Communicating with PlugaPod using Simulink or other external software

[ai4presidente]

Hi,

I have been using the PlugaPod for an autonomous vehicle. However, I require a fairly sophisticated control algorithm. RIght now I can use the XBEE radio to send sensor data back to the Terminal Window of the NMITErm program. Therefore I was wondering if it was possible to access such information in real time using software such as Simulink that can communicate with the serial port of com port. Is this feasible, or is it better to rely on the PlugaPod for real time computing tasks?

Thanks for your help.

[Dave]

I'm not sure it is possible to answer this with the information given. What might be observed is : Is it quicker to read data, transmit it (at 115k) back to another computer, have that computer process the data, then have it send back (at 115k) a response to be operated on. It would seem that almost any operation would be faster, more "realtime" if done onboard a device, rather than transmitted to be externally processed. There might be a gain if sensor information were processed externally, but it would have to be quite a bit to overcome the hit in time taken transmitting data back and forth.

[Pacetech]

If the complex control software can run on the POD, perhaps you can add a 2nd POD and communicate via CAN. In the past, I've networked 2 or 3 pods whenever one POD couldn't do the trick alone.

[ai4presidente]

Thanks for the feedback. I think I will try and run the control algorithm using the Plugapod itself.