Control algorithms in traction inverters must accommodate the hardware variability in electric motors that is the result of manufacturing tolerances. The complete systems must meet all functional requirements, especially safety functions, over all possible stack-up of allowed tolerances. In an attempt to validate the controls and calibration against allowed tolerance stack-up, “golden” motors are often built with worst-case variations and used on dynamometers to validate system-level functionality. Unfortunately, these golden motors are time consuming and costly to construct, which in turn limits the practical number of tolerance combinations that can be validated, leaving many combinations untested until in the customers‘ hands. This work explores improving inverter software development through the use of high-fidelity motor emulation to replace „golden“ motors and reduce development time and cost while improving quality. The paper presents initial findings and outlines opportunities for further refinement of this approach.
