Case Study: Penn State University achieves rapid HIL lab setup and industry-ready student training with MathWorks

Automotive Research Lab at Penn State Gives Students Practical Hardware-in-the-Loop Experience

Penn State University adopted MathWorks’ MATLAB, Simulink, Simulink Real-Time, Simulink Coder and Stateflow to teach a graduate Advanced Vehicle Hardware‑in‑the‑Loop Methods course. The challenge was to provide practical HIL experience across a campus‑wide network of batteries, ultracapacitors, motors, engines, fuel cells and dynamometers using a single, visual, reconfigurable platform so students could model, analyze, and deploy real‑time controllers without needing low‑level C programming.

MathWorks’ solution used Simulink‑based PSAT models, Simulink Coder and Simulink Real‑Time to swap simulated components for real hardware, with Stateflow managing control logic and deployment. The outcome: labs that once took days to configure are set up in minutes, students controlled systems up to 150 kW on a chassis dynamometer, and hands‑on HIL experience helped students secure industry internships—demonstrating measurable gains in lab efficiency, safety, and career readiness.

Penn State University

Joel Anstrom

Director