Analyzing Multi-core Timing Effects on Control Systems via Co-simulation

In the automotive industry, the integration of different functions is a challenging and transdisciplinary task. The effects caused by the timing behavior of discrete controllers on the control plant need to be understood during development. In this paper we show how co-simulation of a discrete multi-rate control unit and the physical plant is used to provide integration insights early in the development process, i. e. during design. We highlight effects of the timing behavior of a single-core controller on a control system from an industrial use case. We discuss multi-core timing phenomena that further influence the timing behavior, to motivate the research and the application of co-simulation during the development of control systems.