-simulation and to an error handling system.

A simulation device adapted to simulate a control unit or an environment of the control unit or a combination of the control unit and the environment of the control unit over a plurality of macro-simulation steps corresponding to real time, the simulation device comprising:

• a real-time-capable sub-simulation adapted to perform a first calculation of a simulation of the control unit or the environment of the control unit to create a first simulation data Se, the real-time-capable sub-simulation having a first simulation time corresponding to the real time, the real-time-capable sub-simulation being adapted to perform the first calculation based on a second simulation data Sn from a non-real-time-capable sub-simulation or based on an estimated simulation data Sg from an error handling system, the real-time-capable sub-simulation being adapted to complete the first calculation and create the first simulation data Se within each macro-simulation step;
• the non-real-time-capable sub-simulation adapted to perform a second calculation of the simulation of the control unit or the environment of the control unit to create the second simulation data Sn, the non-real-time-capable sub-simulation having a second simulation time, the second simulation time being virtual and matching the first simulation time at a start of a real-time simulation of the control unit or the environment of the control unit or the combination of the control unit and the environment of the control unit;
• and
• the error handling system adapted to create the estimated simulation data Sg based on the second simulation data Sn from the non-real-time-capable sub-simulation,
• wherein the real-time-capable sub-simulation is adapted to:
• determine whether a previous second simulation data Sn corresponding to a previous macro-simulation step has been provided by the non-real-time-capable sub-simulation, the previous macro-simulation step being a macro-simulation step previous to a current macro-simulation step;
• create a current first simulation data Se based on the previous second simulation data Sn when it is determined that the previous second simulation data Sn has been provided, the current first simulation data Se corresponding to the current macro-simulation step;
• and
• create the current first simulation data Se based on a previous estimated simulation data Sg corresponding to the previous macro-simulation step when it is determined that the previous second simulation data Sn has not been provided,
• wherein the non-real-time-capable sub-simulation is adapted to:
• create a current second simulation data Sn corresponding to the current macro-simulation step based on a previous first simulation data Se corresponding to the previous macro-simulation step;
• determine whether the current macro-simulation step has passed;
• and
• provide the current second simulation data Sn to the real-time-capable sub-simulation and to the error handling system when it is determined that the current macro-simulation step has not passed, and
• wherein the error handling system is adapted to:
• determine whether the previous second simulation data Sn has been provided by the non-real-time-capable sub-simulation to the real-time-capable sub-simulation;
• and
• provide the previous estimated simulation data Sg to the real-time-capable sub-simulation when it is determined that the previous second simulation data Sn has not been provided.