If you are working with Quanser systems like the Qube-Servo or 2-DOF Robot, the QUARC library is the foundational software required for implementation.

The Quarc library is a set of Simulink blocks developed by Quanser, a leading provider of engineering solutions for research and education. Quarc (Quanser Advanced Research and Control) is a software framework that enables users to design, simulate, and deploy control systems, mechatronics, and robotics applications. The Quarc library provides a comprehensive set of tools and blocks to facilitate the development of advanced control systems, estimation, and signal processing algorithms.

: QUARC's advanced blocks enable sophisticated research. For systems like the Quanser Magnetic Levitation (QMagLev) system, researchers can leverage QUARC for real-time parameter tuning, data logging, and implementing advanced algorithms such as state observers and nonlinear control. The Continuous library's Extended Kalman Filter and Nonlinear State-Space blocks, and the Communications blockset for inter-process communication, are ideal for rapid prototyping of complex state estimators and multi-agent systems.

In complex robotic systems, you may want your primary control loop to run at a fast rate (e.g., 1000 Hz) while a data-logging or vision-processing loop runs at a slower rate (e.g., 30 Hz). QUARC supports multi-tasking configurations, allowing different subsystems to run on separate processor cores or threads without interrupting the critical real-time loop. Remote Execution

– When using HIL blocks, ensure the watchdog timeout is set appropriately for your application—too short a timeout can cause premature simulation termination.

– Provide support for graphical user interfaces, including integration with GUIs developed using Altia Design, as well as printing to and reading from the QUARC Console.

QUARC supports , which allows you to tune parameters (e.g., PID gains) and view scopes live while the model runs on a separate target computer. This is critical for hard real-time performance where the host OS may introduce jitter.

The platform also supports fieldbus technologies such as EtherCAT, multimedia devices including Kinect sensors, and specialized robotics platforms like the QBot 2 autonomous ground robot. The QBot 2, for example, integrates QUARC with MATLAB and Simulink to enable users to develop controllers on a host computer and cross-compile them for the embedded Gumstix target on the robot.

The QUARC Blockset is organized into several sub-libraries. Let’s break down the most important categories.