A crucial part of the development of a complex system is its testing and validation. To support the design and validation process of a low-cost research missile, a hardware-in-the-loop testbed was created.
The testbed is an invaluable tool for studying the behavior of the missile in the lab in real-time and allows the testing and verification of the avionics, ensuring they are working as intended before the assembly and launching of the final product. Included in the list of hardware is the flight control computer, with its custom software and GNC algorithms, a three-axis flight table to emulate the rotations of the missile as would be in-flight, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) to measure these rotations, four servos to create fin deflections for steering the missile, and optical encoders to measure these deflections. The hybrid simulation integrates these components with a mathematical model of the missile’s flight dynamics. The flight computer, IMU, and servos are also emulated in the simulation, allowing us to test in an offline mode, and to compare the performance of a physical module with its theoretical counterpart.
The design process of the testbed is described, and results of both hybrid and offline simulations are presented, along with a comparison between the two. Limitations of the testbed will be discussed, and future additions and improvements will be suggested.
