**4. HEB HIL Platform**

In order to validate the real-time control effect of the proposed strategy, an HEB controller HIL experimental platform was developed, as shown in Figure 13. The control strategy was converted into an executable C code and integrated with the controller underlying software, and was then downloaded in the vehicle control unit (VCU). Meanwhile, the controlled object model was downloaded to the dSPACE Autobox simulator (DS1103, dSPACE, Paderborn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany). The real-time supervisory control interface was developed on the host computer monitor. The communication network among the VCU, the Autobox, and the host computer monitor was established with the means of the control area network (CAN) and transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP).

**Figure 13.** Testing program of hardware in loop (HIL) of the HEB controller.

Figure 14 shows the developed HEB HIL test platform, which could be used to test and compare the real-time control effect of online strategies. The model incorporated in the HIL platform was validated by employing the practical HEB real bulldozing process data, as shown in [61]. Therefore, the combination of the validated model and the real VCU could test the real-time performance and effectiveness of the proposed control strategy to some extent.

**Figure 14.** Test platform of HEB HIL.
