Communication between amplifier and simulator

PHIL applications require fast amplifier control and fast feedback of currents and voltages to close the loop. If the feedback is too slow, the changing currents and voltages will not be measured correctly, resulting in an unstable configuration. Since real-time simulators can be coupled to a wide range of amplifiers and controllers, choosing the right instrumentation is crucial. In fact, the right equipment can stabilise a PHIL setup by significantly reducing the feedback time. In PHIL, we encounter two ways of sending current and voltage feedback back to the simulator. With digital communication or with analogue communication

Digital communication

High-end amplifiers often have the ability to measure their output internally and send the information through a small form-factor pluggable transceiver (SFP) via a point-to-point communication protocol called Aurora. SFP and Aurora provide digitised measurement and control without noise at high speed with 1 connection point via fibre. Aurora also allows remote configuration of the amplifier via the simulator interface with specific function commands such as current and voltage limits as well as switching amplifier output on and off. Fibre-optic interfaces eliminate ground loop problems and noise interference and provide maximum safety.

Analogue communication

Some amplifiers use analogue inputs and outputs. In such cases, the simulator should have analogue outputs and inputs to connect to the amplifier. Special care should be taken to avoid noise in the cables connecting the amplifiers and sensors to the simulators. Galvanic isolation is also recommended to avoid problems with ground loops and to obtain a safe installation.

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