Engineers Studio #99 -- Getting Good Code for the Mechanical Simulation Model

In this video, Terry demonstrates an important aspect of Model-Based Design -- Single Source of Truth. It means that the model is upstream of the simulation, and that the same generic description can be consistently used by any simulation method. In the case of mechanics, the generic description is provided by the collection of moving bodies, how they are joined, and the active forces and torques that drive the motion. To be succinct, you need to know the data structures for the bodies, joints and coordinate systems. Through this, we create an input deck for MathWorks partner MotionGenesis that is consistent with the Simscape Multibody model that we have been using in the earlier videos of this series. MotionGenesis is a highly advanced symbolic manipulator focused on Mechanics. It generates equations of motion using Kane's method, which leads to fast and compact code that represents the mechanics. Through Simulink, you have the platform that merges this into the embedded software controlling the machine, in our case, the robotic arm. You will also see the benefit of the platform enabling validation of the code through comparison with the equivalent Simscape Multibody model.