Contents

Index

• Getting Started

• Modeling Mechanical Systems

• Representing Machines with Models

About SimMechanics Models

Creating a SimMechanics Model

Connecting SimMechanics Blocks

Interfacing SimMechanics Blocks to Simulink Blocks

Creating SimMechanics Subsystems

Creating Custom SimMechanics Blocks with Masks

• Modeling Grounds and Bodies

About Bodies and Grounds

Modeling Grounds

Modeling Rigid Bodies

Working with Body Coordinate Systems

• Modeling Degrees of Freedom

Modeling Joints

Creating a Joint

Modeling Massless Connectors

Modeling Disassembled Joints

• Constraining and Driving Degrees of Freedom

About Constraints

Types of Mechanical Constraints

What Constraints and Drivers Do

Directionality of Constraints and Drivers

Solving Constraints

Restrictions on Using Constraint and Driver Blocks

Constraint Example: Gear Constraint

Driver Example: Angle Driver

• Cutting Machine Diagram Loops

Rules for Valid Machine Diagram Loops

Rules for Automatic Loop Cutting

Specifying a Loop Joint for Cutting

Displaying the Cut Joints

For More About Disassembled and Cut Joints

For More About Constraints and Drivers

• Applying Motions and Forces

About Actuators

Actuating a Body

Varying a Body's Mass and Inertia Tensor

Actuating a Joint

Actuating a Driver

Specifying Initial Positions and Velocities

• Sensing Motions and Forces

Sensing Body Motions

Sensing Joint Motions and Forces

Sensing Constraint Reaction Forces

• Adding Internal Forces

About Force Elements

Inserting a Linear Force Between Bodies

Inserting a Linear Force or Torque Through a Joint

Customizing Force Elements with Sensor-Actuator Feedback

• Combining One- and Three-Dimensional Mechanical Elements

About Interface Elements

Working with Interface Elements

Example: Rotational Spring-Damper with Hard Stop

• Validating Mechanical Models

Essential Tests for Model Validity

Verifying Model Topology

Counting Model Degrees of Freedom

• Running Mechanical Models

• Analyzing Motion

• Motion, Control, and Real-Time Simulation

• Introducing Visualization and Animation

• Getting Started with the Visualization Window

• Customizing Visualization and Animation

• Importing Mechanical Models

• Computer-Aided Design Translation

• Configuration Parameters

• Technical Conventions

• Release Notes

Learn more about SimMechanics

Modeling Mechanical Systems

SimMechanics software gives you a complete set of block libraries for modeling machine parts and connecting them into a Simulink^® block diagram.

Refer to Representing Motion to review body kinematics. If you need more information on rigid body mechanics, consult the physics and engineering literature, beginning with the Bibliography. Classic engineering mechanics texts include Goodman and Warner [2], [3] and Meriam [8]. The books of Goldstein [1] and José and Saletan [5] are more theoretically oriented.

User's Guide

Representing Machines with Models

Representing Machines with Models

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