Besides industry standard large angle, non-linear modeling capabilities, D-Six offers many unique features to expedite simulation development and deployment. A complete description of all the components of D-six is provided in the Package Description.
Revolutionary Tabular Data Handling
Flexible
Simulation Control
Simulation
Visualization
Simulation
Export
D-Six
Scripting
D-Six
MATLAB Interfaces
Revolutionary Tabular Data Handling
The D-Six "Infofile" data structure enables the user to rapidly import, graphically edit, replace and modify the data functionality in a fully graphical interface. All database tabular functions are immediately available for plotted visualization and dynamic editing. This interface
easily handles data sets from the simplest linear models to the most complex engineering simulations. A range of data table formats are supported. When combined with embedded configuration control features, this interface permits a wide range of comparative analysis to be conducted with
no system recompile or code editing.
While D-Six offers the user a wide range of user-friendly interfaces for simulation model development, unlike other commercial simulation environments, the user is not forced to use the native model hosting tools and database structure. D-Six users can easily host existing models
using compiled simulation code as linked simulation objects, ranging from simple component objects (such as an autopilot code object) to the entire simulation model code. In all cases, the user is free to use as many of the available D-Six model development and table functions as needed
for their application.
Flexible Simulation Control
D-Six provides the user with features that sum initialization and range from a graphical, user defined variable control interfaces, to the ability to drive the simulation with a variety of inputs. A control stick input from the user (either through real time joystick or keyboard inputs
or through a configured hardware input such as a electric stick loader) permits real time pilot-in-the-loop analysis. User defined control stick inputs, or control surface may also drive the simulation inputs. These command time histories may be imported directly from flight-recorded or
simulation-produced time histories or graphically generated in D-Six.
D-Six also offers a powerful scripting interface that lets users control the simulation and allit’s components through a command interface. This interface uses VBScript or JavaScript to allow the user to run an unlimited range of analyses, and by also controlling other software
applications as MATLAB and Excel, allows the user to export the results for automated reduction and documentation.
Simulation Visualization
The basic environment D-Six provides the user with a variety of visualization options. These range from a user configurable alphanumeric display of any of the simulation variables, to a wide range of out-the-window and external graphics .Many customizable graphics visualization options
are available for the user’s needs. In addition, a user configurable instrumentation package is available for pilot interface. Multiple real time strip charts can also be configured to the user’s requirements. All of these interfaces are available for real time operation as
well as replay operation, and can also be used as a visualization interface for imported flight test data.
D-Six also provides highly configurable plot interfaces for most simulation operations, from sim and flight test data visualization to evaluation and manipulation of user definable control stick and surface inputs. These flexible plot interfaces provide the user with the widest
possible plot options for use in simulation evaluation.
Simulation Export
A user configurable sim run export file permits the export of everything from all simulation variables to specific variable cases used for validation or analysis. The tabular database itself is exportable as an ASCII text file, in binary form, or as a MATLAB .m file format. All D-Six
"projects", the collection of model dependent data and functions, are exportable as a single entity to other D-Six users. In this manner, databases may be transferred as a single project and run immediately by another user by simply loading the project into his copy of D-Six.
D-Six Scripting
D-Six provides a powerful scripting interface that allows users to execute script commands from a command line or script file, using any popular scripting language, such as VBScript, JavaScript etc. With this capability, users are able to load projects, set initial conditions, run
simulations, save data, and export data to a third party software product (such as Excel and MATLAB), making automated testing, analysis, and report generation easy. The scripting engine is interfaced with the IOD module in D-Six and allows users to invoke user defined triggered events
to execute script commands.
The power of D-Six scripting does not end there. Methods have been implemented to provide seamless access with MATLAB as well. From the D-Six script engine, users may initiate MATLAB sessions, send and receive data, and execute any MATLAB function call. This powerful capability give
users the ability to conduct simultaneous analysis of simulation data concurrent with the operation of D-Six.
D-Six MATLAB Interfaces
The MATLAB scientific computing environment provides a number of useful tools for control system design, data analysis, and simulation development. As a result, a number of interfaces between D-Six and MATLAB have been developed to allow D-Six to take full advantage of these
capabilities. These interfaces allow D-Six projects to be loaded into the MATLAB environment and be fully controlled by MATLAB. A D-Six Toolbox allows users to change project variables, access simulation databases, and run the simulation from within MATLAB. This provides users with
tremendous analysis, batch processing, and extended simulation capability using MATLAB extension environments such as Simulink. An entire D-Six project can be run within a Simulink block, allowing users to bring their flight model as a block element into Simulink and build their flight
control, autopilot, etc around the model and operate this system within the Simulink environment.
An additional interface module developed for D-Six is the D-Six Real Time Workshop Target and Interface Module (DSixTarget) (RTWInterface). DSixTarget works with the Real Time Workshop Extension to MATLAB and Simulink to enable users to seamlessly implement multiple Simulink models
in the D-Six environment. The D-Six target and interface module provides users with an interface to process and directly implement multiple Simulink models in a single D-Six Project, with NO users coding required. What this means is that once the Simulink block elements have been
developed and tested (for example the flight control system built around the D-Six imported aerodynamics model mentioned above), the block diagram can now be exported directly from Simulink into D-Six for real time operation as operational code within D-Six. Any Simulink component can
be exported seamlessly into D-Six, from complete models to smaller system elements. This complete integration with MATLAB provides D-Six users with unlimited simulation development opportunities.
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