KU LeuvenThe Motor Control Playground: From Simulink to Real-Time PWM

Long story short

KU Leuven’s M-Group was seeking a more comprehensive solution than a standard electric motor laboratory. The requirement was for a flexible and transparent platform that could seamlessly connect simulation with real-world behaviour.

In collaboration with Imperix, CTRL Engineering developed a rapid prototyping test bench that bridges MATLAB/Simulink simulations with actual motor dynamics.

This real-time platform facilitates hands-on learning, experimentation, and algorithm validation. Our product range includes speed and torque control, as well as PWM signal generation on industrial-grade hardware.

Working with CTRL Engineering gave us a robust platform to bridge research and industrial practice.🏆
Dries Vanoost, Research Manager @ KU Leuven M Group

The Challenge: Not just black-box motor drives

Most academic motor labs either stop at simulation or depend on closed, black-box motor drives that can only be parameterized. This means that students and researchers usually can’t understand the inner workings of the current, torque and speed control loops, and they can’t change them.

KU Leuven’s M-Group set out to change that. They wanted a fully open and transparent platform that exposes every layer of motor control, from PWM generation to torque regulation, all within MATLAB and Simulink. The goal was to allow users not just to observe but to design, test, and tune every control loop in real time.

Achieving this level of openness required more than simulation models or off-the-shelf drives. It demanded real-time FPGA processing, industrial-grade motors and encoders, a regenerative DC power supply for flexible test conditions, and robust safety systems capable of handling high-performance experiments without compromise.

The solution: a rapid prototyping playground

CTRL Engineering and Imperix partnered to design and deliver a modular rapid prototyping test bench for motor control research and education.

At it’s core lies a high-performance real-time platform that combines a powerful CPU with a directly integrated MATLAB/Simulink SDK and an FPGA. The FPGA processes encoder pulses with microsecond precision, providing high-frequency rotor speed feedback and enabling deterministic execution of control loops.

The setup integrates with existing Bosch Rexroth e-motors from KU Leuven’s laboratory, equipped with resolvers that deliver realistic mechanical dynamics. An active regenerative DC power supply ensures flexible and repeatable test conditions, while a comprehensive Pilz safety system protects both users and equipment during operation.

CTRL Engineering designed the complete electrical system, including how the cabinets would be laid out, the wiring, and how the motors, sensors, and safety circuits would work together. This changed the old hardware into a test environment that was all one piece and easy to understand.

As part of the commissioning phase, CTRL Engineering went beyond the hardware setup. We developed and deployed a MATLAB/Simulink implementation of Field-Oriented Control (FOC), including both speed and torque control loops, to demonstrate and validate the platform’s full capabilities. The implementation includes the modeling of d–q current and torque control loops, the application of Clarke and Park transformations, real-time current feedback and rotor position estimation through encoder signals, PWM generation with deterministic timing towards the current phase gates, and closed-loop speed and torque regulation for dynamic load testing.

Results: simulation meets industrial reality

The new test bench enables KU Leuven’s students and researchers to experiment directly with industrial-grade motor control. Algorithms such as FOC and DTC can now be developed in Simulink, deployed in real time, and validated against real torque and current responses. High-frequency data acquisition allows users to analyze switching events, control stability, and transient response with unmatched clarity.

The platform supports a wide range of applications, from basic control education to advanced research and development in predictive control, sensorless estimation, and coordinating multiple motors. Its simple design means that it can be upgraded in the future with new power electronics, control hardware or safety systems.

Why it matters to you? From reactive to proactive maintenance

For KU Leuven, this platform connects modelling with real-world validation. For CTRL Engineering, it shows that we can provide fast solutions for creating prototypes, from Simulink model to real-time PWM. This makes motor control safer, faster and clearer

This project illustrates how CTRL Engineering translates complex control theory into real, operational hardware. By combining our expertise in control systems, FPGA programming, and industrial integration, we create environments where learning, testing, and innovation converge.