dSPACE GmbH

Company history

1988: dSPACE is founded by Herbert Hanselmann and three other research associates at the Institute of Mechatronics at the University of Paderborn, Germany.

1991: First local dSPACE company outside Germany opens (dSPACE Inc.) Initially outside Detroit USA in Southfield, Michigan, relocated to Wixom in 2007.

2001: Local dSPACE companies are opened in France (dSPACE SARL, Paris) and the UK (dSPACE Ltd., Melbourn near Cambridge); and a second Project Center is opened (Project Centre Warwick).

2006: The local dSPACE company in Japan is opened (dSPACE K.K.). Initially in Yokohama, relocated to Tokyo in 2007.

2008: The company's 20th anniversary. The local dSPACE company in China (dSPACE Mechatronic Control Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.) is founded, and Herbert Hanselmann receives the "Entrepreneur Of The Year 2008" award

2010: dSPACE GmbH relocates to the new campus in Paderborn, Germany.

2018: The local dSPACE company in Croatia is opened (dSPACE Engineering d.o.o.) in Zagreb.

2021: The local dSPACE company in South Korea is opened (dSPACE Korea Co. Ltd.) in Seoul.

Production code generation / ECU autocoding

In a development process based on mathematical models, the models are designed using graphical software, and automatic production code generators are then used to translate the models directly into code for ECUs/controllers. Once a model's behavior has been validated, the code generator has to reliably transfer it to the target processor, whose resources are usually designed for the greatest possible cost-efficiency. In other words, the final production ECU generally has less memory and processing power than the RCP system on which the algorithm was developed and tested. As a result, the C code (production code) generated for the target processor has to meet stringent requirements regarding execution time and efficiency. In 1999, dSPACE introduced the production code generator TargetLink, which is integrated into Simulink, the environment for model-based development. In addition to performing the actual autocoding, including code generation for AUTOSAR software components, TargetLink also makes it possible for developers to compare the behavior of the generated code with that of the original Simulink model (by means of software-in-the-loop (SIL) and processor-in-the-loop (PIL) simulation).

Software-in-the-loop (SIL) testing

In SIL simulation, developers can verify and validate software components of electronic control units (ECU) and control systems in a fully virtual environment. Instead of relying on physical hardware, the software is executed and tested on a standard computer system. In a SIL setup, virtual representations of ECUs (often referred to as virtual ECUs or V-ECUs), communication networks, and the surrounding system environment are simulated. This allows developers to test functions, complete control software, or even complex multi-ECU systems early in the development process.

Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL)-Simulation

In HIL simulation, a simulator mimics the environment in which an ECU operates, such as a car, an airplane, a robot, etc. First, the ECU inputs and outputs are connected to the simulator's inputs and outputs. In the next step, the simulator executes a real-time model of the ECU's working environment, which can consist of dSPACE Automotive Simulation Models (ASM) or of models from other vendors. This method provides a way to test new functions reproducibly in a safe environment before a prototype of the product has been produced. As with rapid control prototyping, Simulink models are the foundation. An advantage of HIL simulation compared to ECU tests in real prototype vehicles is that tests on the control unit can be performed already during the development process. This enables testing at an early stage of the development process, before physical prototypes of the system are available.