Pickering Interfaces has announced an expansion of its 41-670 (PXI) and 43-670 (PXIe) LVDT, RVDT, and resolver simulator modules to support high-speed resolver simulation up to 130,000 RPM. This enhancement addresses increasing industry requirements for precise testing of advanced motion control and feedback systems across sectors such as electric vehicles (EVs), aerospace, and defense.
As EVs adopt higher-speed motors and more sophisticated embedded control systems, there’s a growing need for test equipment that can accurately simulate the electrical behavior of resolvers under real-world conditions.
Modern EV control systems frequently use high-speed resolvers with excitation frequencies up to 80 kHz to increase signal bandwidth, minimize noise, and improve dynamic responsiveness. Lower-speed resolver simulation can result in reduced test accuracy and undetected software integration issues. The updated modules support the simulation of multiple resolver pole pairs.
For example, simulating four pole pairs at 20,000 RPM results in an equivalent of 80,000 RPM in electrical cycles. The ability to simulate up to 130,000 RPM provides the fidelity needed to validate high-performance systems such as EV traction motors, steer-by-wire systems, and advanced braking applications.
Each 41-670 or 43-670 module includes two (model -303) or four (model -301) simulation banks, capable of emulating the output of 5 or 6-wire VDTs or resolvers, or dual 4-wire devices using a shared excitation signal. This enables up to four channels of 5- or 6-wire simulation, or eight 4-wire channels per module.
Additional features include built-in relays for simulating open or short circuit faults at each channel’s input and output, and programmable phase delay for modeling imperfect sensors or cabling. These capabilities reduce external switching needs and increase test coverage for functional safety and fault insertion testing.
The modules’ high-channel density supports multiple resolver or VDT channels within a compact PXI or PXIe footprint, making them suitable for lab-based or production-level EV and aerospace hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test systems.
Filed Under: Technology News, Testing and Safety