Silver 2.0
Software in the Loop – a virtual integration platform for agile mechatronic development
Silver is a tool used by development engineers to integrate and test system modules virtually using simulation on Windows PC. Two alternative set-ups are supported:
- Co-execution of control software and of hardware simulation models in order to test system-level behavior even before physical prototypes exist
- Rapid control prototyping: controller functions running on laptop under Silver can be connected via CAN to overwrite certain functions of real ECUs running in car or in a hardware-in-the-loop or testbench simulation
Benefits
- extremely fast development cycles due to comfortable integration of software and vehicle components on the PC of the developer. This helps to detect problems early.
- excellent debugging and test support, e. g. with Microsoft Visual Studio Debugger or QTronic TestWeaver. Found problems can be exactly reproduced as often as needed.
- parallelize the development process: A Silver configuration can easily be duplicated at low cost. This way, every member of a team can use its personal 'virtual' development environment 24 hours a day, without blocking rare resources like HiL test rigs, or physical prototypes.
- sharing results without sharing IP: With Silver, all members of a team exchange working results by exchanging compiled modules (DLLs), not sources. This helps to protect intellectual property.
- executing others contributions without their tools: Silver runs modules (simulation models, control software) developed using very different tools. To run these modules in Silver, you do not need access to these tools. This greatly reduces the complexity of Silver setups (no tool coupling).
Today, Silver is in use for automotive software development at Mercedes-Benz, AMG, IAV, Continental and others.
More on Silver
- Silver 2.0 datasheet (2 pages, English)
- PDF, 213 KB
Brückmann, Strenkert, Keller (Daimler AG);
Wiesner, Junghanns (QTronic GmbH):
Model-based Development of a Dual-Clutch Transmission
using Rapid Prototyping and SiL.
International VDI Congress
Transmissions in Vehicles 2009, Friedrichshafen, Germany,
30.06.-01-07.2009.
PDF, 2103 KB Presentation slides for the above paper. - PDF, 781 KB A. Rink, E. Chrisofakis (Daimler AG); M. Tatar (QTronic): Automating Test of Control Software - Method for Automatic Test Generation. ATZelektronik 6/2009 Volume 4, pp. 24-27.
- Download installers for Silver.