Model-Based Calibration Toolbox

Model and calibrate complex powertrain systems

Model-Based Calibration Toolbox™ provides apps and design tools for modeling and calibrating complex nonlinear systems. It can be used in a wide range of applications, including powertrain systems such as engines, electric machines, pumps, and fans, as well as nonautomotive systems such as jet engines, marine hydrofoils, and drilling equipment. You can define optimal test plans, automatically fit statistical models, and generate calibrations and lookup tables for high-degree-of-freedom systems that would require exhaustive testing using traditional methods. Using the toolbox apps or MATLAB^® functions, you can automate the model fitting and calibration process.

Models created with Model-Based Calibration Toolbox can be exported to Simulink^® to support control design, sensitivity analysis, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and other simulation activities. Calibration tables can be exported to ETAS INCA and ATI VISION.

Designing and Managing Tests

Design a test plan that is ideally suited to your analysis needs

Design of Experiments

Model-Based Calibration Toolbox™ enables you to design a test plan based on Design of Experiments, a methodology that saves test time by letting you perform only those tests that are needed to determine the shape of your system’s response. The toolbox offers a full range of proven experimental designs including Space-filling designs, Optimal designs, and Classical designs.

Design of Experiments

Gasoline Case Study Design of Experiment

Optimal Designs

Define a space-filling design and investigate the properties of the design using the Design Editor.

Test Strategies

Model-Based Calibration Toolbox integrates experimental design with three widely used test strategies: one-stage, two-stage, and point-by-point. Each test strategy has an appropriate test plan and model type.

Use a Two-Stage Model to Predict Engine Torque

Empirical Engine Modeling

Point-by-Point Modeling for a Diesel Engine

Assign your local / global variables for the chosen model type.

Modeling the System Envelope

Acquiring data and modeling the engine must account for the operating regions of the system that can be physically tested. Model-Based Calibration Toolbox lets you add constraints to your experimental designs and create boundary models that describe the feasible region for testing and simulation. Supported boundary model types include convex hulls, which provide the minimal convex set containing all the data points.

Using Constraints

Explore Boundary Model Types

Using the Boundary Editor to define and visualize the feasible testing region and associated test conditions.

Data Analysis and Response Modeling

Analyze and visualize your test data, then fit response surface models

Preprocessing Data

Model-Based Calibration Toolbox provides tools to analyze data and transform it into a form that is suitable for modeling. With the Data Editor you can perform a variety of preprocessing operations, including filtering to remove unwanted data, adding test notes to document findings, transforming or scaling raw data, grouping test data, and matching test data to experimental designs.

Manipulate Data for Modeling

Loading and Modifying Data

Using the Data Editor to select a subset of tests and view the data in different formats: a 2D plot, a 3D plot, and a table.

Fit Model to Data

The MBC Model Fitting app provides interactive tools for fitting and validating system models. Many types of models are available, enabling you to create statistical models that accurately represent your data. You can choose from Gaussian Process models, radial basis functions, polynomials, splines, and user-defined nonlinear models. The app makes it simple to compare multiple different models, so you can gain confidence in the resulting model fit.

Model Assessment

Alternative Model Exploration

Using the MBC Model Fitting app to fit and evaluate different model types for a spark ignition engine.

Generating Optimal Calibrations

Define your control objectives and calibrate lookup tables

Optimizing Engine Performance

The MBC Optimization app in Model-Based Calibration Toolbox lets you generate optimal calibrations for lookup tables that control engine functions, such as spark ignition, fuel injection, and inlet and exhaust valve timing. Calibration of these features typically involves tradeoffs between engine performance, economy, reliability, and emissions. You can:

Make tradeoffs between competing design objectives
Perform multi-objective, constrained optimizations
Perform weighted optimizations based on typical drive cycles
Export calibrations to ETAS INCA and ATI VISION

Mazda Speeds Next-Generation Engine Development of SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY

Optimal Engine Calibration - Consulting Services

Engine Plant Model Development and Controller Calibration using Powertrain Blockset

ECU Calibration

Mazda’s SKYACTIVE-D engine.

Optimizing Traction E-Motor Performance

Traction e-motors play a central role in vehicle electrification. When applied to e-motor control calibration, MBC helps motor control engineers to achieve optimal torque and field-weakening control and to maximize e-motor efficiency across the entire torque and speed range. You can:

Fit flux linkage surfaces at different torque and speed operating points
Fit e-motor core loss models based on id/iq currents and speed
Generate torque-speed envelope using DC bus voltage and flux tables
Generate id/iq field-weakening control lookup tables that maximize e-motor efficiency.

Calibrating Optimal PMSM Torque Control with Field-Weakening Using Model-Based Calibration

Generate Current Controller Calibration Tables for Flux-Based Motor Controllers

Designing a Torque Controller for a PMSM through Simulation on a Virtual Dynamometer

Calibrating Optimal IPMSM Control Using Model-Based Calibration (44:31)

Electric Machine Calibration Using Model-Based Calibration (20:08)

Magnet and windings shown for a permanent magnet e-motor

Traction e-motor stator and winding

Optimizing Systems with Multiple Operating Modes

Complex calibration problems can require different optimizations for varying regions of a table. The table-filling wizard enables you to incrementally fill tables from the results of multiple optimizations, providing smooth interpolation through existing table values. You can also combine a number of models that represent the system responses under different operating modes, where the goal is to fill a single table for all modes or to fill a table for each mode.

Fill Feature Tables

Set Up Modal Optimization

Using the MBC Optimization app to produce optimal calibrations for engines with multiple operating modes

Calibrating Estimator Features

Controller software often includes features for estimating states that are too difficult or costly to measure in production, such as engine torque or aircharge. Using the MBC Optimization app, you can describe estimator features graphically with Simulink^® block diagrams, fill the lookup tables for these features, and then compare the estimators with empirical models made from measured data.

Process for Calibrating and Filling Feature Tables

Calibrate a Feature for an Estimator Subsystem in an ECU

Process for calibrating, filling, and validating feature tables for a subsystem that estimates engine torque.

Performing Simulations in Simulink

Export statistical models to Simulink or use them for hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing.

Plant Modeling and Optimization

Use statistical models developed in the toolbox to capture real-world complex physical phenomena that are difficult to model using traditional mathematical and physical modeling. For example, you can export models for torque, fuel consumption, and engine-out emissions to Simulink and perform powertrain-matching, fuel economy, performance, and emission simulations. The statistical surrogate can then replace the long-running subsystems in Simulink to speed up simulation time.

Toyota Front-Loads Development of Engine Control Systems Using Comprehensive Engine Models and SIL+M

Export Models to Simulink

Virtual Design of Electrified Powertrain Systems (17:44)

Reference application from Powertrain Blockset.

Hardware-in-the-Loop Testing

Model-Based Calibration Toolbox models exported to Simulink can be used in real-time simulations with hardware to provide fast, accurate plant model emulation to the sensor and actuator harnesses. Since developing models in the toolbox takes advantage of a methodical process, you can reduce bottlenecks related to the current art of HIL plant model development, resulting in earlier validation of algorithm designs.

Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) Simulation

Deploy Environment Model for Real-Time Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) Simulation