MATLAB: How to configure Belt Drive block for Hardware-in-the-Loop simulation

belt drivehardware-in-the-loopSimscape

To run a Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) simulation, I need to generate C++ code file from the circuit in the figure, which represents a model of a conveyor belt (Solver=ode14x):
The Simulink simulation works fine, but when I transfer the generated C++ code in the HIL platform, the host computer crashes with DRIVE_VERIFIER_detected_violation error. Note that when I replace the Belt Drive block with the Simple Gear block, the HIL simulation is then OK. Current setting of Belt Drive block:
  • Drive type: Open belt
  • Belt type: Flat band
  • Longitudinal stiffness: 1e+4 [N/m]
  • Longitudinal damping: 1e+5 [N/(m/s)]
  • Pre-tension: 21 [N]
  • Pulley radius (Pulley A and B): 0.1 [m]
  • Friction velocity threshold: 0.001 [m/s]
Any idea? I thank you in advance.

Best Answer

The "Friction velocity threshold" parameter is usually the culprit here. This is usually a small region used to avoid numerical instability by linearly varying the friction force over the range [-0.001 0.001] m/s instead of adding a "jump" right at 0. What if you try increasing this value to make the slope of this force less steep around 0?
Alternatively, it could be that the stiffness and damping of the belt are adding some very fast dynamics that are hard to solve given your local solver time step. You could try either increasing the time step or reducing the stiffness and damping.
In both cases above, of course, you want to verify that you're not significantly affecting your simulation results.
- Sebastian
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