A Platform Based on Reconfigurable Architectures and Virtual Instrumentation Applied to the Driving Automobile Problem

This paper describes the implementation of a control system for hands-free driving car based on reconfigurable architectures and the virtual instrumentation concepts. The reconfigurable architecture approach means the use of an embedded microprocessor (Microblaze, Xilinx) jointly with several hardware modules, which were described in VHDL hardware description language. The virtual instrumentation approach refers to the use of LabVIEW environment in order to develop a simulation/validation tool, suitable for several mechatronic applications. This work is focused on a vehicle control system design and its validation using a LabVIEW program. The control system was developed for solving a well-known problem: the hands-free driven car. The car control (implemented in the FPGA) and the LabVIEW program are communicated by means of a RS232 interface. A protocol was defined allowing the user to send defined commands to the controller (typing commands in a keyboard). This approach opens a wide variety of possibilities for validating and simulating solutions for several problems in the robotic and mechatronic areas. Key-Words: Embedded Processors, Hands-free driving vehicle, Virtual Instrumentation.