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Signal Management / Signal Attributes
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The Check Signal Attributes block terminates the simulation with an error when the input characteristics differ from the characteristics you specify in the block parameters.
When you set Error when input to Does not match attributes exactly, the block generates an error when the input fails to match any of the specified attributes. Only signals that possess all of the specified attributes propagate to the output unaltered and do not cause the block to generate an error.
When you set Error when input to Matches attributes exactly, the block generates an error only when the input possesses all specified attributes. Signals that do not possess all of the specified attributes propagate to the output unaltered, and do not cause the block to generate an error.
The Check Signal Attributes block can test for up to five different signal attributes, as specified by the following parameters. When you select Ignore for any parameter, the block does not check the signal for the corresponding attribute. For example, when you set Complexity to Ignore, neither real nor complex inputs cause the block to generate an error. The attributes are:
Complexity
Check whether the input is real or complex. You can display this information in a model by attaching a Probe block with Probe complex signal selected. Alternatively, you can select Port Data Types from the Format > Port/Signal Displays menu.
Frame status
Check whether the signal is frame based or sample based. The Simulink environment displays sample-based signals using a single line and frame-based signals using a double line.
Dimensionality
Check the dimensionality of the input for compliance or noncompliance with the attributes in the subordinate Dimension menu. See the following table. M and N are positive integers unless otherwise indicated.
| Dimensions | Is... | Is not... |
|---|---|---|
1-D | 1-D vector, | M-by-N matrix, |
2-D | M-by-N matrix, | 1-D vector, |
Scalar | 1-D scalar, | 1-D vector with length>1, |
Vector | 1-D vector, | M-by-N matrix with M>1 and N>1 |
Row Vector | 1-by-N matrix (row vector), | 1-D vector, |
Column Vector | M-by-1 matrix (column vector), 1-by-1
matrix (2-D scalar) | 1-D vector, |
Full matrix | M-by-N matrix with M>1 and N>1 | 1-D vector, |
Square matrix | M-by-N matrix with M=N, | M-by-N matrix with M≠N, |
When you select Signal Dimensions from the Format > Port/Signal Displays menu, Simulink displays the size of a 1-D vector signal as an unbracketed integer, and displays the dimension of a 2-D signal as a pair of bracketed integers, [MxN]. Simulink does not display any size information for a 1-D or 2-D scalar signal. You can also display dimension information for a signal in a model by attaching a Probe block with Probe signal dimensions selected.
Data type
Check the signal data type for compliance (Is...) or noncompliance (Is not...) with the attributes in the subordinate General data type menu. See the following table. You can individually select any of the specific data types listed in the Is... column from the subordinate Specific data type menu.
| General Data Type | Is... | Is not... |
|---|---|---|
Boolean | boolean | single, double, uint8, int8, uint16, int16, uint32, int32, fixed point, enumerated |
Enumerated | A user-defined enumerated data type. See Using Enumerated Data in the Simulink documentation. | boolean, single, double, uint8, int8, uint16, int16, uint32, int32, fixed point |
Floating point | single, double | boolean, uint8, int8, uint16, int16, uint32, int32, fixed point, enumerated |
Floating point or Boolean | single, double, boolean | uint8, int8, uint16, int16, uint32, int32, fixed point, enumerated |
Fixed point | fixed point, uint8, int8, uint16, int16, uint32, int32 | boolean, single, double, enumerated |
Integer | Signed integer | boolean, single, double, fixed point, enumerated |
To display data type information, in your model window, from the Format menu, point to Port/Signal Displays and select Port Data Types.
Sample time
Check whether the signal is discrete time or continuous time. When you select Colors from the Format > Sample Time Display menu, Simulink displays continuous-time signal lines in black or grey and discrete-time signal lines in colors corresponding to the relative rate.
When you attach a Probe block with Probe sample time enabled to a continuous-time signal, the block icon displays the string Ts:[0 To], where To is the sample time offset. Valid values of To for continuous-time signals are 0 and 1. When To is 0, updates occur at every major and minor time step. When To is 1, updates occur only at major time steps and the sample time is fixed in minor time step.
When you attach a Probe block with Probe sample time enabled to a discrete-time signal, the block icon displays the string Ts:[Ts To] for sample-based signals, and Tf:[Tf To] for frame-based signals. Ts and Tf are the positive sample period and frame period, respectively. To is the offset, such that 0 ≤ offset < period. Frame-based signals are almost always discrete time.

Specify whether the block generates an error when the input does or does not possess all of the required attributes.
Specify the complexity for which you want to check the input, Real or Complex. When you select Ignore from the list, the block does not check the complexity of the input.
Specify the frame status for which you want to check the input, Sample-based or Frame-based. When you select Ignore from the list, the block does not check the frame status of the input.
Specify whether you want to check the input for compliance or noncompliance with the attributes in the subordinate Dimensions menu. When you select Ignore from the list, the block does not check the dimensionality of the input.
Specify the dimensions for which you want to check the input. This parameter is only visible when you set the Dimensionality parameter to Is... or Is not....
Specifies whether you want to check the input for compliance or noncompliance with the attributes in the subordinate General data type menu. When you select Ignore from the list, the block does not check the input data type.
Specify the general data type for which you want to check the input. This parameter is only visible when you set the Data type to Is... or Is not....
Specify the floating-point data type for which you want to check the input. This parameter is only visible when you set the General data type to Floating-point or Floating-point or boolean.
Specify the fixed-point data type for which you want to check the input. This parameter is only visible when you set the General data type to Fixed-point.
Specify the integer data type for which you want to check the input. This parameter is only visible when you set the General data type to Integer.
Specify the sample time for which you want to check the input, Discrete or Continuous. When you select Ignore from the list, the block does not check the sample time of the input.
| Port | Supported Data Types |
|---|---|
Input |
|
Output |
|
| Buffer | Signal Processing Blockset |
| Convert 1-D to 2-D | Signal Processing Blockset |
| Convert 2-D to 1-D | Signal Processing Blockset |
| Data Type Conversion | Simulink |
| Frame Status Conversion (Obsolete) | Signal Processing Blockset |
| Inherit Complexity | Signal Processing Blockset |
| Probe | Simulink |
| Reshape | Simulink |
| Submatrix | Signal Processing Blockset |
![]() | Burg Method | Chirp | ![]() |

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