Real-Time Workshop®

Choosing Your Target

Types of Targets

Before compiling your M-file with Embedded MATLAB™ Coder, you must choose the appropriate target for code generation. Embedded MATLAB Coder provides reserved words that represent each possible target.

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Specifying the Target to the Compiler

After choosing your target, invoke Embedded MATLAB Coder with the -T option and pass the appropriate reserved word as its argument (see -T Specify Target for emlc in the Real-Time Workshop^® Reference). For example, suppose you have a primary function called MyFcn. The following table shows how to specify different targets when compiling MyFcn:

rtwcfg = emlcoder.RTWConfig;
rtwcfg.CustomSource = 'main.c';
rtwcfg.CustomInclude = 'c:\myfiles';
emlc -T rtw:exe -s rtwcfg MyFcn

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Relationship of Targets and Configuration Objects

There is a relationship between targets and configuration objects. For example, there is a Real-Time Workshop configuration object, emlcoder.RTWConfig, that allows you to define properties for the rtw:lib and rtw:exe targets, that is, for generating embeddable code as a C library or executable. The best practice is to match your configuration object with your target when you invoke Embedded MATLAB Coder, as in this example:

rtwcfg = emlcoder.RTWConfig;
emlc -T rtw:lib -s rtwcfg myMFcn

However, if you do not specify a target, but do provide a configuration object, Embedded MATLAB Coder determines the target from the configuration object. For example, consider these sample commands:

rtwcfg = emlcoder.RTWConfig;
emlc -s rtwcfg myMFcn

Normally, when you do not specify a target explicitly, Embedded MATLAB Coder assumes the default target, mex, and generates C-MEX code. However in this case, Embedded MATLAB Coder assumes the desired target is rtw:lib, based on the configuration object rtwcfg, and therefore, generates embeddable C code as a library instead of generating C-MEX code.

For more information about configuration objects, see Configuring Your Environment for Code Generation. For more information about invoking Embedded MATLAB Coder, see Compiling Your M-File.

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Location of Generated Files

By default, Embedded MATLAB Coder generates files in output directories based on your target, as follows:

Note   You can change the name and location of generated files by using the options -o Specify Output File Name and -d Specify Output Directory when you run Embedded MATLAB Coder.

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Specifying main Functions for C Executables

When you choose rtw:exe as your target, you must provide a C file that contains the main function for generating your C executable. You can specify the C file by using the CustomSource and CustomInclude properties of the Real-Time Workshop configuration object (see Configuring Your Environment for Code Generation). The CustomInclude property indicates the location of C files specified by CustomSource.

To specify a main function for a C executable, follow these steps:

1. Create a Real-Time Workshop configuration object, as in this command:

   rtwcfg = emlcoder.RTWConfig;

2. Set the CustomSource property to the name of the C source file that contains the main function, as in this command:

   rtwcfg.CustomSource = 'main.c';

3. Set the CustomInclude property to the location of main.c, as in this command:

   rtwcfg.CustomInclude = 'c:\myfiles';

4. Generate the C executable using the appropriate command line options, as in this example:

   emlc -T rtw:exe -s rtwcfg myMFunction

   Embedded MATLAB Coder compiles and links main.c with the C code it generates from myMFunction.m.

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Specifying Properties of Primary Function Inputs

Compiling Your M-File