Comments on: Libraries in Simulink http://blogs.mathworks.com/seth/2008/07/18/libraries-in-simulink/ This blog is about Simulink. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:09:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Guy http://blogs.mathworks.com/seth/2008/07/18/libraries-in-simulink/#comment-868 Guy Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:20:21 +0000 http://blogs.mathworks.com/seth/2008/07/18/libraries-in-simulink/#comment-868 Patrick, You are right when you mention that adding a "Mask Description" to a masked subsystem in a library makes it not-expandable. This is coherent with the behavior of masked subsystems in a model. Typically you mask a subsystem when you think the user should not look inside. If the user should not look inside, then the subsystem should not expand in the Library Browser. As an additional note, if a masked subsystem have parameters, you do not need to add a "Mask Description" to hide it's content. For masked subsystems without parameters, it is by adding a "Mask Description" that you force the user to "look under mask" to see its content. Guy Patrick,

You are right when you mention that adding a “Mask Description” to a masked subsystem in a library makes it not-expandable.

This is coherent with the behavior of masked subsystems in a model. Typically you mask a subsystem when you think the user should not look inside. If the user should not look inside, then the subsystem should not expand in the Library Browser.

As an additional note, if a masked subsystem have parameters, you do not need to add a “Mask Description” to hide it’s content. For masked subsystems without parameters, it is by adding a “Mask Description” that you force the user to “look under mask” to see its content.

Guy

]]> By: Patrick http://blogs.mathworks.com/seth/2008/07/18/libraries-in-simulink/#comment-863 Patrick Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:27:20 +0000 http://blogs.mathworks.com/seth/2008/07/18/libraries-in-simulink/#comment-863 Guy, I've recently run into a related issue. It would appear that if you create your own masked sub-system and want to include it in a library in an expandable form, you cannot add any "Mask Description". Including a "Mask type" seems to work fine though. This is using 2007b...haven't tried anything newer yet. Patrick Guy,

I’ve recently run into a related issue. It would appear that if you create your own masked sub-system and want to include it in a library in an expandable form, you cannot add any “Mask Description”. Including a “Mask type” seems to work fine though. This is using 2007b…haven’t tried anything newer yet.

Patrick

]]> By: Guy http://blogs.mathworks.com/seth/2008/07/18/libraries-in-simulink/#comment-792 Guy Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:14:15 +0000 http://blogs.mathworks.com/seth/2008/07/18/libraries-in-simulink/#comment-792 @Pat and Paul, I agree that the slblocks documentation is unexisting. From what I remember, when subsystems are masked the Library browser does not expand them and you cannot see what is under the mask. I think the reason for this behaviour is that if you place a block in the library browser you don't want the user to modify it. If you don't need to define any parameters for the mask, fill some info in the documentation tab of the mask editor. I hope it helps. Guy @Pat and Paul, I agree that the slblocks documentation is unexisting. From what I remember, when subsystems are masked the Library browser does not expand them and you cannot see what is under the mask.

I think the reason for this behaviour is that if you place a block in the library browser you don’t want the user to modify it. If you don’t need to define any parameters for the mask, fill some info in the documentation tab of the mask editor.

I hope it helps.

Guy

]]> By: Pat http://blogs.mathworks.com/seth/2008/07/18/libraries-in-simulink/#comment-789 Pat Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:39:43 +0000 http://blogs.mathworks.com/seth/2008/07/18/libraries-in-simulink/#comment-789 Dear Paul, I am facing the same problem, were you able to solve it!? Pat Dear Paul,

I am facing the same problem, were you able to solve it!?

Pat

]]> By: Olaf http://blogs.mathworks.com/seth/2008/07/18/libraries-in-simulink/#comment-737 Olaf Mon, 27 Apr 2009 06:42:42 +0000 http://blogs.mathworks.com/seth/2008/07/18/libraries-in-simulink/#comment-737 Dear Seth, following up my posting from January 19th, medini unite, the diff/merge tool for Simulink and Stateflow, is now available as 1.0 release, provides graphical and tree based diff and merge, undo/redo, auto merge, merge report generation, SCM integration and more. Embedded in eclipse (and therefore supporting XML/XMI) and highly performant and scalable. Demo videos and trial version available at http://www.ikv.de. Hope you'll find some time to look at. Best Regards, Olaf Dear Seth,

following up my posting from January 19th, medini unite, the diff/merge tool for Simulink and Stateflow, is now available as 1.0 release, provides graphical and tree based diff and merge, undo/redo, auto merge, merge report generation, SCM integration and more. Embedded in eclipse (and therefore supporting XML/XMI) and highly performant and scalable. Demo videos and trial version available at http://www.ikv.de. Hope you’ll find some time to look at.

Best Regards, Olaf

]]> By: Seth http://blogs.mathworks.com/seth/2008/07/18/libraries-in-simulink/#comment-681 Seth Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:53:30 +0000 http://blogs.mathworks.com/seth/2008/07/18/libraries-in-simulink/#comment-681 @Harald - the ability to export to XML is part of Simulink Report Generator 3.5 which was released after R2008b via web download. If you have that, check out the documentation section titled "Comparing XML Files Exported from Simulink Models." @Harald - the ability to export to XML is part of Simulink Report Generator 3.5 which was released after R2008b via web download. If you have that, check out the documentation section titled “Comparing XML Files Exported from Simulink Models.”

]]> By: Harald http://blogs.mathworks.com/seth/2008/07/18/libraries-in-simulink/#comment-672 Harald Fri, 06 Feb 2009 18:36:06 +0000 http://blogs.mathworks.com/seth/2008/07/18/libraries-in-simulink/#comment-672 Dear Seth, how can I export a Simulink model to an XML file in the first place? Regards, Harald Dear Seth,
how can I export a Simulink model to an XML file in the first place?
Regards,
Harald

]]> By: Seth http://blogs.mathworks.com/seth/2008/07/18/libraries-in-simulink/#comment-670 Seth Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:49:21 +0000 http://blogs.mathworks.com/seth/2008/07/18/libraries-in-simulink/#comment-670 @Olaf and Kieran Thank you for your comments. I am pleased to inform you that with the recent web update for Release 2008b, on October 30th 2008, we have introduced an XML text comparing capability that you may be interested in evaluating. <a href="http://www.mathworks.com/products/ML_reportgenerator/" rel="nofollow">MATLAB Report Generator 3.5</a> now has the capability to create a comparison report for a pair of XML text files. In addition, <a href="http://www.mathworks.com/products/SL_reportgenerator/" rel="nofollow">Simulink Report Generator 3.5</a> can use that capability to create a comparison report for pairs of XML text files, including an option to <a href="http://www.mathworks.com/products/SL_reportgenerator/whatsnew.html" rel="nofollow">compare XML files exported from Simulink models</a>. The XML comparison report can then display highlighted results in the original models. Please evaluate these new features in MATLAB Report Generator and Simulink Report Generator. @Olaf and Kieran
Thank you for your comments. I am pleased to inform you that with the recent web update for Release 2008b, on October 30th 2008, we have introduced an XML text comparing capability that you may be interested in evaluating. MATLAB Report Generator 3.5 now has the capability to create a comparison report for a pair of XML text files. In addition, Simulink Report Generator 3.5 can use that capability to create a comparison report for pairs of XML text files, including an option to compare XML files exported from Simulink models. The XML comparison report can then display highlighted results in the original models. Please evaluate these new features in MATLAB Report Generator and Simulink Report Generator.

]]> By: Olaf http://blogs.mathworks.com/seth/2008/07/18/libraries-in-simulink/#comment-667 Olaf Mon, 19 Jan 2009 21:08:55 +0000 http://blogs.mathworks.com/seth/2008/07/18/libraries-in-simulink/#comment-667 Dear Seth and Kieran, don't know whether you already found a solution for the missing diff/merge feature. We had the same issue here - we wanted to automate failure injection into Simulink models, and required both diff and merge. Due to the fact that it was unavailable, we built an own solution called medini unite - it's a MATLAB/Simulink diff/merge tool (both diff analysis and graphical merge are supported, now we are in public beta, public product release will be 03/2009. It can also run headless to integrate better with versioning systems like SVN. Last but not least it's built on top of EMF, i.e. it makes Simulink models available in the eclipse world. If you are interested in this, please send an email to information@ikv.de. Best Regards, Olaf Dear Seth and Kieran,

don’t know whether you already found a solution for the missing diff/merge feature. We had the same issue here - we wanted to automate failure injection into Simulink models, and required both diff and merge.

Due to the fact that it was unavailable, we built an own solution called medini unite - it’s a MATLAB/Simulink diff/merge tool (both diff analysis and graphical merge are supported, now we are in public beta, public product release will be 03/2009. It can also run headless to integrate better with versioning systems like SVN. Last but not least it’s built on top of EMF, i.e. it makes Simulink models available in the eclipse world.

If you are interested in this, please send an email to information@ikv.de.

Best Regards, Olaf

]]> By: Georg Wiedermann http://blogs.mathworks.com/seth/2008/07/18/libraries-in-simulink/#comment-473 Georg Wiedermann Fri, 08 Aug 2008 19:19:07 +0000 http://blogs.mathworks.com/seth/2008/07/18/libraries-in-simulink/#comment-473 Dear Seth and Gernot, handling a large number of parameters is a very good topic. I suggest to extend this topic to signals ans states also. We use Simulink and Embedded Matlab to develop attitude control algorithms for spacecrafts. Simulink is used for the "architecture" of the code while the actual code is implemented in Embedded Matlab. This embedded Matlab code is directly given to the software people as specification for the coding of the on board software. In my Similink model all signals, parameters and states (about 500 data items) are well defined with type, size etc. - but how do I get this information out of the model into an Excel list or a database - in other words, how do I maintain and export a data dictionary? I think this point is not well covered in simulink today. Best Regards Georg Dear Seth and Gernot,

handling a large number of parameters is a very good topic. I suggest to extend this topic to signals ans states also.

We use Simulink and Embedded Matlab to develop attitude control algorithms for spacecrafts. Simulink is used for the “architecture” of the code while the actual code is implemented in Embedded Matlab. This embedded Matlab code is directly given to the software people as specification for the coding of the on board software. In my Similink model all signals, parameters and states (about 500 data items) are well defined with type, size etc. - but how do I get this information out of the model into an Excel list or a database - in other words, how do I maintain and export a data dictionary? I think this point is not well covered in simulink today.

Best Regards
Georg

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