Steering Test Benches

Validating electromechanical steering systems

For testing electromechanical power steering components up to complete steering systems, dSPACE offers scalable systems ranging from small and compact rotary test benches up to large, high-performance steering test benches. 

  • Analyzing the behavior of a real steering system in a virtual vehicle
  • Real-time simulation with mechatronic test rig, dSPACE HIL simulator, and Vehicle Dynamics model
  • Reproducibility of tests with high precision

Mechatronic Steering Test Benches
Mechanical Testing

Key Benefits

The dSPACE test bench allows you to create a test environment for running virtual test drives to evaluate and analyze the real steering system with different control and function algorithms at an early stage.

This means that even before vehicle integration, requirements on the steering feel and the sense of safety can be evaluated objectively and subjectively. Great advantages are the high reproducibility and adaptability of tests, and the broad range of uses for the test bench.

The dSPACE portfolio for steering test benches ranges from small and compact rotary test benches to large high-performance steering test benches using linear actuators for applications that require maximum dynamics and precision. 

Available Interfaces for Industrial Drive Inverters

dSPACE offers different interfaces for industrial drive inverters depending on your requirements.

For highest performance, as required for example in steering applications, dSPACE uses the proprietary TWINsync interface from KEBA Industrial Automation Germany GmbH (formerly LTI Motion GmbH). This interface was developed together with KEBA and allows for a PWM-synchronous update rate of 0.125 ms.

dSPACE offers a comprehensive portfolio for HIL simulation with test benches for steering applications, such as electric power steering systems. The table below gives an overview of some possible application scenarios that use a HIL simulator together with a steering test bench. Project-specific requirements, such as an environmental simulation using a climate chamber, can be added to every type of test bench.

 

Test Bench Application Details
Small steering test bench
  • Testing power packs of electromechanical power steering systems
  • Perfectly tailored to integration tests, software release tests, and component tests of the EPS motor and the motor control
  • Testing realistic and even unrealistic driving maneuvers of any dynamics
  • Mini test bench for easy integration, even in the smallest spaces
Rotary steering test bench
  • Testing electromechanical power steering with servomotor on the steering column (C-EPS)
  • Testing active front steering (AFS) including steering wheel and its actuator
  • For software integration tests and software release tests of the entire steering column unit
  • With or without steering wheel
  • Maximum flexibility thanks to a flexible base plate
  • Testing realistic driving maneuvers that require average dynamics
Compact steering test bench
  • Testing electromechanical power steering with servomotor on the steering column (C-EPS) or on the steering rack (R-EPS) as well as steer-by-wire (SbW) applications
  • For software integration tests and software release tests of the entire steering system
  • Integration of a complete steering system, taking into account the vehicle geometries
  • Smallest possible footprint, taking into account the environmental conditions of the laboratory with regard to size and weight
  • Testing realistic driving maneuvers that require average dynamics
No-load steering test bench
  • Testing electromechanical power steering with servomotor on the steering column (C-EPS) or on the steering gear (R-EPS) as well as steer-by-wire (SbW) applications
  • Perfectly tailored to integration tests of the complete EPS system
  • No road feedback (load) on the steering rack
  • Small, compact, and cost-effective test setup for purely virtual vehicle integration tests with a moving steering system
High-performance steering test bench
  • Testing all kinds of steering systems, from conventional to steer-by-wire and rear-axle steering systems
  • Perfectly tailored for system testing of complete EPS systems up to their mechanical and dynamic limits
  • For applications that require maximum dynamics and precision
  • Most realistic environment for complete steering systems
  • Integration of a climate chamber for environmental simulation
  • Solid T-slot plate as base frame
  • Highly dynamic linear motors
  • Enabling driver-in-the-loop testing for haptic experiences with the real steering system in a virtual environment and under safe laboratory conditions

SCALEXIO Modular real-time system for RCP and HIL applications ConfigurationDesk Configuration and implementation software for dSPACE real-time hardware ControlDesk Universal experiment software for ECU development SCALEXIO TWINsync Solution Synchronous load motor control for test benches with dSPACE SCALEXIO Automotive Simulation Models Tool suite for simulating the engine, vehicle dynamics, electrical system, and traffic environment ASM Vehicle Dynamics Real-time models for ground vehicle simulation AutomationDesk Powerful test authoring and automation tool for HIL testing of ECUs AURELION AURELION, the dSPACE solution for sensor-realistic simulation, offers powerful visualization and physical computation functions for generating synthetic sensor data in virtual test drives.
Use Cases for HIL Simulation with a Steering Test Bench

dSPACE offers a comprehensive portfolio for testing complex electromechanical steering systems. The scalable systems range from small rotary test benches to large test benches for testing a complete steering system.

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