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Pickering (UI)
This document explains how to use the Pickering driver. This driver allows communication between OPAL-RT simulators and programmable modules from Pickering.
Pickering driver supports pickering modules on two chassis interface namely PXI and LXI chassis.
The modules have to be inserted into a PXI or LXI chassis. The PXI chassis is connected to a PCI-Express slot of the simulator. While the LXI chassis is connected to the simulator through IP network.
Each LXI chassis can be configured with an IP address and a port. The simulator and LXI chassis have to be connected in the same network in order to establish the network connection between them.
Supported Cards
The driver supports four different types of modules:
- Resistive
- Fault Insertion Unit (FIU)
- Relay, and
- battery simulator.
Resistive Module Supported Cards
The following are a list of the supported cards for the resistive module:
- 40-262-002 (18 subunits and 13 bits per channel)
- 40-295-121 (10 subunits and 12 bits per channel)
- 40-295-121 (10 subunits and 16 bits per channel)
- 40-295-121 (6 subunits and 24 bits per channel)
- 40-297-020
- 40-297A-040 (6 subunits and 24 bits per channel)
- 40-298-050
- 50-295-021 (5 subunits and 12 bits per channel)
- 50-295-021 (5 subunits and 16 bits per channel)
- 50-295-021 (10 subunits and 8 bits per channel)
- 50-295-021 (6 subunits and 24 bits per channel)
- 50-295-121 (and its flavor 50-295A-121 - 6 subunits and 24 bits per channel)
- 50-297-020
- 50-297-041
- 50-298-020
FIU Module Supported Cards
The following are a list of the supported cards for the FIU module:
- 40-194-002
- 40-195-001
- 40-190B-001
- 40-190B-002
- 40-199-002
Relay Module Supported Cards
The following are a list of the supported cards for the relay module:
- 50-110A-021
- 50-110A-121
Battery Simulator Module
- Only the 41-752-001 card is supported. The 41-752 board is a single slot PXI module that is to be placed in an appropriate PXI chassis (e.g. Pickering PXI 40-922).
- The OPAL-RT simulator communicates with this board through a regular PCIe link, therefore a PXI-PCI interface is required (e.g. Pickering PXI 41-924 kit).
- The 41-752 module contains 6 battery channels that can be programmed independently. The battery simulator can supply a maximum of 7V and 300mA per channel and sink up to 100mA per channel.
- Cells can be chained together in order to increase the final output.
Unsupported custom cards
It is possible to configure a custom card. The user is responsible to configure the correct card identifier and all other settings associated with the card.
NOTE: Custom cards have not been officially tested by OPAL-RT.
Please send a request to OPAL-RT to officially support it.
Configuration
The driver is entirely configurable via the RT-LAB interface.
General Parameters
The driver has the following general parameter:
Use an RT core for asynchronous computation |
|
---|---|
Chassis type | Options are PXI and LXI |
| If PXI chassis type is selected, the chassis is connected to simulator via PCIe interface card |
| If LXI chassis type is selected, the chassis is connected to simulator via IP network |
IP address | The IP address of the LXI chassis interface |
Port | The TCP-IP port of the LXI chassis interface |
LXI Chassis Network Configuration
This section explains how to configure the LAN network settings of a LXI chassis. The configuration can be done in the following steps:
- The LXI chassis needs to be connected to a PC or laptop directly via an Ethernet cable.
- The LXI chassis comes with a default IP address and a port already configured. Enter the default IP address of the LXI chassis in a browser of the PC.
- Once the configuration page is loaded, select the LAN configurations settings tab from this page as shown below.
As seen below, the LAN configuration page shows the current network settings in the Ethernet network status section.
The Ethernet Network settings section provides three options to configure the network:
- DHCP option uses the network DHCP server to assign network credentials dynamically.
- Auto-IP option assigns network credentials dynamically without a DHCP server.
- Manual option configures network credentials statically. This section takes manual input of each parameters of the Ethernet network settings.
Although any of the three methods can be used to configure the network settings, it is recommended to configure the network settings statically (Manual option).
Card Parameters
Card type | Options are Resistive, FIU, Relay, and Battery simulator. |
---|---|
| When the Card type option is Resistive, select the type of resistive card from this list. |
| When the Card type option is FIU, select the type of FIU card from this list. |
| When the Card type option is Relay, select the type of relay card from this list. |
| If the Card type option is Battery simulator, the 41-752 Battery simulator card is selected by default. |
Serial number | The serial number of the programmable Pickering card. This unique number that can be retrieved from the front panel of the module is used to identify the module. |
Minimum update rate (us) | This is the minimum delay, in microseconds, for which the channels in this card are updated. |
Resistive Card Parameters
Number of subunits | This is the number of channels. A channel corresponds to a resistor. |
---|---|
Bits per channel | This is the number of switches used to set a resistor. This is equivalent to the number of columns. |
Precision setting | Set to true or false depending on the type of resistive card. |
FIU Card Parameters
Number of faulty channels | The number of fault insertion channels in the FIU card. |
---|---|
Number of faulty buses | The number of fault insertion buses in the FIU card. |
Number of faulty multiplexers | The number of fault insertion multiplexers in the FIU card. |
Number of faulty monitors | The number of fault insertion monitors in the FIU card. |
Number of faulty pairs | The number of fault insertion pairs in the FIU card. |
Relay Card Parameters
Number of channels | This is the number of channels in the Relay card |
---|
Battery Simulator Card Parameters
Number of channels | This is the number of channels in the battery simulator card. |
---|
Channel/Subunit Parameters
Name | Name of the channel/subunit |
---|---|
Index | Index of the channel/subunit. |
Default value | Default state applied to the specific card before execution and when the simulation resets. |
Gain | Gain applied to the resistive value coming from the model. |
Offset | Offset used to compensate for the resistive value coming from the model. |
Max bits | The maximum number of switches used to represent the resistor. |
Type | Type of the FIU channel. Options are Channel, Fault, or Monitor |
The resistor cards with the precision setting value set to false are calculated according to the following algorithm:
temp = value_specified_by_user * gain + offset if(temp > 2^maxBits - 1 ){ resistor_value = 2^maxBits - 1 } else{ resistor_value = temp; }
Connections
Once the driver has been configured as desired and the model has been compiled, connection points in the model can be connected to points in the driver via the RT-LAB Configuration interface.
Connections to LabVIEW panels from the driver can also be made.
The connectable points of the driver depend on the card type selected.
Resistive Card Connectable Points
Connectable Name | Description | Direction |
---|---|---|
Channel | Resistive value | From model |
Status | Status of resistive channel | To model |
FIU Card Connectable Points
Connectable Name | Description | Direction |
---|---|---|
Channel | FIU value (if type is channel) | From model |
Fault | FIU value (if type is fault) | From model |
Monitor | FIU value (if type is monitor) | From model |
Enable | If set to 1, channels can be updated. Default is 0 | From model |
Reset | If set to 1, channels are set to 0 | From model |
Status | Status of the FIU card | To model |
NOTE: Depending on how channels and faults are wired, enabling two faults on two separate fault buses results in a short-circuit on these two fault buses.
This will result in a "Short Fault Bus" action on every enabled fault for each channel.
Relay Card Connectable Points
Connectable Name | Description | Direction |
---|---|---|
Channel | Relay channel value | From model |
Status | Status of relay card | To model |
Battery Simulator Card Connectable Points
Connectable Name | Description | Direction |
---|---|---|
Voltage | Voltage value for channel | From model |
Current | Current value for channel | From model |
Enable | If set to 1, channel can be updated. Default is 0 | From model |
Error | Channel error code | To model |
Board error | Error at the board level | To model |
Interlock status | 0 = success; non-zero = error code | To model |
List of Error Codes
0 | OK |
---|---|
1 | No Pickering card has the specified card number |
2 | Cannot obtain information for the card |
3 | Card is disabled |
4 | Subunit value out of range for card |
5 | Bit number out of range for target sub-unit |
6 | Target sub-unit has no calibration data to read/write |
7 | SafeArray type, shape, or size is incorrect |
8 | Non-zero write data value is illegal for MUX subunit |
9 | Execution would cause the closure limit to be exceeded |
10 | One or more of the specified channels cannot be masked |
11 | Cannot activate an output that is masked |
12 | Cannot open a Pickering card at the specified location |
13 | Failed to read from the hardware |
14 | Failed to write to hardware |
15 | Hardware driver failure |
16 | Incompatible hardware driver version |
17 | Function call incompatible with sub-unit type or capabilities |
18 | Matrix row value out of range |
19 | Matrix column value out of range |
20 | Attenuation value out of range |
21 | Voltage value out of range |
22 | Calibration index value out of range |
23 | Segment number out of range |
24 | Function code value out of range |
25 | Sub switch value out of range |
26 | Action code out of range |
27 | Cannot execute due to corrupt subunit state |
28 | Unrecognized attribute code |
29 | Timeout writing to EEPROM |
30 | Operation is illegal in the subunit's current state |
31 | Unrecognized port number requested |
32 | Invalid write pattern for MATRIXR subunit |
33 | Attempted operation on non-existent channel |
34 | The card cannot be accessed (failed/removed/unpowered) |
35 | Unsupported internal floating-point format (internal error) |
36 | The subunit is not calibrated |
37 | Unobtainable resistance value |
38 | Invalid calibration store number |
39 | Invalid mode value |
40 | Conflicting device settings |
41 | Function call incompatible with card type or capabilities |
42 | Switch pole value out of range |
43 | Attempted to activate a non-existent capability |
44 | Action requires hardware that is not present |
45 | Faulty hardware |
46 | Failed to execute (e.g. blocked by a hardware condition) |
47 | Current value out of range |
48 | Invalid range value |
49 | Attribute not supported |
50 | Register number out of range |
51 | Invalid channel closure or write a pattern for MATRIXP sub-unit |
52 | Data buffer too small |
53 | Inconsistent shared access mode |
Note: Not all error codes apply for Pickering 41-752 Battery simulator board.
OPAL-RT TECHNOLOGIES, Inc. | 1751, rue Richardson, bureau 1060 | Montréal, Québec Canada H3K 1G6 | opal-rt.com | +1 514-935-2323