Case Studies

Servo Control System for Experimental Vehicle

Posted in Automotive, Test & Measurement Automation

Summary

DMC developed an automated system for shifting gears on a manual transmission for an experimental vehicle test system at a national research laboratory.

Vehicle Instrument Panel

Vehicle Instrument Panel

Experimental Vehicle

Experimental Vehicle

Solution

The client's experimental vehicle technology test platform consists of modular drive train components. DMC's solution allows the client to run tests with automatic gear shifts on manual transmissions.  The servo system receives a binary code from the master test controller indicating the desired gear.  The servo system then actuates a clutch and uses two axis motion to shift to the appropriate gear.  The current status of the servo system and current gear is transmitted back to the master test controller.

Customer Benefits

  • Automated system improved repeatability and reliability of test results
  • Decreased shifting time with fast clutch and gear shift actuation
  • Simple, flexible digital I/O interface allows compatibility with future upgrades to test controller

Technologies

  • Copley ServoTube Linear Actuator
  • Copley Xenus Drives
  • Exlar Servo Motor
  • Control Techniques Epsilon EP Amplifier
  • Galil Motion Controller