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RT-LAB: Basic Concepts and Compatibility
Page Content
- 1 Definitions
- 1.1 Command Station
- 1.2 Target Nodes
- 2 Requirements
- 2.1 Hardware Requirements
- 2.2 Microsoft Windows Compatibility
- 2.3 MATLAB Compatibility
- 2.4 National Instruments LabVIEW Compatibility
- 2.5 National Instruments TestStand Compatibility
- 2.6 Windows target node / MingW compiler
- 2.7 Real-Time Operating System Compatibility
- 2.8 Python compatibility
- 2.9 RT-LAB Versions vs. ARTEMIS/RT-EVENTS Versions
- 2.10 RT-LAB Versions vs. MMC Versions
- 2.11 RT-LAB Versions vs. eHS Versions
- 2.12 TestDrive Software Compatibility
- 2.13 RT-XSG Compatibility
- 2.14 OPAL-RT Chassis Compatibility
- 2.15 RT-LAB vs OPAL-RT Chassis (Target Nodes)
- 2.16 RT-LAB vs OPAL-RT Chassis (I/O Expansion Boxes)
Before you begin with the installation, it is important to determine the configuration you wish to use.
This section describes the configurations to be applied to your RT-LAB system. RT-LAB makes a distinction between the computer or computers used for development, and the computer or computers used to run the simulation, although the same computer may be used for both development and simulation.
Definitions
Command Station
Development is always done on Windows. The computer used to run the RT-LAB user interface, design software including Simulink, and/or monitoring software such as LabVIEW, is known as the Command Station. Users can include more than one Command Station in an RT-LAB system.
Target Nodes
The computers used to run your simulation are called target nodes, targets, or simulators. The Windows command station can be used simultaneously as a target node for slow pseudo-real-time purposes. For super-computer performance, RT-LAB can be set up using a network of multi-processor computers.
Requirements
Hardware Requirements
Command station computer (Windows):
Any Intel or AMD x86-64 processor
5 GB of disk space
16 GB of RAM (including use of MATLAB/Simulink)
For the below compatibility tables, the following legend applies:
: Supported.
: Not supported.
: Partial support (read notes below table).
Microsoft Windows Compatibility
| Windows 11 | Windows 10 | Windows Vista | Windows 7 | Windows 8 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
RT-LAB 2023.3 and newer |
| ||||
RT-LAB 2023.2 | |||||
RT-LAB 2023.1 and older |
Required Elements:
MATLAB: Underlying mathematical engine
Simulink: Graphical design environment
Simulink Coder (formerly known as Real-Time Workshop): Code generator
MATLAB Compatibility
Concerning the OPAL-RT policy regarding the support of MATLAB/Simulink versions, please refer to opal-rt.com/policy-rtlab/.
| R2024A | R2023B | R2023A | R2022B | R2022A | R2021A/B | R2020A/B | R2019A/B | R2018A/B | R2017A/B | R2016A/B | R2015B 32/64 bits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RT-LAB 2024.3 |
| (2) | (1) | |||||||||
RT-LAB 2024.2 |
| (2) | (1) | |||||||||
RT-LAB 2024.1 |
|
| (2) | (1) | ||||||||
RT-LAB 2023.3 |
|
| (1) | |||||||||
RT-LAB 2023.2 | (1) | |||||||||||
RT-LAB 2023.1 | ||||||||||||
RT-LAB 2022.1 | ||||||||||||
RT-LAB 2021.3 and older |
(1) Only R2018B is supported
(2) Only R2019B is supported
National Instruments LabVIEW Compatibility
LabVIEW is not required for RT-LAB to work. However, RT-LAB’s API for LabVIEW can be used to create custom user applications.
| 2023 | 2020 | 2019 | 2017 |
---|---|---|---|---|
RT-LAB 2023.2 and newer | ||||
RT-LAB 2023.1 | ||||
RT-LAB 2022.1 | ||||
RT-LAB 2021.3 | ||||
RT-LAB 2021.2 | ||||
RT-LAB 2021.1 |
National Instruments TestStand Compatibility
TestStand is not required for RT-LAB to work. However, it can be used to create custom test sequences for various quality assurance duties.
For more information on the compatibility between RT-LAB and TestStand, contact https://www.opal-rt.com/support-home/
Windows target node / MingW compiler
In order to use the Windows command station as a target node, one compiler is available, the free and open-source MinGW compiler.
This compiler is installed during the setup of RT-LAB.
If for any reason it fails, you can start it manually, as it is located: <RT-LAB installation folder>/mingw_download.bat
RT-LAB enforces the use of a specific version of MinGW which has been verified as compatible with the software.
Real-Time Operating System Compatibility
RT-LAB targets run on OPAL-RTLinux (x86-64) and (x86-based) real-time operating systems.
| OPAL-RTLINUX 3.5.4 | OPAL-RTLINUX 3.4.1 | OPAL-RTLINUX (X86-BASED) (red hat 5.2) |
---|---|---|---|
RT-LAB 2024.2 and newer |
| ||
RT-LAB 2024.1 |
| ||
RT-LAB 2023.3 | |||
RT-LAB 2023.2 | |||
RT-LAB 2023.1 | |||
RT-LAB 2022.1 and older |
RT-LAB no longer supports targets running on QNX real-time operating systems.
Red Hat 5.2 (build 2.6.29.6-opalrt-6.2.1)
End of support
This is for OPAL-RT 32 bits operating system. Note that after years of service, we have decided to phase out the support for our 32-bit Operating System, effective Q1 2024.
The last software that support the 32-bit OS is RT-LAB 2024.1. We will ensure full Technical Support until Q1 2027.
Python compatibility
Python is required on the Windows command station and the target nodes for some RT-LAB functionalities.
By default, the command station uses its own Python 3.9 distribution.
| Python 3.10 | Python 3.9 | Python 3.8 | Python 3.7 | Python 2.7 | Python 2.6 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RT-LAB 2023.2 and newer |
| |||||
RT-LAB 2023.1 and older |
|
RT-LAB Versions vs. ARTEMIS/RT-EVENTS Versions
RT-EVENTS is a block set of Simulink developed by OPAL-RT. It may be used in real-time when compiled with RT-LAB. Here is a compatibility table with RT-LAB, but it is always recommended to use the RT-EVENTS version that is packaged with RT-LAB on the website download or on the installation disk.
| ARTEMIS | RT-EVENTS |
---|---|---|
RT-LAB 2024.3 | 7.10 | 4.7.8 |
RT-LAB 2024.2 | 7.9 | 4.7.7 |
RT-LAB 2024.1 | 7.8 | 4.7.6 |
RT-LAB 2023.3 | 7.7.5 | 4.7.5 |
RT-LAB 2023.2 | 7.7.4 | 4.7.4 |
RT-LAB 2023.1 | 7.7.3 | 4.7.3 |
RT-LAB 2022.1 | 7.7.2 | 4.7.2 |
RT-LAB 2021.3 | 7.7.1 | 4.7.1 |
RT-LAB 2021.2 | 7.7.0 | 4.7.0 |
RT-LAB 2021.1 | 7.6.4 | 4.6.4 |
RT-LAB Versions vs. MMC Versions
| MMC 2.13 | MMC 2.12 | MMC 2.11 | MMC 2.10 | MMC 2.9 | MMC 2.8 | MMC 2.7 | MMC 2.6 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RT-LAB 2024.3 |
|
|
|
| ||||
RT-LAB 2024.2 |
|
|
| |||||
RT-LAB 2024.1 |
| |||||||
RT-LAB 2023.3 | ||||||||
RT-LAB 2023.2 | ||||||||
RT-LAB 2023.1 | ||||||||
RT-LAB 2022.1 | ||||||||
RT-LAB 2021.3 and older |
RT-LAB Versions vs. eHS Versions
| 2.18 | 2.17 | 2.16 | 2.15 | 2.14 | 2.13 | 2.12 | 2.11 | 2.10 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.6 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RT-LAB 2024.3 |
| ||||||||||||
RT-LAB 2024.2 |
| ||||||||||||
RT-LAB 2024.1 | (1) | ||||||||||||
RT-LAB 2023.3 | |||||||||||||
RT-LAB 2023.2 | |||||||||||||
RT-LAB 2023.1 | |||||||||||||
RT-LAB 2022.1 | |||||||||||||
RT-LAB 2021.3 |
| ||||||||||||
RT-LAB 2021.2 |
| ||||||||||||
RT-LAB 2021.1 |
|
(1) Only versions 2024.1.0, 2024.1.1 and 2024.1.2 are compatible with 2.16 version
TestDrive Software Compatibility
TestDrive is software developed by OPAL-RT that allows the user to replace the Simulink console by a LabVIEW panel. Starting from RT-LAB 2021.1, RT-LAB versions are compatible with TestDrive v2.9.
RT-XSG Compatibility
The integration of RT-LAB with the Xilinx System Generator toolbox is provided by the OPAL-RT RT-XSG product. Compatibility of RT-XSG with MATLAB and Xilinx System Generator versions can be found in RT-XSG user manual at this page https://opal-rt.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/PRUH/pages/144465147.
RT-LAB is compatible with all versions of RT-XSG between RT-XSG 2.0 and RT-XSG 3.3.x. Note that RT-XSG 3.3.4+ is only compatible with RT-LAB 2023.1+. RT-XSG users should refer to the OPAL-RT RT-XSG Toolbox User Guide in order to validate compatibility between the FPGA boards in OPAL-RT chassis, Xilinx ISE Design Suite (including System Generator for DSP), and MATLAB.
OPAL-RT Chassis Compatibility
OPAL-RT chassis have reconfigurable FPGA boards for which the compatibility varies depending on the version of RT-LAB. It is important to note that the same OPAL-RT chassis (ex: OP5600) may be powered by different FPGA boards (ex: OP5142_1, OP5142_2, ML605_1, and ML605_2 or OP5143).
In the column header, the different possibilities of FPGA boards are under each OPAL-RT chassis. The FPGA boards are identified with their firmware filename prefix.
For example, the “MMPK7_1-EX-0001-2_2_2_4-RESOLVER_IO-02-01.bin” firmware file is for the “MMPK7_1” FPGA board in the “OP4500” OPAL-RT chassis.
The table below presents the compatibility between RT-LAB versions and OPAL-RT chassis that serve as target nodes. In other words, all these OPAL-RT chassis have processor power. The OP5031 chassis is the only one without an FPGA board and, without an I/O expansion box, has no I/O capability.
RT-LAB vs OPAL-RT Chassis (Target Nodes)
OP5031 | OP5600 | OP5707 | OP4500 | OP4510 | OP5650 | OP4512 TE0741_4 | OP4610XG TE0741_4 | OP5705XG OP5143 | OP5707XG VC707_2 | OP5033XG (no FPGA | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RT-LAB 2024.2 and newer | |||||||||||
RT-LAB 2024.1 and older |
RT-LAB vs OPAL-RT Chassis (I/O Expansion Boxes)
OP5607 | OP7000 | OP7020 | OP4520 | OP7170 | OP4810/OP4815 Versal | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RT-LAB 2024.2 and newer |
| |||||
RT-LAB 2024.1 and older |
|
OPAL-RT TECHNOLOGIES, Inc. | 1751, rue Richardson, bureau 1060 | Montréal, Québec Canada H3K 1G6 | opal-rt.com | +1 514-935-2323