6. Controlling a real process with Matlab/Simulink and dSPACE

Matlab ^® and Simulink ^® are, as we have seen, powerful tools for the analysis and simulation of dynamic systems. Combining these software packages with a digital computer and input/output interfaces enables direct real-time control of physical processes. Particularly well-suited to prototyping, this approach makes it possible to rapidly test various correctors and analyze the behavior of the process under study. The possibilities are virtually unlimited, enabling the automation engineer to experiment with control laws under real operating conditions. The general principle of this method is illustrated in figure 28 .

Controlling a physical process in real time therefore requires...