Hardware-In-The-Loop Simulation For Small-Scale Helicopter Control Systems Assessment

Abstract

This paper proposed a methodology for validating small-scale unmanned helicopter flight control systems by means of Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) simulations. To this aim, two control architectures are compared: a standard Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller and a Sliding Mode Control (SMC) technique combined with PID. The HIL setup employs a Pixhawk 6x Flight Management Unit (FMU) and Matlab/Simulink for real-time dynamic simulation, allowing the implementation of control algorithms in a near-realistic conditions. Results for two different maneuvers, the bob-up/bob-down and the circular trajectory tracking demonstrates suitability of the proposed approach, by highlighting the relevance of computational requirements in the flight hardware design and selection phases. In this respect, HIL simulations represents a valuable tool for the development and refinement of UAV control systems, while improving performance and reliability.