HIL has been used extensively mainly in the aerospace industry and military applications due to the high cost needed for obtaining the required computing power. Recent advances in electronics and computer science have proven that a cost-effective solution for running complex systems simulation is available, so widening the field of applications for HIL testing. This paper presents the basic tools and principles used in the development of such a platform, which enable the study of electrical powertrains, especially those designed for road vehicles. A general-purpose test rig was developed, whose preliminary structure is briefly described.

Keywords: Real-time simulation, Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), Electric vehicle, AMESim, LabVIEW