May 20, 2021 12:00:00 AM

5 Reasons to Use the Controls Foundation Library from Raptor-Dev

It is always amazing to come across a manufacturer who embraces and understands the need for developers to customise to suit individual business needs. New Eagle’s Raptor-Dev is the virtual library that accompanies Raptor blocks on the Simulink backbone. This valuable resource gives developers the ability to engineer any of the software for Raptor-compatible HMIs and ECUs, making the Controls Foundation Library one of the critical backbones of vehicle electrification. Raptor-Dev Controls Foundation Library houses blocks designed for Signal Processing and Characterization, General Controls Development, and Fault Management.

Here are five reasons why we completely love the resources:

1. Lower Costs of Development

Such a comprehensive resource can take away the need for as many developers to work on a project, whether automotive or otherwise, bringing down labour costs. In addition, having a project that utilises blocks will simplify the process and get great functionality, and in many cases, decrease the time it takes to reach the market. CAN bus enabled controllers, and simplified instructions for those controllers, means you can simplify your wiring architecture, and manage lots of wired devices on CAN rather than with relays and fuses.

2. Faster Market Times

We mentioned faster market times, so let's look closer at why this is. It's simply a case of not having to reinvent the wheel. Developers are no longer starting from scratch because they have access to various pre-built and, more importantly, tested Simulink blocks. This means the low-level concepts that manage the controller hardware do not need to be understood. While Raptor-Dev isn't a unique concept, it certainly speeds things up, and training can also be arranged via EMB, or you can engage with us to pre-program your devices to get to market even faster.

3. Open Viewing and Customisation

Generally, embedded model-based development (eMBD) is a bit of a closed book. We have come to expect Simulink block libraries to be less open and very reluctant to show the inner workings of blocks. A developer that shares is a bonus and gives you so much more. Within the Raptor-Dev Controls Foundation Library, you can discover the working process of each block, and if it suits your project, make changes to any of the coding from minor adjustments to entire section rewrites to give you precisely what you need.

4. Peer-to-Peer Engineering

New Eagle engineers are designing and programming on a peer-to-peer level, meaning the blocks' designs are intuitive and make sense to your engineers; they speak the same language. What's more, they actively encourage feedback from other developers so they can improve blocks and even create new ones. On top of that, EMB and New Eagle's training, and the support provided on products give you access to efficiency and speed.

5. Intellectual Property Rights Retention

Historically when a company gets involved at this level, it is also commonly noted and understood that by building the software on your behalf, you effectively lose your IPR. This doesn't have to be the case; if you prefer it, then great. However, housing the build on your servers with access limited to your team is also encouraged if you would like to retain IPR. Why should you be forced to share that idea or even hand over ownership to a third party? We agree that you shouldn't, so this is the perfect solution for development. So whether you are converting a device to electric, or hybrid, or creating a completely new device, Raptor-Dev is the tool you need, contact EMB today for more information.