Wineman Technology and Tecnalia Research Introduce Dynacar for Advanced Vehicle Design and Test

AUSTIN, TX--Aug. 2, 2011: Wineman Technology, a leading automotive design and test system integrator, and Tecnalia, one of the largest applied research institutes in the world, today announce Dynacar, a fully validated, real-time vehicle model simulator for developing and testing passenger and light commercial vehicles, from conventional to electric and hybrid. Dynacar is a plug-in for Wineman INERTIA test automation software and National Instruments VeriStand real-time test and simulation software. The first simulator of its kind, Dynacar provides a new tool for the automotive industry by changing the way vehicle systems and sub-systems are designed and tested. With Dynacar, automotive engineers can move away from the traditional, compartmentalized, and inefficient testing of individual vehicle components to an integrated, customizable, and complete vehicle test environment approach that can be used through the entire vehicle development process.

"To meet the demand for reliable new technology in vehicles, auto manufacturers must have a seamless development process," said Jim Wineman, CEO of Wineman Technology. "By using the Dynacar, combined with INERTIA and NI VeriStand, test engineers have one framework for the whole process, allowing them to efficiently and rapidly prototype, implement, and real-time test vehicle components."

Streamlining The Entire Vehicle Development Process

Dynacar provides a common test platform that engineers can use through the entire development cycle from the early vehicle design, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), and dynamometer testing phases to the production floor. Engineers start with a fully validated vehicle model that they can quickly customize by simply changing parameters on the fly using the intuitive graphic user interface, or plugging in their own models using Dynacar as a virtual rolling chassis.

With Dynacar, individual and traditionally isolated vehicle sub-system hardware and software tests, such as ECU testing and motor simulation in dynamometers, can now be tested within the larger vehicle environment. Unlike the traditional process where engineers test vehicle sub-systems independently and not as part of an entire vehicle system, with Dynacar, they are now able to see how their particular components work as part of the whole system, ultimately improving product reliability, reducing development costs, and speeding time to market. This new approach is particularly suited for the increasingly complex systems developed in alternative vehicles, including electric drives, battery packs, torque control algorithms, distributed electric drives, and advanced, model-based test benches.

A Robust, Deterministic, and Fast Solution Based on Off-the Shelf Technology

Dynacar is based on off-the-shelf hardware and software technology, providing a robust solution that delivers deterministic performance and is easy to integrate. Dynacar is fully developed in National Instruments LabVIEW Real-Time and integrated into a vehicle's design and test platform using INERTIA, NI VeriStand, and off-the-shelf PXI control and test hardware.

With INERTIA and NI VeriStand, Dynacar offers less than 1ms loop-closure rates and an easy-to-use graphical user interface with drop-down menus for development and testing. In addition, custom control algorithms and simulation models generated with other languages can easily be integrated into the vehicle model, and through menu-drive options, engineers can quickly and easily change parameter values or plug in and test another model in a complete vehicle environment.

Dynacar was created by Tecnalia and produced with the help of Wineman Technology. The new model is already being used by several of the leading European and U.S. automotive and component manufacturers. Dynacar is distributed in the Americas by Wineman Technology.

About Tecnalia

Tecnalia Research & Innovation, the foremost private applied research center in Spain, is a multidisciplinary, private, and independent not-for-profit corporation, that leverages our research teams' specific knowledge and experience to provide integrated solutions that create business opportunities for our clients thereby contributing to sustained economic development through technological innovation. Tecnalia's Transport Business Unit develops solutions and generates business opportunities based on automotive, aerospace, and aeronautical R&D projects. Tecnalia has been using the Dynacar tool for the development of vehicle controllers, advanced powertrain components, and state-of-the-art test benches.

About Wineman Technology

Established in 1991, Wineman Technology, Inc. specializes in providing technical solutions for a wide range of test applications, such as dynamometer systems, servo-hydraulics, data acquisition systems, real time controllers, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) systems and custom testing machines. Unlike other companies where test plays a partial role, Wineman Technology's singular focus is the design and development of test equipment for advanced research and development, functional test labs, and manufacturing production. Wineman Technology's focus on test systems with a diverse range of capabilities enables them to deliver superior system reliability, serviceability, and support.