What software environments are commonly used with Power HIL?

Common platforms include MATLAB/Simulink, OPAL-RT’s RT-LAB, NI VeriStand, dSPACE, and Typhoon HIL. These environments allow real-time model execution, parameter tuning, and data logging, often with support for CAN, EtherCAT, or PWM-based I/O integration.

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Technical Advantages

What is PHIL

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Emulation & Real-Time Power HIL Simulation

Verify your real-time embedded systems with ActionPower's Power-HIL testing platform

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Technical Advantages

Fidelity & Responsiveness

Closed-loop for high and low voltage testing with real-time simulation & quick response

Improved Safety

PHIL's systematical programmability and high level of flexibility allows extreme condition simulation without tangible or physical risks.

Save Testing Cost

Reduce laboratory setup time and accelerate innovation & evolvement with iterative testing and validation with the need of real and physical integration.

Real-World Prototypes

Test your DUT's extensively at full power with dynamically replicated conditions

What is Hardware-in-the-Loop and Power HIL?

While setting up a physical test loop can be costly or even risky due to the existence of real systems and hardware like battery pack, inverter, or vehicle systems, or sometime even impractical in case the test loop needs to verify the DUT's adaptability to power grid, Harware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing provides a different outlet for testing and validating embedded control system by connecting physical hardware with a virtual simulation of its operating environment, also known as the plant model.

Power Hardware-in-the-Loop (Power HIL) is a further advanced extension of HIL testing that involves real power exchange between the simulation environment and the physical device under test (DUT) meeting specifications of high-power speed and bidirectional power interfaces while maintaining safely and accurately emulated real-world conditions.

Process of Power-HIL

What to Test with Power HIL?

Power HIL testing enables engineers to validate real hardware under dynamic, high-risk, or complex conditions—without the need for a full physical system. Below are typical devices and subsystems you can test using a Power HIL platform.

On-Board Chargers (OBC)

Emulate the AC grid and charging environment to test OBC performance, including AC/DC conversion behaviour, power factor correction, overvoltage handling, and compliance with grid standards.

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PCS / Energy Storage System (ESS)

Assess bidirectional power flow and grid-tied operation in energy storage systems. Validate charge/discharge logic, grid response (e.g., frequency/watt control), and system-level fault tolerance.

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Battery Pack & Battery Management System (BMS)

Simulate complete battery pack dynamics—voltage, SOC, thermal behavior, and fault states—to validate BMS algorithms including cell balancing, protection logic, communication protocols, and diagnostics. Power HIL enables closed-loop testing under real current and voltage conditions without the need for a physical battery.

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battery pack and battery management system

Our Power HIL Architecture

ActionPower's Power HIL architecture is designed to deliver high-speed, real-time interaction between virtual simulation models and physical power hardware. It provides a safe, scalable, and flexible environment to test advanced embedded systems such as BMS, inverters, and energy storage controllers.

AC DC Programmable power supplies by actionpower test ATE

High-Responsiveness & Bidirectional AC/DC Power Supplies

ActionPower's bidirectional programmable power supplies form the core power interface of the HIL platform, provide voltage and current to DUT with millisecond response time and high-precision output for dynamically simulating batteries, power grids, or load behaviour.

Voltage ranges cover both low-voltage EV subsystems and high-voltage ESS (up to ±1200VDC / 800VAC)
Current response time ＜1 ms, suitable for step response, fault injection, and dynamic testing
Four-quadrant operation: source and sink, with energy recovery
Built-in test waveforms for IEC, GB, and grid fault simulation

grid and battery simulation options power hil

Battery Simulator, Grid Emulator & Electronic Loads

Depending on the testing scenario, the system can include various physical simulation interfaces:

Battery Simulator: Supports RC model, custom CSV battery curves, adjustable SOC/IR/temperature
Current response time ＜1 ms, suitable for step response, fault injection, and dynamic testing
Four-quadrant operation: source and sink, with energy recovery
Built-in test profiles for IEC, GB, and grid fault simulation

Real-Time Control Interfaces

The HIL platform supports multiple industry-standard communication protocols for real-time signal exchange between the simulation platform and DUT:

CAN / CAN FD: For BMS and vehicle communication
Modbus / RS485: Common for ESS or industrial controller testing
EtherCAT: For high-speed, real-time deterministic control
I/O / PWM / Digital Trigger: For analog and digital signal integration

Frequently Asked Questions about PHIL

› What is the difference between Power HIL and conventional HIL?

Conventional HIL (Hardware-in-the-Loop) tests embedded controllers using simulated environments and signal-level interfaces. Power HIL extends this by allowing actual current and voltage exchange between the simulation and the hardware under test, enabling testing of power-stage behavior such as converters, inverters, and grid interaction.

› Why is Power HIL important for power electronics testing?

Power HIL allows engineers to validate high-power devices in real-time, closed-loop environments without requiring full physical setups. This reduces risk, supports fault condition simulation, and accelerates the development of systems like BMS, DC-DC converters, and inverter controllers.

› Can Power HIL simulate faults and dynamic grid conditions?

Yes. Power HIL platforms can simulate real-time voltage sags, frequency shifts, load changes, and fault scenarios. These behaviors are applied physically to the device under test, enabling safe and repeatable testing of its protection mechanisms and control logic.

› What types of devices can be tested using Power HIL?

Power HIL is used to test power-stage devices such as battery packs, battery management systems (BMS), on-board chargers (OBC), DC-DC converters, motor controllers, inverters, and energy storage systems (ESS), particularly under dynamic or fault conditions.

› Does Power HIL require real-time simulation capability?

Yes. Power HIL systems rely on real-time simulation of the plant model to maintain accurate timing and feedback between the virtual environment and physical hardware. Delays or mismatches can compromise the validity of test results.

› What is the role of a real-time simulator in a Power HIL setup?

The real-time simulator executes dynamic models of the plant (e.g., grid, battery, motor) with precise time resolution, often in microseconds. It communicates bidirectionally with the physical device under test, ensuring closed-loop behavior under realistic electrical conditions.

› How does Power HIL ensure safety during fault simulation?

Power HIL systems incorporate protection mechanisms such as fast overvoltage/current cutoffs, galvanic isolation, and soft-start/stop controls. These features enable the safe injection of faults (e.g., short circuits or grid disturbances) while preventing damage to hardware or test personnel.

› Is Power HIL suitable for high-voltage or high-current applications?

Yes. Power HIL platforms can be scaled to test systems operating at hundreds of volts and amps, such as EV drivetrains or grid-tied inverters. Selection of appropriate power amplifiers and interface hardware is crucial for safe and accurate emulation at these levels.

› Can Power HIL be used for model-based design validation?

Absolutely. Power HIL bridges the gap between pure simulation (SIL) and real-world testing, making it ideal for model-in-the-loop (MIL) and control algorithm verification. Engineers can test controller behavior against real-time plant responses under physical load conditions.

› How is electrical isolation handled in Power HIL systems?

Isolation is typically achieved using high-voltage interface amplifiers or isolation transformers between the power interface and the device under test. This prevents ground loops, protects instrumentation, and ensures user safety during high-voltage or bidirectional current flow.

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Emulation & Real-Time Power HIL Simulation

Verify your real-time embedded systems with ActionPower's Power-HIL testing platform