All-Digital Simulation of Simple Automobile Maneuvers

A new, all-digital simulation describes straight- line acceleration and braking of an automobile. The model has five degrees of freedom: longitudinal velocity, vertical velocity, pitch angular velocity, and the angular velocities of the front and rear wheels. The model is capable of handling severe maneuvers. Special provisions allow the user to in clude antilock systems, average suspension forces, perform braking studies, and assess the importance of nonlinear terms. A validation study shows a close comparison with results from earlier models. The model is modular, well-documented, and readily available to researchers in a convenient form.