Model Reference Support in SimWB

SIMulation Workbench (SimWB) and the MLToolkit support code generation for models that reference other models.

Model reference offers several advantages for Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) simulation such as:

• Modular Development
  Different teams can work on different parts of a larger project independently. Their individual models can be integrated into one model that can be simulated with SimWB.
• Incremental Code Generation
  Changes in one model do not need code generation for the entire model saving both computational cost and time.
• Scalable
  Large monolithic models result in huge computational cost while generating code and updating the model. Model reference provides a scalable answer to such issues.

For an overview of model reference, refer to the Simulink® documentation.

Contents

• Configuring Referenced Models
• Model Settings Changed by MLToolkit
• Limitations in Model Reference Support

Configuring Referenced Models

When you generate code from a model using the MLToolkit, the software automatically replaces supported source/sink blocks with SimWB-compliant source/sink blocks. This replacement is done to map the source/sink blocks to their corresponding RTDB variables. Then, the software generates SimWB-compliant code for the model. For code generation, all model references must be configured as explained in Model Settings Changed by MLToolkit. You can configure the models using one of the following approaches:

• Automatic Configuration of Referenced Models
• Manual Configuration of Referenced Models

Alternatively, you can use the configuration set reference feature in Simulink, which allows multiple models to share a configuration set. If your top-level model and referenced models share the same configuration set, then you can use the standard MLToolkit GUI workflow to create an RTDB or generate SimWB-compliant code. For more details, see Configuration Set Reference Support.

Automatic Configuration of Referenced Models

To automatically configure all the referenced models in a top level model that is needed to be built for SimWB, use the SimWB helper function named simwbConfigModelRef . This function does not modify the top-level model, but configures all the referenced models. For example, the command simwbConfigModelRef('SYS') configures all the models referenced in the model 'SYS' to work with MLToolkit and saves them. It also saves a backup copy of all those models by default. Additional arguments can be supplied as one of the following name-value pairs:

• ModelType - 'TopLevel' or 'Individual' (default: 'TopLevel')
• Target - 'grt' or 'ert' (default: 'grt')
• Backup - true or false (default: true)

Manual Configuration of Referenced Models

The following example shows how to configure a simple model that references another model. In this tutorial, we will go over the advantages of model reference and the steps to configure the referenced models before using with SimWB. We will work with the basic model reference demo model named sldemo_mdlref_basic in Simulink.

1. Open the model sldemo_mdlref_basic by either clicking here or by executing the following command in MATLAB®:
   sldemo_mdlref_basic
   
2. Save the model as my_sldemo_mdlref_basic.
3. All of the model blocks in this model reference the same model. Open the model that it references by clicking any one of the model blocks. It should open the model sldemo_mdlref_counter. Save this model as my_sldemo_mdlref_counter.
4. Open the 'Configuration Parameters' for the model my_sldemo_mdlref_counter (Simulation > Configuration Parameters) and select grt.tlc for the System Target File (Code Generation > System Target File).



5. Also, change the 'Interface' from 'none' to 'C API' (Code Generation > Interface). Make sure the 'signals' and 'parameters' check boxes are selected.
6. In the same 'Interface' pane changes the 'Target function library' from 'C89/C90 ANSI' to 'C99 ISO'. Save the model to preserve the changes. The model is now ready to be included in the_sldemo_mdlref_basic model.



7. Let us configure the model my_sldemo_mdlref_basic to have some output RTDB variables. Prefix 'SW' to the names of all the scopes. This will allow us to observe the waveforms at those scopes on the real-time host. Save the model to preserve the changes. Now we are ready to generate code and send it to the real-time host.



8. In the model, my_sldemo_mdlref_basic, select the SimWB > Toolkit GUI to open the MLToolkit GUI. After logging in open the RTDB Creator tab, set the name of RTDB as my_sldemo_mdlref_basic , and click Create and Upload RTDB .



9. Open the Code Generator tab in the MLToolkit GUI, make sure the RTDB selected is my_sldemo_mdlref_basic , and then click on the Generate, Export, and Make button to generate code and send it to SimWB real-time host.

   

   Upon successful completion of the Make process the following message will be displayed on the MATLAB command prompt.

You are now ready to use this executable in a test on the real-time host.

For your convenience, the completed models my_sldemo_mdlref_basic and my_sldemo_mdlref_counter are included with SimWB installation. You can access them with the following commands in MATLAB®:
ccur_sldemo_mdlref_basic
ccur_sldemo_mdlref_counter

Model Settings Changed by MLToolkit

• SystemTargetFile: Set to grt.tlc unless specified otherwise in the SimWB Preferences file.
• RTWCAPISignals: Set to 'ON' allowing access to the signals in the SimWB Host.
• RTWCAPIParams: Set to 'ON' allowing access to the parameters in the SimWB Host.
• GenFloatMathFcnCalls: Set to use 'ISO C'.

• SupportContinuousTime: Set to 'ON' to support continuous time found in most of the HIL models.
• GenerateSampleERTMain: Set to 'OFF' since SimWB will provide the main function.
• GRTInterface: Set to 'ON'.

While this is convenient, there are certain restrictions on the configuration of the referenced models with respect to the top model in Simulink.

Limitations in Model Reference Support

1. If you would like to access the parameters inside the referenced models in the SimWB Real-Time Host, you need to convert them into Global Tunable Parameter. A global tunable parameter is a Simulink.Parameter object whose storage class is "Model Default". The parameter exists in the MATLAB workspace. Using a global tunable parameter in a referenced model allows you to control the behavior of the referenced model by setting the parameter value. All instances of the model use the same value. To see an example, execute the following command in MATLAB®:
   ccur_rtwdemo_capi
   Opening this model will load variables used in the model. All the parameters used in the referenced model ccur_rtwdemo_capi_bot, Kp and Ki are defined in the workspace as Simulink.Parameter with storage class set to 'SimulinkGlobal'.
2. The source and sink blocks inside the referenced model(s) can not be mapped to RTDB variables. To work around this issue, you can bring them out to the top model.