Model-Based Design of an Energy-System Embedded Controller Using Taste

Model-based design has become a standard practice in the development of control systems. Many solutions provide simulation, code generation, and other functionalities to minimize the design time and optimize the resulting control system implementation. In this paper, we report on the experience of using Taste as the design environment for the controller of an energy system comprising a parabolic dish collector and a Stirling engine. Besides standard advantages of model-based design, an appealing feature of Taste is the possibility of specifying the design model with a formal language such as SDL. The complexity of the designed system stressed the tool’s performances and usability. Nevertheless, the functionalities provided by Taste were essential to manage such complexity.