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Discontinuities

The Saturation block imposes upper and lower bounds on a signal. When the input signal is within the range specified by the Lower limit and Upper limit parameters, the input signal passes through unchanged. When the input signal is outside these bounds, the block clips the signal to the upper or lower bound.
When the Lower limit and Upper limit parameters are set to the same value, the block outputs that value.
The Saturation block accepts real signals of any numeric data type supported by Simulink software, except Boolean. The Saturation block supports fixed-point data types.
For a discussion on the data types supported by Simulink software, see Data Types Supported by Simulink in the Simulink documentation.
The Main pane of the Saturation block dialog box appears as follows:

The Signal Attributes pane of the Saturation block dialog box appears as follows:

Display the Data Type Assistant.
The Data Type Assistant helps you set the Output data type parameter.
See Specifying Block Output Data Types for more information.
See Block-Specific Parameters for the command-line information.
Specify the upper bound on the input signal.
Default: 0.5
Minimum: value from the Output minimum parameter
Maximum: value from the Output maximum parameter
When the input signal to the Saturation block is above this value, the output of the block is clipped to this value.
The Upper limit parameter is converted to the output data type offline using round-to-nearest and saturation.
See Block-Specific Parameters for the command-line information.
Specify the lower bound on the input signal.
Default: -0.5
Minimum: value from the Output minimum parameter
Maximum: value from the Output maximum parameter
When the input signal to the Saturation block is below this value, the output of the block is clipped to this value.
The Lower limit parameter is converted to the output data type offline using round-to-nearest and saturation.
See Block-Specific Parameters for the command-line information.
Select this parameter to cause the linearization commands to treat the gain as 1
Default: On
Select to cause the linearization commands to treat the gain as 1.
Clear to cause the linearization commands to treat the gain as 0.
Linearization commands in Simulink software treat this block as a gain in state space.
See Block-Specific Parameters for the command-line information.
Select to enable zero-crossing detection. For more information, see Zero-Crossing Detection.
Default: On
See Block-Specific Parameters for the command-line information.
Enter the discrete interval between sample time hits or specify another appropriate sample time such as continuous or inherited.
Default: -1
By default, the block inherits its sample time based upon the context of the block within the model. To set a different sample time, enter a valid sample time based upon the table in Types of Sample Time.
See also How to Specify the Sample Time in the online documentation for more information.
See Block-Specific Parameters for the command-line information.
Select to lock the output data type setting of this block against changes by the Fixed-Point Tool and the Fixed-Point Advisor.
Default: Off
Locks the output data type setting for this block.
Allows the Fixed-Point Tool and the Fixed-Point Advisor to change the output data type setting for this block.
See Block-Specific Parameters for the command-line information.
For more information, see Fixed-Point Tool and Fixed-Point Advisor in the Simulink Fixed Point documentation.
Select the rounding mode for fixed-point operations.
Default: Floor
Round both positive and negative numbers toward positive infinity.
Round number to the nearest representable value. If a tie occurs, round to the nearest even stored value.
Round both positive and negative numbers toward negative infinity.
Round number to the nearest representable value. If a tie occurs, round toward positive infinity.
Round number to the nearest representable value. If a tie occurs, round positive numbers toward positive infinity and round negative numbers toward negative infinity.
This option provides for an optimization of the rounding code for several blocks.
Round number toward zero.
See Block-Specific Parameters for the command-line information.
For more information, see Rounding in the Simulink Fixed Point User's Guide.
Specify the minimum value that the block should output.
Default: []
The default value, [], is equivalent to -Inf.
Simulink software uses this value to perform:
Parameter range checking (see Checking Parameter Values) for some blocks
Simulation range checking (see Checking Signal Ranges)
Automatic scaling of fixed-point data types
This number must be a double scalar value.
See Block-Specific Parameters for the command-line information.
Specify the maximum value that the block should output.
Default: []
The default value, [], is equivalent to Inf.
Simulink software uses this value to perform:
Parameter range checking (see Checking Parameter Values) for some blocks
Simulation range checking (see Checking Signal Ranges)
Automatic scaling of fixed-point data types
This number must be a double scalar value.
See Block-Specific Parameters for the command-line information.
Specify the output data type.
Default: Inherit: Inherit via internal rule (Discrete-Time Integrator, Gain, Product, Sum, Switch block), Inherit: Inherit from 'Constant value' (Constant block), Inherit: Inherit via back propagation (Data Type Conversion block), Inherit: Same as input (Saturation block)
This option appears for some blocks. Simulink software chooses a combination of output scaling and data type that requires the smallest amount of memory consistent with accommodating the calculated output range and maintaining the output precision of the block and with the word size of the targeted hardware implementation specified for the model. If the Device type parameter on the Hardware Implementation configuration parameters pane is set to ASIC/FPGA, Simulink software chooses the output data type without regard to hardware constraints. Otherwise, Simulink software chooses the smallest available hardware data type capable of meeting the range and precision constraints. For example, if the block multiplies an input of type int8 by a gain of int16 and ASIC/FPGA is specified as the targeted hardware type, the output data type is sfix24. If Unspecified (assume 32-bit Generic), i.e., a generic 32-bit microprocessor, is specified as the target hardware, the output data type is int32. If none of the word lengths provided by the target microprocessor can accommodate the output range, Simulink software displays an error message in the Simulation Diagnostics Viewer.
Use data type of Constant value parameter. This option appears for some blocks.
Use data type of the driving block.
Use data type of sole input signal. This option appears for some blocks.
Use data type of first input signal. This option appears for some blocks.
Output data type is the same as accumulator data type. This option appears for some blocks.
Output data type is double.
Output data type is single.
Output data type is int8.
Output data type is uint8.
Output data type is int16.
Output data type is uint16.
Output data type is int32.
Output data type is unt32.
Output data type is fixed point fixdt(1,16,0).
Output data type is fixed point fixdt(1,16,2^0,0).
Use an enumerated data type, for example, Enum: BasicColors. This option appears for some blocks.
Use a data type object, for example, Simulink.NumericType.
See Block-Specific Parameters for the command-line information.
See Specifying Block Output Data Types in the Simulink User's Guide for more information.
Select the category of data to specify.
Default: Inherit (Constant, Data Type Conversion, Discrete Time Integrator, Gain, Inport, Outport, Product, Saturation, Sum, Switch), Built in (Logical Operator, Relational Operator)
Inheritance rules for data types. Selecting Inherit enables a second menu/text box to the right. The following list is the possible values, which can vary by block:
Inherit from 'Constant value' (Constant block default)
Inherit via internal rule (Discrete-Time Integrator, Gain, Product, Sum, Switch block default)
Inherit via back propogation (Data Type Conversion block default)
auto (Inport, Outport block default)
Logical (see Configuration Parameters: Optimization)
Same as first input
Same as input (Saturation block default)
Same as accumulator
Built-in data types. Selecting Built in enables a second menu/text box to the right. The following list is the possible values, which can vary by block:
double (Constant, Data Type Conversion, Discrete-Time Integrator, Gain, Inport, Outport, Product, Saturation, Sum, Switch block default)
single
int8
uint8
int16
uint16
int32
uint32
boolean (Logical Operator, Relational Operator block default)
Fixed-point data types.
Enumerated data types. This option is available on some blocks. Selecting Enumerated enables a second menu/text box to the right. The following list is the possible values, which can vary by block:
<class name>
Expressions that evaluate to data types. Selecting Expression enables a second menu/text box to the right. The following list is the possible values, which can vary by block:
<data type expression>
Clicking the Show data type assistant button enables this parameter.
See Block-Specific Parameters for the command-line information.
See Using the Data Type Assistant in the Simulink User's Guide.
Specify whether you want the fixed-point data as signed or unsigned.
Default: Signed
Selecting Mode > Fixed point enables this parameter.
See Block-Specific Parameters for the command-line information.
See Specifying a Fixed-Point Data Type in the Simulink User's Guide for more information.
Specify the bit size of the word that holds the quantized integer.
Default: 16
Minimum: 0
Maximum: 32
Large word sizes represent large values with greater precision than small word sizes.
Selecting Mode > Fixed point enables this parameter.
See Block-Specific Parameters for the command-line information.
See Specifying a Fixed-Point Data Type in the Simulink User's Guide for more information.
Specify the method for scaling your fixed-point data to avoid overflow conditions and minimize quantization errors.
Default: Best precision (Constant), Binary point (Data Type Conversion, Discrete-Time Integrator, Gain, Inport, Outport, Product, Saturation, Sum, Switch), Integer (Logical Operator, Relational Operator)
Specify binary point location.
Enter slope and bias.
Specify best-precision values. This option appears for some blocks.
Specify integer. This setting has the same result as specifying a binary point location and setting fraction length to 0. This option appears for some blocks.
Selecting Mode > Fixed point enables this parameter.
Selecting Binary point enables:
Fraction length
Calculate Best-Precision Scaling
Selecting Slope and bias enables:
Slope
Bias
Calculate Best-Precision Scaling
See Block-Specific Parameters for the command-line information.
See Specifying a Fixed-Point Data Type in the Simulink User's Guide for more information.
Specify fraction length for fixed-point data type.
Default: 0
Binary points can be positive or negative integers.
Selecting Scaling > Binary point enables this parameter.
See Block-Specific Parameters for the command-line information.
See Specifying a Fixed-Point Data Type in the Simulink User's Guide for more information.
Specify slope for the fixed-point data type.
Default: 2^0
Specify any positive real number.
Selecting Scaling > Slope and bias enables this parameter.
See Block-Specific Parameters for the command-line information.
See Specifying a Fixed-Point Data Type in the Simulink User's Guide for more information.
Specify bias for the fixed-point data type.
Default: 0
Specify any real number.
Selecting Scaling > Slope and bias enables this parameter.
See Block-Specific Parameters for the command-line information.
See Specifying a Fixed-Point Data Type in the Simulink User's Guide for more information.
Direct Feedthrough | Yes |
Sample Time | Specified in the Sample time parameter |
Scalar Expansion | Yes, of parameters and input |
Dimensionalized | Yes |
Zero-Crossing Detection | Yes, if enabled. |
![]() | Rounding Function | Saturation Dynamic | ![]() |

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