RT-LAB: System Requirements

1 Host PC (Windows)
- 1.1 Performance Requirements
2 Microsoft Windows Compatibility
3 Windows target node / MinGW compiler
4 Real-Time Operating System Compatibility
- 4.1 Red Hat 5.2 (build 2.6.29.6-opalrt-6.2.1)
5 Installation and Permission Requirements
- 5.1 Installation recommendation
- 5.2 Required Accessible Ports
6 OPAL-RT Chassis Compatibility
7 RT-LAB vs OPAL-RT Chassis (Target Nodes)
8 RT-LAB vs OPAL-RT Chassis (I/O Expansion Boxes)

Host PC (Windows)

Performance Requirements

Category	Minimum	Recommended

Category	Minimum	Recommended
Operating System	Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit only)	Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit only)
Processor	Any Intel or AMD x86-64 processor	Any Intel or AMD x86-64 processor
RAM	16 GB	32 GB
Disk	8 GB of HDD space additional toolboxes may require up to 6 GB more	An SSD is strongly recommended
Graphics	No minimum	No recommendation

Microsoft Windows Compatibility

For the below compatibility tables, the following legend applies:

: Supported.
: Not supported.
: Partial support (read notes below table).

	Windows 11	Windows 10	Windows Vista	Windows 7	Windows 8

	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

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 the installation fails, it can be manually started using the installer located in <Installation_directory>\<RT-LAB_Version>\mingw\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)

	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.

Installation and Permission Requirements

Installation recommendation

The default installation path is C:\OPAL-RT. It is recommended to install RT-LAB under a path that doesn’t contain whitespaces.

Starting from version 2024.1, RT-LAB installation requires administrator permissions.

Required Accessible Ports

Process name	Usage	Ports

Process name	Usage	Ports
OpalDLoader	This process is responsible for starting the simulation process on the Host PC	1987
MetaController	Manager of the Controller processes	2002
OpTargetD：TCP	Process responsible to broadcast the target’s status towards RT-LAB	2525
RT-LAB	Process responsible to run the graphical user interface	33673 [47386 -> 57626]*
Controller	Process that manages the simulation	[25250 -> 25349] * [47386 -> 57626]*
Sshd：rtserver	Daemon process to handle SSH communication	51964 51969
opald.sh/ OpalD	The process responsible for starting the simulation process on the OPAL-RT target	58060

* A range of the ports that can be used, RT-LAB will try the first one if not accessible, continue with the other ones. For each project opened RT-LAB will need a port in this range.

These processes must be allowed access to the ports they require by the user’s firewall configuration.

DASH:Installation Requirements

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)

	OP5033XG (no FPGA board)	OP5031 (no FPGA board)	OP5025XG (no FPGA board)	OP5020XG (no FPGA board)	OP5707XG Virtex-7: VC707_2	OP5707 Virtex-7: VC707_2	OP4610XG Kintex-7: TE0741_4	OP4512 Kintex-7: TE0741_4	OP4510 Kintex-7: TE0741_3 TE0741_4	OP5705XG Kintex-7: OP5143	OP5650XG Kintex-7: OP5143	OP5650 Kintex-7: OP5143	OP5600 Spartan-3: OP5142_1 OP5142_2 ML605_1 ML605_2	OP4500 MMPK7_1 MMPK7_2

	OP5033XG (no FPGA board)	OP5031 (no FPGA board)	OP5025XG (no FPGA board)	OP5020XG (no FPGA board)	OP5707XG Virtex-7: VC707_2	OP5707 Virtex-7: VC707_2	OP4610XG Kintex-7: TE0741_4	OP4512 Kintex-7: TE0741_4	OP4510 Kintex-7: TE0741_3 TE0741_4	OP5705XG Kintex-7: OP5143	OP5650XG Kintex-7: OP5143	OP5650 Kintex-7: OP5143	OP5600 Spartan-3: OP5142_1 OP5142_2 ML605_1 ML605_2	OP4500 MMPK7_1 MMPK7_2
RT-LAB 2024.2 and newer
RT-LAB 2022.1 to RT-LAB 2024.1
RT-LAB 2021.3 and older

RT-LAB vs OPAL-RT Chassis (I/O Expansion Boxes)

	OP4810-IO OP4815-IO Versal	OP5707-IO Virtex-7: VC707_2	OP5705-IO Virtex-7: VC707_2	OP5607 Virtex-7: VC707_2	OP7020 Virtex-7: VC707_1	OP4610-IO Kintex-7: TE0741_4	OP4520 Kintex-7: TE0741_2 TE0741_3 TE0741_4	OP7000 OP7160_1 OP7160_2 OP7161_1 OP7161_2	OP7170 Kintex-7

	OP4810-IO OP4815-IO Versal	OP5707-IO Virtex-7: VC707_2	OP5705-IO Virtex-7: VC707_2	OP5607 Virtex-7: VC707_2	OP7020 Virtex-7: VC707_1	OP4610-IO Kintex-7: TE0741_4	OP4520 Kintex-7: TE0741_2 TE0741_3 TE0741_4	OP7000 OP7160_1 OP7160_2 OP7161_1 OP7161_2	OP7170 Kintex-7
RT-LAB 2024.2 and newer
RT-LAB 2022.1 to RT-LAB 2024.1
RT-LAB 2021.3 and older