RT Box CE

A Book-Sized HIL Simulator for under $6000

The RT Box CE is a compact edition of the RT Box 1 and is offered at a very affordable price. Compared to its bigger sibling, the RT Box CE has only 8 (instead of 16) analog input channels and no high-speed interconnects. The performance of the CPU and the specifications of all other I/Os are identical to the RT Box 1, including a Nanostep® solver unit for 7.5 ns step size simulation of specific power stages (available via a free firmware update sometime in Q4 2024). The RT Box CE is an interesting option for small HIL applications that do not require coupling multiple units.

The RT Box CE is primarily intended for classroom and lab teaching, where students implement their control algorithms on a microcontroller and verify the correct operation with HIL simulations of the plant. As the RT Box CE is as small as a book it can be easily taken home by students and researchers to work remotely.

Technical Specifications

Processor Xilinx Zynq Z-7030
  CPU cores 2 x ARM Cortex-A9, 1 GHz
Nanostep® solver Units 1
  Step size 7.5 ns
Analog inputs Channels 8
  Resolution 16 bit, simultaneous sampling
  Voltage ranges -10 ... 10 V
  -5 ...   5 V
  Input type Differential
  Max. sample rate 2 Msps
  Input impedance 1 MΩ, 24 pF
  Connector D-SUB 37 pin male
Analog outputs Channels 16
  Resolution 16 bit, simultaneous update
  Voltage ranges -10 ... 10 V
    0 ... 10 V
  -5 ...   5 V
    0 ...   5 V
  Max. update rate 2 Msps
  Output impedance 0 Ω
  Max. output current 10 mA
  Connector D-SUB 37 pin female
Digital inputs Channels 32
  Logic levels 3.3 V (5 V tolerant)
  Connector D-SUB 37 pin male
Digital outputs Channels 32
  Logic levels 3.3 V
5 V
  Connector D-SUB 37 pin female
I/O protection Short-circuit Permanent
  Overvoltage -24 ... 24 V
Connectivity Gigabit Ethernet 1
  CAN bus 2
  USB A 2.0 1
  Firmware SD card
Power supply
(internal)		 100 ... 240 Vac
50 ... 60 Hz		 30 VA
Size (mm) Depth x Width 225 x 165
  Height 55

Technical specifications of all RT Boxes in comparison.