Getting Started Using

ADAMS/Car RealTime

This guide provides overview information and step-by-step

procedures for building, simulating, and refining a model using
ADAMS/RealTime, part of the MSC.ADAMS® suite of software.
Select an entry below to get started:
■ Introducing ADAMS/Car RealTime, 3

■ Using Standalone ADAMS/Car RealTime, 7

■ Using Embedded ADAMS/RealTime, 19

 Getting Started Using ADAMS/Car RealTime
2 Copyright

The information in this document is furnished for informational use only, may be revised from time to time, and
should not be construed as a commitment by MSC.Software Corporation. MSC.Software Corporation assumes no
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1 Introducing ADAMS/Car RealTime

Overview
ADAMS/Car RealTime is primarily a simplified vehicle model,
containing only 14 degrees-of-freedom, which you can execute
faster than real-time. This section introduces you to the basics of
ADAMS/Car RealTime and tutorials in the later chapters:
■ ADAMS/Car RealTime Vehicle Model, 4

■ ADAMS/Car RealTime Packages, 4

■ Process Flow in ADAMS/Car RealTime, 5

■ About the Tutorials, 5

 Getting Started Using ADAMS/Car RealTime
4 Introducing ADAMS/Car RealTime

ADAMS/Car RealTime Vehicle Model

ADAMS/Car RealTime contains an example of a simplified model of a four-wheeled
vehicle with independent front and rear suspensions, called MDI_Demo_Vehicle.
It runs faster than real time, meaning that one second of simulated vehicle behavior takes
less than on second of real clock time (as you would measure with a stop watch) for the
computer to calculate. This makes the model useful for hardware-in-the-loop (HIL)
simulations and driving simulators. Because the simulation times are fast, the model is also
useful as a plant for controller design, and for doing optimization in which many
simulation runs are required.
The ADAMS/Car RealTime model is quite different from the ADAMS/Car and
ADAMS/Chassis models. The ADAMS/Car RealTime suspension does not have linkages
or bushings, and the steering system does not have parts for the steering wheel or the rack.
Instead, the model requires input parameters of the type obtained from kinematic and
compliant (K & C) test machines. Therefore, you can use parameter data from such a
source, or, as you will see in the second tutorial, Using Embedded ADAMS/RealTime, you
can use ADAMS/Car to run virtual K & C tests on an ADAMS/Car model to obtain the
data.

ADAMS/Car RealTime Packages

ADAMS/Car RealTime is available as two different configurations:
■ Standalone - It is for users who do not have ADAMS/Car. It is a complete
standalone simulation package for the simplified vehicle model.
■ Embedded - It is for users who have ADAMS/Car. In the embedded
configuration, you can launch ADAMS/Car RealTime from within
ADAMS/Car, and import input parameters for an existing ADAMS/Car model
using the ADAMS/Car RealTime plug-in.
The standalone configuration is used in the first tutorial and the embedded configuration
is used in the second tutorial.
Getting Started Using ADAMS/Car RealTime
Introducing ADAMS/Car RealTime 5

Process Flow in ADAMS/Car RealTime

ADAMS/Car RealTime interface is separated into four working modes:
■ Build - Allows you change vehicle characteristic data.
■ Test - Allows you to simulate your vehicle with using full-vehicle and
suspension events.
■ Review - Allows you to use ADAMS/PostProcessor to animate and plot results.
■ Improve - Allows you to refine your model by performing a Design of
Experiments (DOE) analysis with ADAMS/Insight.

About the Tutorials

This guide contains two tutorials: one for running ADAMS/Car RealTime standalone
configuration and one for running the embedded configuration with ADAMS/Car. They
introduce you to the simplified model and show you process for running tests and
reviewing results, both in MSC’s ADAMS/PostProcessor and MATLAB/Simulink.

Standalone Tutorial
The standalone tutorial teaches you how to run ADAMS/Car RealTime Standalone Basic.
In the tutorial, you will:
■ Review model data.
■ Run a standalone test (simulation) of the model that drives the vehicle in a
100 (m) radius circle with a speed profile that varies from 20 to 26 (m/s).
■ View animations and plots in ADAMS/PostProcessor.
■ Run a MATLAB/Simulink Simulation.
■ View results in MATLAB/Simulink scopes and as animations and plots.

Embedded Tutorial
In the embedded tutorial, you will use the embedded configuration, which is a plug-in to
ADAMS/Car that lets you extract parameters from ADAMS/Car models for use in
ADAMS/Car RealTime.
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/Car RealTime
6 Introducing ADAMS/Car RealTime
2 Using Standalone ADAMS/Car RealTime

Overview
The following tutorial teaches you how to run ADAMS/Car
RealTime in standalone mode. In the tutorial, you will learn the
basics for:
■ Starting ADAMS/Car RealTime, 8
■ Loading and Reviewing the Vehicle Model, 9
■ Testing the Model, 10
■ Reviewing the Model in ADAMS/PostProcessor, 12
■ Simulating the Model Using MATLAB/Simulink Solver, 15
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/Car RealTime
8 Using Standalone ADAMS/Car RealTime

Starting ADAMS/Car RealTime

In this section, you start ADAMS/Car RealTime. In the UNIX environment, you start
ADAMS/Car RealTime from the MSC.ADAMS Toolbar. In the Windows environment,
you start ADAMS/Car RealTime from the Start menu.

To start ADAMS/Car RealTime in the UNIX environment:

1 At the command prompt, enter the command to start the MSC.ADAMS Toolbar,
and then select Enter. The standard command that MSC provides is adamsx, where x
is the version number, for example adams05r2.
The MSC.ADAMS Toolbar appears.

2 Select the ADAMS/Car RealTime tool .

The ADAMS/Car RealTime window appears as shown on the next page. The
default mode is Build, with no model loaded. If you have used ADAMS/Chassis,
the user interface should look very familiar to you.

To start ADAMS/Car RealTime in the Windows environment:

■ From the Start menu, point to Programs, point to MSC.Software, point to
MSC.ADAMS 2005 r2, point to A/Car RealTime, and then select ADAMS - Car RealTime.

Tip: You can also use the ADAMS/Car RealTime tool from your desktop if it
was installed.
The ADAMS/Car RealTime window appears as shown on the next page. The
default mode is Build, with no model loaded. If you have used ADAMS/Chassis,
the user interface should look very familiar to you.
Getting Started Using ADAMS/Car RealTime
Using Standalone ADAMS/Car RealTime 9

Figure 1. ADAMS/Car RealTime Window

Loading and Reviewing the Vehicle Model

You will now use Build mode to open the simplified vehicle model (MDI_Demo_Vehicle)
and review its contents.

To load and review the model:

1 If not already selected, from the Main toolbar, select the Build Mode tool .

2 From the Main toolbar, select the Load Model tool .

The Select File dialog box appears.

3 On the left side of the dialog box, in the Registered Databases pane, select
mdids://acarrt_shared/.

4 In the main pane of the dialog box, double-click the file MDI_Demo_Vehicle.xml.
The model loads.
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/Car RealTime
10 Using Standalone ADAMS/Car RealTime

5 In treeview, select its various model subsystems to see the model data and get an
idea of the model’s complexity.
You will see that it is significantly simpler than ADAMS/Car and ADAMS/Chassis
models. It still captures, however, the essential handling, braking, and acceleration
behavior of a four-wheeled vehicle.You will also see that the property files for
components, such as springs, dampers, and tires, are the same as those used in
ADAMS/Car and ADAMS/Chassis.

Testing the Model

In this section, you’ll run a step-steer test of the simplified vehicle.
Before you run the test, you define the events that you want to run and save them in a
fingerprint, which stores the following so you can run the events again without defining
this information again:
■ The events
■ Parameters you set
■ Information about the model you used
In ADAMS/Car RealTime, you can add an unlimited number of events in a single
fingerprint. You can also save and load fingerprints.

To test the model:

1 Switch from Build mode to Test mode by selecting the Test Mode tool on the
Main toolbar.
2 On the left side of the window, in the treeview, click the plus sign (+) in front of the
Events folder to expand it and see all of the events in ADAMS/Car RealTime. This
area of the treeview is called the bookshelf because, like a shelf of books, it
contains all the events or results in ADAMS/Car RealTime.
3 Double-click DrivingMachine.
A new fingerprint appears in the lower portion of the treeview, called the
fingerprint tree. The property editor on the right shows the details of the fingerprint.
The default name for the event is MDI_Demo_Vehicle_dm, where dm stands for
Getting Started Using ADAMS/Car RealTime
Using Standalone ADAMS/Car RealTime 11

Driving Machine). Because only one model has been loaded, the event editor
automatically chose that model to be used for the simulation (the one you loaded in
Build mode). You can change the name of the event by editing the value in the
Name text box in the event property editor and selecting Return.
You need to select a Driving Machine file to specify what maneuver the vehicle
will undergo, which we’ve provided.

4 Select the Open File tool to the right of the Driving Machine file text box.

The Select File dialog box again appears.

5 Select the mdids://acarrt_shared/ database.
6 Double-click StepSteer.xml in the right pane.

7 View the event parameters by selecting the icon.

8 Select the Run Selected Events tool in the toolbar.

The run window appears and you see a status bar that tracks the simulation
progress. When the run is done and you are finished looking at the messages, close
the run window and return to ADAMS/Car RealTime.
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/Car RealTime
12 Using Standalone ADAMS/Car RealTime

Reviewing the Model in ADAMS/PostProcessor

In this section, you’ll switch to Review mode and use ADAMS/PostProcessor.
ADAMS/PostProcessor is a tool that lets you view the results of simulations you
performed.

To start ADAMS/PostProcessor:

1 Switch from Test mode to Review mode by selecting the Review Mode tool on
the Main toolbar.
2 In the lower-left portion of the treeview, select MDI_Demo_Vehicle_dm from
fingerprint_1.

3 Select the Execute Postprocessing tool from the toolbar.

ADAMS/Car RealTime launches and loads a vehicle model that can be used to
animate the results from the simulation run you just made. ADAMS/Car RealTime
then switches to ADAMS/PostProcessor (see Figure 2 on page 13) and then
displays the vehicle facing you, ready to animate. This takes a few seconds.
ADAMS/PostProcessor has several modes, including plotting (default), animation,
and report, as shown in the first pull-down menu on the menu toolbar. Take a
minute to familiarize yourself with ADAMS/PostProcessor. For more information,
see the ADAMS/PostProcessor online help.
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/Car RealTime
Using Standalone ADAMS/Car RealTime 13

Figure 2. ADAMS/PostProcessor

Menu bar Viewports

Menu toolbar
Page

Treeview

Property editor
Dashboard

Status toolbar

4 In the dashboard, in the Animation tab, right-click the Trace Marker text box. Point
to Marker, and then select Browse.
The ADAMS/View Database Navigator appears.
5 In the Database Navigator, beneath MDI_Demo_Vehicle, select ges_chassis/cm. This
places the ges_chassis.cm marker into the Trace Marker text box.

6 Select the Play Animation tool .

7 Now, to view the animation better, you can zoom in and out and rotate:
■ To zoom out, press the Z key and drag the mouse towards you while holding down
the left mouse button.
■ To rotate up, press the R key and drag the mouse towards you while holding down
the left mouse button. You should see the vehicle driving in a circle.
8 When you are done viewing the animation, from the View menu, select Load Plot.
A warning dialog box appears with the text: Warning: Animation will be deleted.
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/Car RealTime
14 Using Standalone ADAMS/Car RealTime

9 Select OK.
An empty viewport appears.
10 In the dashboard, set Source to Result Sets.
The MDI_Demo_Vehicle appears in the Simulation list and is selected. (Select it if it
is not selected.)
11 To plot results:
a. From the Result Set list, select Vehicle.
b. From the Component pane, select CM_Tracking_Ay.
c. Select Surf. You should see a plot of the lateral acceleration of the vehicle-
sprung-mass mass center versus time.
12 Make other plots. When you are finished, exit ADAMS/Postprocessor.
ADAMS/View appears.
13 Exit ADAMS/View.
14 Return to ADAMS/Car RealTime.
Getting Started Using ADAMS/Car RealTime
Using Standalone ADAMS/Car RealTime 15

Simulating the Model Using MATLAB/Simulink Solver

Now you will use the MATLAB/Simulink version of the real-time vehicle model solver
to connect the vehicle model to an anti-lock brake system (ABS) controller that is modeled
in MATLAB/Simulink. The vehicle will undergo hard braking. This will cause the wheels
to approach lockup, triggering the ABS controller to pulse the brake.

To set up Simulink communication:

1 Switch back to Test Mode in ADAMS/Car RealTime.

2 In the Driving Machine File text box, enter HardBraking.xml.
If you selected the Run Selected Events tool as you did earlier, the stand-alone
solver would launch. Instead, you are going to select to use the Simulink
Communication mode, which tells ADAMS/Car RealTime interface to broadcast to
a socket port.
3 From the Edit menu, select Preferences.
The Preferences dialog box appears.
4 Select Place GUI in Simulink Communication Mode.
5 Select Save.
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/Car RealTime
16 Using Standalone ADAMS/Car RealTime

To run the simulation:

1 Ensure that the MSC_LICENSE_FILE environment variable is set to point either to

either a license file or a license server.
2 Select Run Selected Events.
The run window again appears, but instead of seeing the progress meter for the
stand-alone solver, you should see the message:

The ADAMS/Car RealTime GUI is now broadcasting data over a socket to be received
by the Simulink S-function version of the vehicle-model solver program. It will remain in
broadcast mode until the window is closed.
ADAMS/Car RealTime waits to talk to MATLAB/Simulink and pass the vehicle
model and event data to the MATLAB/Simulink version of the real-time solver. Do
not terminate this shell window.
3 Start MATLAB/Simulink. (Double-click the MDL file
\TOPDIR\acarrt\examples\Simulink\abs_control.mdl. This launches MATLAB/Simulink
and sets the working directory to be the one that contains abs_control.mdl.)
4 Set your MATLAB path to include the path to the DLL for the vehicle model. The
DLL is located in the /acarrt/platform folder of your MSC.ADAMS installation,
where platform is either rh_linux or win32. For example, on Windows, if you
installed MSC.ADAMS using the default settings of the installer, you would set
the path to:

path(path, 'C:\MSC.Software\MSC.ADAMS\2005\acarrt\win32')
5 Open abs_control.mdl, either:
■ Type abs_control <enter> in the MATLAB command window.
■ Double-click abs_control.mdl in the Current Directory tab.
6 Select the Start simulation button in the toolbar of the MDL window.
The simulation starts and ends soon afterwards.
Getting Started Using ADAMS/Car RealTime
Using Standalone ADAMS/Car RealTime 17

To review the results in MATLAB/Simulink:

1 Double-click the scope block labeled Vx’s.

The green curve is the vehicle forward speed. The blue curve is the tread speed of
the front wheels, and the red curve is the tread speed of the rear wheels. The ABS
controller pulses the front brakes shortly after they come on to prevent lockup.
2 Close the MDL window and exit MATLAB/Simulink.

To review results in ADAMS/Car RealTime:

1 Terminate the ADAMS/Car RealTime run window and return to the interface.
2 Switch back to Review Mode.
3 Select the MDI_Demo_Vehicle_dm result in fingerprint_1.
4 Launch ADAMS/PostProcessor and view the animation. (A trace marker does not
help much for this simulation run.)

Next Step
You have now learned the basics of using the standalone configuration of ADAMS/Car
RealTime. Exit ADAMS/Car RealTime or continue with the next tutorial.
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/Car RealTime
18 Using Standalone ADAMS/Car RealTime
3 Using Embedded ADAMS/RealTime

Overview
As explained earlier, ADAMS/Car RealTime is available as two
different configurations: standalone and embedded. In this tutorial,
you use the plugin for ADAMS/Car that extracts parameters from
ADAMS/Car models for use in ADAMS/Car RealTime, letting you
use a validated ADAMS/Car model in the real-time context.
■ Starting ADAMS/Car and the ADAMS/Car RealTime
Embedded, 20

■ Loading an Assembly, 21

■ Extracting Parameters, 21
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/RealTime
20 Using Embedded ADAMS/RealTime

Starting ADAMS/Car and the ADAMS/Car RealTime

Embedded
To start ADAMS/Car and the ADAMS/Car RealTime embedded:

1 Start ADAMS/Car by clicking on its desktop icon.

2 From the Tools menu, select Plugin Manager.
The Plugin Manager appears, similar to the one shown below.

3 In the list of plugin names, find ADAMS/Car RealTime, and then select Load.
4 Select OK.
ADAMS/Car loads ADAMS/Car RealTime. The interface now includes a new
menu, RealTime.
Getting Started Using ADAMS/RealTime
Using Embedded ADAMS/RealTime 21

Loading an Assembly
Before using the ADAMS/Car RealTime plugin, you must have an ADAMS/Car model
loaded, from which to extract the parameters.

To load an assembly:

1 From the File menu, point to Open, and then select Assembly.
The Open Assembly dialog box appears.
2 Right-click the Assembly Name text box, point to Search, and then select
<acarrt_shared>/assemblies.tbl.

The Select File dialog box appears, displaying the folder assemblies.tbl.
3 Double-click MDI_Demo_Vehicle.asy.
The Open Assembly dialog box returns.
4 Select OK.
The model loads. It will take a few seconds.

Extracting Parameters
To extract parameters:

1 From the RealTime menu, select Create Vehicle Model.

The ADAMS/Car RealTime: Write Vehicle Files dialog box appears. The Full-
Vehicle Assembly pull-down menu automatically selected the only open
ADAMS/Car model: MDI_Demo_Vehicle.
2 In the Vehicle File Name text box, name the vehicle test_model.
3 Set Target Database to private.
4 Select Launch ADAMS/Car RealTime framework.
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/RealTime
22 Using Embedded ADAMS/RealTime

5 Leave all other settings at their default values, and then select OK.
The Message window appears, with warnings that you can ignore. ADAMS/Car
RealTime embedded is deriving the real-time model parameters. You may need to
select OK occasionally when it indicates the settings it uses.
When the parameter derivation is complete, ADAMS/Car RealTime appears.
6 Select Build Mode (if not already there), and then open a model from the
<private>/systems.tbl database. You should see a model with the name test_model.xml.
Select it to load it into ADAMS/Car RealTime.
7 You can now run real-time simulations with parameters extracted from the
ADAMS/Car model, as you did in the first tutorial.