RTDS Technologies, a global leader in real-time digital power system simulation, strengthens the technological foundation of modern grid design and validation through its advanced real-time electromagnetic transient (EMT) simulation and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) platforms. The company’s solutions enable utilities, OEMs, and research institutions to rigorously test protection, control, and power electronic systems under realistic operating conditions before field deployment.
Real-Time EMT Simulation at Microsecond Resolution
RTDS Technologies offers continuous real-time EMT simulations, executing complex power system models at microsecond-level timesteps. Unlike traditional off-line simulation tools, RTDS simulators operate synchronously with real hardware, allowing physical devices, such as protection relays, inverter controllers, and substation automation systems, to interact directly with a simulated power network in closed loop.
This real-time execution capability is critical for accurately capturing fast electrical phenomena, including fault transients, switching events, converter-driven harmonics, and control instabilities. As power systems increasingly rely on inverter-based resources, RTDS technology provides engineers with waveform-accurate insight into system dynamics that cannot be reliably assessed using phasor-domain or non-real-time tools.
NovaCor™ Hardware Platform for High-Performance Simulation
RTDS Technologies achieves real-time performance through its proprietary NovaCor™ simulation hardware, engineered specifically for parallel EMT computation. The platform leverages high-performance multicore processors and deterministic inter-processor communication to distribute calculations efficiently across multiple simulation cores.
The modular architecture allows users to scale computational capacity by interconnecting multiple NovaCor™ racks, supporting detailed simulation of large transmission networks, HVDC systems, and complex converter-dominated grids. Core-based licensing further enables users to optimise system cost while maintaining the flexibility to expand simulation capability as project requirements evolve.
RSCAD® FX Software and Validated Model Libraries
Complementing the hardware platform is RSCAD® FX, RTDS Technologies’ integrated software environment for real-time modelling, execution, and analysis. RSCAD provides a graphical interface for building EMT-level power system models and includes an extensive library of validated components, such as synchronous machines, renewable energy sources, FACTS devices, HVDC converters, and protection functions.
The software supports advanced control modelling, scripting, and automation, enabling engineers to develop custom test sequences and perform repeatable, standards-compliant validation. Real-time monitoring and data capture tools allow precise observation of system responses, supporting detailed analysis of control performance, protection coordination, and dynamic stability.
RTDS Technologies’ platforms are widely deployed for hardware-in-the-loop testing, allowing real protection and control equipment to be tested against a fully simulated power system operating in real time. This capability significantly reduces commissioning risk and accelerates development cycles for:
- Protection and control systems for transmission and distribution networks
- Power electronics converters for renewable energy, storage, and HVDC applications
- Grid-forming and grid-following inverter control strategies
- Microgrids, weak-grid operation, and system resilience studies
As grids evolve toward higher levels of electrification, decentralisation, and renewable integration, real-time simulation and HIL testing have become essential tools for ensuring system reliability and regulatory compliance.
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About RTDS Technologies
RTDS Technologies is a globally recognised provider of real-time digital simulation solutions for power systems, headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The company pioneered the world’s first fully digital real-time power system simulator and continues to lead the industry in EMT-based simulation and HIL testing technologies. RTDS solutions are used by electric utilities, equipment manufacturers, system integrators, and academic institutions in more than 50 countries to support grid modernisation, renewable energy integration, and next-generation power electronics development.
