NI’s HIL Software Design Guide
Guide Overview
In today’s automotive industry, the complexity of embedded systems and electronic control units (ECUs) continues to grow rapidly. As vehicles become more software-driven, the need for rigorous, efficient, and scalable validation methods is more critical than ever. This design guide is intended for engineers, developers, and technical managers who are involved in the development, testing, and integration of automotive software systems. Whether you’re working on powertrain control, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), body electronics, or infotainment, Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) simulation offers a powerful approach to validate embedded software in a safe, repeatable, and cost-effective manner—long before physical prototypes are available.
Audience and Scope
This guide is especially relevant for professionals who:
Use model-based design (MBD) tools to develop and simulate control algorithms. Need to transition from virtual testing environments to real-time, hardware-integrated validation. Are responsible for building or maintaining HIL systems that support continuous integration and automated testing. Seek to improve test coverage, reduce development cycles, and ensure compliance with safety standards like ISO 26262.
Through a detailed, step-by-step walk-through, this guide will help you understand how to design and implement HIL simulation projects with a strong focus on the software layer—from model integration and I/O configuration to test automation and system scalability.
Whether you’re new to HIL or looking to refine your existing setup, this guide will provide practical insights, best practices, and actionable strategies to support your development goals.
Key Topics Covered
- Model-Based Design Foundations (MDB)
- Integration of HIL into the Development Cycle
- Workflow from model to code to HIL
- Best practices to build/change/update HIL simulation projects
Use Cases and Examples
All versions of the example project featured in this guide are available for download in the corresponding section. These resources allow readers to explore and experiment with the NI workflow, starting from a model-based design environment such as MATLAB Simulink and progressing into the NI VeriStand HIL simulation environment.
The example project demonstrates the development and testing of an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) Cruise Control software application, providing a practical reference for building and validating HIL simulation setups.