Designing and testing electric drive systems requires engineers to integrate components modeled in different software environments and programming languages. A permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) controller might be written in MATLAB, the inverter model in C, and the power electronics interface in Python—forcing engineers to repeatedly adapt and rewrite code for compatibility, a process that consumes time and introduces errors.
Researchers have addressed this interoperability challenge by leveraging HELICS (Hierarchical Engine for Large-scale Integrated Co-simulation), a middleware platform designed to coordinate heterogeneous simulations. Their framework enables direct communication between electric drive components regardless of the language or platform used to develop them. The team demonstrated the approach by co-simulating an inverter-fed PMSM under speed control, integrating models across multiple tools and then validating the system in hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) environments without modification.
The benefits are substantial. Development time decreases because engineers can reuse existing models without translation. Models developed for software simulation transfer directly to HIL platforms, eliminating the duplication of effort currently required. The modular architecture scales to more complex systems, allowing teams to swap components or add new functionality without disrupting existing integrations.
For power electronics manufacturers and utilities deploying advanced electric drive systems—whether in industrial variable frequency drives, renewable energy converters, or grid-connected power electronics—this framework streamlines the validation pipeline. Engineers gain confidence in system behavior across different operating conditions and environments. The approach also facilitates collaboration across organizations, where teams can share component models in their native formats rather than performing labor-intensive conversions.
As electric machines and drives become central to renewable energy integration, grid modernization, and transportation electrification, standardized interoperability tools like this reduce barriers to rapid system development and testing.
