External Mode Simulation by Using XCP Communication - MATLAB & Simulink (original) (raw)

In an external mode simulation, you can tune parameters in real time and monitor target application signals. Using the Run on Custom Hardware app, you can set up and run on your development computer or custom hardware external mode simulations that use an XCP communication channel.

For an external mode simulation, you:

1. Build the target application on your development computer.
2. Deploy the target application to the target hardware.
3. Connect Simulink® to the target application that runs on the target hardware.
4. Start execution of generated code on the target hardware.

Run XCP External Mode Simulation on Development Computer

Configure and run an external mode simulation that uses the XCP communication protocol. During the simulation:

• Monitor a signal by using a Scope block, a Dashboard block, and the Simulation Data Inspector.
• Tune a parameter by using a Dashboard block.

Configure Signal Monitoring and Parameter Tuning for XCP

1. Create a folder for this example.
   mkdir ext_mode_xcp_example
   cd ext_mode_xcp_example
2. Open Simulink and create a simple model, xcpExample, which contains these blocks:
   • Sine Wave
   • Gain
   • Scope
   • Half Gauge
   • Knob
3. Double-click the Sine Wave block. Set Sample time to 0.1, and then click OK.
4. Double-click the Gain block. Set Gain to 2, and then click OK.
5. Connect the Sine Wave block to the Gain block and name the connection, for example, Test Signal.
6. Connect the Gain block to the Scope block and name the connection, for example, Output Signal.
7. Configure Test Signal for logging:
   1. Select Test Signal.
   2. On the Signal tab, in the Monitor section, select Log Signals.
      If you do not enable signal logging, you cannot stream Test Signal to the Simulation Data Inspector.
8. Configure the Half Gauge block to monitor the value ofTest Signal:
   1. Double-click the Half Gauge block.
   2. In the Simulink Editor, select Test Signal.
   3. In the Block Parameters dialog box:
      • Connect the block to Test Signal.
      • In the Maximum field, enter a value, for example,1.
   4. Click OK.
9. Configure the Knob block to tune the Amplitude parameter of the Sine Wave block:
   1. Double-click the Knob block.
   2. In the Simulink Editor, select the Sine Wave block.
   3. In the Block Parameters dialog box:
      • Connect the block to the Amplitude parameter of the Sine Wave block.
      • In the Minimum and Maximum fields, enter values, for example, 0.1 and 1 respectively.
   4. Click OK.
10. Save the model as xcpExample.
    

Specify Hardware and Prepare Model

1. From the Apps tab on the Simulink toolstrip, in the Setup to Run on Hardware section, click Run on Custom Hardware. On the Run on Custom Hardware pop-up dialog box, click Finish.
2. In the Hardware section, in the Board field, use the default No Board.
3. In the Prepare gallery, under Model Configuration, click Hardware Settings. The Configuration Parameters dialog box opens, displaying Hardware Implementation settings that are determined by the system target file.
   1. On the Solver pane, in the Type field, specify Fixed-step. Then, under Solver details, in the Fixed-step size (fundamental sample time) field, specify 0.1.
   2. On the > pane, set Default parameter behavior toTunable.
   3. On the > pane, select the External mode check box. Then set Transport layer to XCP on TCP/IP. Selecting XCP on TCP/IP automatically specifies ext_xcp for MEX-file name, selects the Automatically allocate static memory check box, and enables Maximum duration. For this example, use the default value of Maximum duration.
   4. If System target file isert.tlc, on the > pane select the Generate an example main program check box, and set Target operating system to BareBoardExample.The code generator uses the documented APIs of the external mode abstraction layer that are available in_`matlabroot`_\toolbox\coder\xcp\src\target\ext_mode\include\ext_mode.h to create an example that shows how you can provide XCP external mode target connectivity for a bare board that does not run an operating system.
   5. Click OK to apply the changes and close the dialog box.
      On the Hardware tab, the Connection field displays IP: "localhost" – Port:17725. The connection between Simulink and your development computer was specified in step c when you setTransport layer to XCP on TCP/IP.
4. Save the model.

Build and Run Target Application

In the Run on Hardware section:

1. To specify a nondefault value for the simulation stop time, in theStop Time field, specify your value, for example,inf.
2. Click Monitor & Tune to start the process. The software:
   1. Builds the target application files including the executable file. The debugging symbols for signals are created as part of the executable file or in a separate file, depending on the configuration of Code Generation. To learn more about different configurations for Code Generation, see Approaches for Building Code Generated from Simulink Models.
   2. Deploys the target application as a separate process on your development computer.
   3. Connects Simulink to the target application.
   4. Starts the generated model code.
      To perform the steps separately, click the following buttons under > , in this order:
   5. Build for Monitoring
   6. Deploy
   7. Connect
   8. Start

Monitor Signal and Tune Parameter

You can monitor Test Signal through the:

• Scope block — Double-click the block.
• Simulation Data Inspector — Click the Simulation Data Inspector button. When the Simulation Data Inspector opens, select the Test Signal check box, which displays streamed data.
• Half-Gauge block.

To change the amplitude of the sine wave, rotate the pointer on theKnob block to the required value.

This table describes more ways of tuning tunable block parameters during a simulation.

For more information about parameter tuning with generated code, see External Mode Simulation with TCP/IP or Serial Communication and Create Tunable Calibration Parameter in the Generated Code.

If your model contains a Stateflow® chart, you can view state activity. For more information, see Animate Stateflow Charts (Stateflow).

Stop Target Application

To stop the execution and disconnect the target application before Stop Time is reached, in the Run on Hardware section of theHardware tab, click Stop .

If you want to disconnect the target application from Simulink without stopping code execution, click > > .

Triggered Signal Monitoring for XCP External Mode Simulations

For XCP external mode simulations, you can configure a trigger that starts the uploading of target application data for signal monitoring in Simulink.

1. Create a simple model in a local folder.
   In the Command Window, enter these commands:
   % Create work folder
   if mkdir('workFolder')
   rmdir 'workFolder' s
   mkdir('workFolder')
   end
   cd workFolder
   open_system(new_system('myModel'));
   % Add, configure, and connect blocks
   add_block('simulink/Sources/Sine Wave','myModel/Signal',...
   'Bias','5',...
   'Amplitude','2',...
   'SampleTime','0.01');

set_param('myModel/Signal','position',[140,80,180,120]);
add_block('simulink/Math Operations/Gain','myModel/Signal Gain',...
'Gain','2');
set_param('myModel/Signal Gain','position',[340,80,380,120]);
add_line('myModel','Signal/1','Signal Gain/1');
% Label signal
signal=get_param('myModel/Signal','PortHandles');
set_param(signal.Outport(1),'Name','test_signal');
% And so on
add_block('simulink/Math Operations/Product','myModel/Product');
set_param('myModel/Product','position',[540,160,580,200]);
add_line('myModel','Signal Gain/1','Product/1');
add_block('simulink/Sources/Sine Wave','myModel/Carrier',...
'Bias','5',...
'Amplitude','10',...
'Frequency','3',...
'SampleTime','0.02');
set_param('myModel/Carrier','position',[140,240,180,280]);
add_block('simulink/Math Operations/Gain','myModel/Carrier Gain');
set_param('myModel/Carrier Gain','position',[340,240,380,280]);
add_line('myModel','Carrier/1','Carrier Gain/1');
signal=get_param('myModel/Carrier','PortHandles');
set_param(signal.Outport(1),'Name','test_carrier');
add_block('simulink/Signal Attributes/Rate Transition',...
'myModel/Rate Transition');
set_param('myModel/Rate Transition','position',[440,200,480,240]);
add_line('myModel','Carrier Gain/1','Rate Transition/1');
add_line('myModel','Rate Transition/1','Product/2');
add_block('simulink/Sources/Constant','myModel/Constant',...
'Value','0');
set_param('myModel/Constant','position',[340,320,380,360]);
add_block('simulink/Logic and Bit Operations/Relational Operator',...
'myModel/Relational Operator','Operator','>=');
set_param('myModel/Relational Operator','position',[540,300,580,340]);
add_line('myModel','Carrier Gain/1','Relational Operator/1');
add_line('myModel','Constant/1','Relational Operator/2');
signal=get_param('myModel/Carrier Gain','PortHandles');
set_param(signal.Outport(1),'Name','pos_carrier');
add_block('simulink/Sinks/Scope','myModel/ScopeA');
set_param('myModel/ScopeA','position',[740,160,780,200]);
add_line('myModel','Product/1','ScopeA/1');
signal=get_param('myModel/Product','PortHandles');
set_param(signal.Outport(1),'Name','test_output');
add_block('simulink/Sinks/Scope','myModel/ScopeB');
set_param('myModel/ScopeB','position',[740,300,780,340]);
add_line('myModel','Relational Operator/1','ScopeB/1');
signal=get_param('myModel/Relational Operator','PortHandles');
set_param(signal.Outport(1),'Name','cmp_output');
% Finally, save the model
save_system('myModel'); 2. In the Simulink Editor, configure these signals for logging by right-clicking each signal and then selecting :

• test_signal
• test_carrier
• test_output
• cmp_output
  

1. From the Apps tab on the Simulink toolstrip, in the Setup to Run on Hardware section, click Run on Custom Hardware. On the Run on Custom Hardware pop-up dialog box, click Finish.
2. In the Prepare gallery, under Model Configuration, click Hardware Settings.
3. On the Solver pane, in the Type field, specify Fixed-step.
4. On the > pane, select the External mode check box.
5. Set Transport layer to XCP on TCP/IP, which specifies ext_xcp for MEX-file name.
6. Click OK. Then save the model.
7. To open the External Signal & Triggering dialog box, from thePrepare gallery, under Signal Monitoring & Tracing, click Control Panel.
8. In the Configuration section, click Signal & Triggering, which opens the External Signal & Triggering dialog box.
   
   Through this dialog box, you can select signals for monitoring and configure the trigger for uploading data from the target application. For this example, use the default settings.

• The Select all check box is selected — The dialog box displays an X in each row of the Selected column. You can monitor all logged signals during the simulation.
• Source is set to manual — The External Mode Control Panel provides manual control of data uploading, for example, the Arm Trigger button.
• The Arm when connecting to target check box is selected — When you connect Simulink to the target application, the trigger is armed.

1. Click OK to close the External Signal & Triggering dialog box, then click OK to close the External Mode Control Panel.
2. In the Simulink Editor, go to the Hardware tab.
3. In the Stop Time field of the Run on Hardware section, specify your value, for example,inf.
4. Save the model.
5. Click Monitor & Tune to start the process. The software:
6. Builds the target application.
7. Deploys the target application as separate process on your development computer.
8. Connects Simulink to the target application.
9. Starts the generated model code.

To view the scope displays, double-click ScopeA andScopeB.

To monitor signals in the Simulation Data Inspector, in the Review Results section, click Data Inspector.

From the External Mode Control Panel, you can suspend or resume signal logging and monitoring. In the Connection and triggering section, clickCancel Trigger or Arm Trigger respectively.

To stop the execution of the target application and disconnect Simulink from the target environment, click Stop Real-Time Code.

For information about signal monitoring and trigger options, see XCP External Mode Control Panel and XCP External Signal & Triggering Dialog Box.

Run XCP External Mode Simulation From Command Line

You can use commands to run XCP external mode simulations. To retrieve and set the values of model parameters, use the get_param and set_param commands.

To run these commands, you must have a Simulink model open and a target application running.

1. Set the model simulation mode to external mode.
   set_param(gcs,'SimulationMode','external');
2. Connect Simulink to the target application.
   set_param(gcs,'SimulationCommand','connect')
3. Run generated model code.
   set_param(gcs,'SimulationCommand','start');
4. To tune a parameter, change its workspace variable value through a line command. For example, if a block parameter value is specified as aSimulink.Parameter object, assign the new value to theValue property.
5. To download the new value to the target application, update the model.
   set_param(gcs,'SimulationCommand','update');
6. Stop the target application and disconnect Simulink from the target environment.
   set_param(gcs,'SimulationCommand','stop');
   To disconnect Simulink from the target application without stopping execution of generated code, use this command:
   set_param(gcs,'SimulationCommand','disconnect');

The set_param commands that use the 'SimulationCommand' argument are asynchronous. If you run the commands successively from a script, each command starts without waiting for the previous command to complete. To check that each command is complete, in the script, use the get_param command with the'SimulationStatus' argument. For example, for steps 1 to 3, specify these commands in the script:

set_param(gcs,'SimulationMode','external'); set_param(gcs,'SimulationCommand','connect');

isExternalSimulationActive = false; while ~isExternalSimulationActive simStatus = get_param(gcs, 'SimulationStatus'); isExternalSimulationActive = strcmp(simStatus, 'external'); end set_param(gcs,'SimulationCommand','start');

For more information, see Run Simulations Programmatically.

The Diagnostic Viewer displays error messages produced by the get_param and set_param commands.

This table gives parameters that you can use in get_param andset_param commands.

XCP External Mode Command-Line Parameters

Memory Allocation for Communication Buffers During XCP External Mode Simulation

You do not have to manually determine memory requirements for XCP-based external mode simulations with models that, for example, stream a large amount of data to Simulink or run on low-memory target devices.

Setting Transport layer to XCP on TCP/IP or XCP on Serial enables these configuration parameters:

• Automatically allocate static memory (ExtModeAutomaticAllocSize)
• Maximum duration (ExtModeMaxTrigDuration) — Default is 10 base-rate steps.

The software uses model information, including the Maximum duration value, to allocate memory for:

• Internal data structures used by the XCP stack
• Storage of XCP packets

If you clear the Automatically allocate static memory check box:

• Memory allocated for internal data structures is a default value.
• You can use the Static memory buffer size (ExtModeStaticAllocSize ) field to specify memory allocated for XCP packets. The default value is 1,000,000 bytes.

If insufficient memory is allocated, the external mode simulation issues an out-of-memory error when it tries to reserve memory for internal data structures or signal streaming. In this case, reselect the Automatically allocate static memory check box to enable the software to compute the amount of memory required.

If you use the target namespace to set up XCP external mode connectivity, you can control more finely the preallocation of target hardware memory by specifying values for these XCP parameters:

• MaxCTOSize
• MaxDTOSize

After creating the target.XCPExternalModeConnectivity object that contains the XCP external mode connectivity options, specify the XCP parameter values through properties of the associated target.XCPTransport object. For example:

extModeConnectivity = target.create('XCPExternalModeConnectivity', ...
'Name', 'External Mode Connectivity', ... 'XCP', xcpConfiguration);

extModeConnectivity.XCP.XCPTransport.MaxCTOSize = 16 extModeConnectivity.XCP.XCPTransport.MaxDTOSize = 256

LowerMaxCTOSize and MaxDTOSize values produce a preallocation of less target hardware memory.

For more information, see Customize Connectivity for XCP External Mode Simulations.

Target Application Arguments

You can run your target application with optional arguments. You can pass the optional arguments to your target application through your custom launcher implementation.

For external mode simulations that run on your development computer, you can specify additional [rtiostream](target-connectivity-pil-api-components.html#bru4krc-1) arguments.

XCP External Mode Limitations

This table describes limitations that apply to external mode simulations that use XCP communication.

See Also

target

Topics

• External Mode Simulations for Parameter Tuning, Signal Monitoring, and Code Execution Profiling
• Mark Signals for Logging
• Set Up External Mode Connectivity Between Simulink and Target Hardware
• Customize XCP Server Software
• Perform XCP Operations on Deployed Simulink Model (Vehicle Network Toolbox)
• Simulation Data Inspector

External Websites

• https://www.asam.net/standards/detail/mcd-1-xcp/wiki/