This document describes the integration of Adams/Driver into Adams/Chassis. Adams/Driver is the result of research and development by the IPG of Germany. A cooperative agreement between IPG and MSC.Software has made Driver available for use with MD Adams.

The advantages of using Adams/Driver are you can virtually simulate your vehicle in any desired maneuver, and add the control actions of a 'human' driver to your full vehicle simulations. These actions include the steering, braking, throttle, gear shifting and clutch operation.

This document contains the following sections:

The course data file (.drd) specifies the actual track on which you want to run the simulation. Its ASCII format is described in the Adams/Driver user's guide. It defines the centerline coordinates and a lane width for every point. The course data file can be created digitalizing a real course.

The user can edit the .drd file in the Adams/Chassis GUI. The GUI will read the .drd file and plot the X-Y data so the user can visualize the course. The user can then edit any XYZ location and replot those changes. The user has the option to save those changes to the .drd file or to another file name. The red arrow on the track indicates the direction the vehicle will travel on the course.
 

 

The Adams/Chassis GUI will copy the .drd file during the building of the model to the local directory in which the Adams/Chassis model will be built and run. This is a requirement to run Adams/Driver. The .drd file will be named by the output mask the user has chosen for the .adm file and it will have the suffix: .driver.road . An example would be if your .adm file is called vehicle_event.adm, the .drd file that is copied to your local directory will be called vehicle_event.driver.road .

The driver input file (.din) lists a number of parameters for the driver and the vehicle. The .din file contains parameters such as the corner cutting coefficient and the maximum allowable longitudinal and lateral accelerations. Being an ASCII file, it is possible to edit it and modify the values of the parameters.




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The Adams/Chassis GUI allows you to enter the set of parameters for the Driver simulation. There are 5 'logical' sections within the Adams/Chassis GUI they are described below:

For a detailed explanation of of the parameters you can refer to the Adams/Driver user's guide.

The values you enter must be physically meaningful and must be expressed in model units, unless where there is the possibility to select a different unit (for example in the velocity and acceleration terms).

In case your vehicle has gear shifting capabilities, you can decide to turn on the gear activity and to supply the information required, together with the gear ratios.

When the driver input parameters have been defined (and the *.din file has been created) you are ready to submit your full vehicle analysis with Driver. In the GUI you have to select a driver road data file (defining the centerline coordinates of the track and the lane width) and also a driver input file. Both file have to be existing.

The orientation of the driver reference marker is critical for the success of the Driver simulation, and it depends on the road data file supplied. Before submitting the analysis you have to select the correct orientation of the course reference marker based on the road data file. Again, the Adams/Driver user's manual explains this and sets a convention.