Learn more about xPC Target

Required Products

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MATLAB Simulink Real-Time Workshop C Compiler xPC Target Embedded Option Product

MATLAB

MATLAB provides a command-line interface for the xPC Target product.

With the xPC Target software, you have full control of the target computer and target application using xPC Target functions and the command-line interface or M-file scripts. You use the xPC Target functions for

• Real-time application control — Download, start, and stop the target application.

• Signal acquisition and analysis — Save signal data while the target application is running and analyze the data after the application has completed running, or display signal data while the target application is running in real time.

• Parameter tuning — Change parameters while the target application is running in real time.

  Note   xPC Target Version 4.2 requires MATLAB Version 7.9.

• MATLAB documentation — For information on using MATLAB and its functions, see the online MATLAB documentation.

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Simulink

Simulink provides an environment where you model your dynamic physical system and controller as a block diagram. You create the block diagram by using a mouse to connect blocks and a keyboard to edit block parameters.

You can use the xPC Target product with most Simulink blocks, including discrete-time and continuous-time systems. When you use a continuous-time system and generate code with Real-Time Workshop, you must use a fixed-step integration algorithm.

xPC Target I/O driver blocks — You can replace the model of your physical system with I/O driver blocks connected to the actual physical system, or you can replace the model of your controller with the actual controller. The xPC Target I/O library supports more than 400 driver blocks. As additional drivers become available, you can download updates from the MathWorks™ Web site at

http://www.mathworks.com/support/product/XP/productnews/productnews.html

The I/O device drivers are written as Simulink C code S-functions.

Note   xPC Target Version 4.2 requires Simulink Version 7.4.

Simulink documentation — For information on using Simulink, see the online Simulink documentation. It explains how to connect blocks to build models and change block parameters. It also provides a reference that describes each block in the standard Simulink library.

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Real-Time Workshop

Real-Time Workshop provides the utilities to convert your Simulink models into C code and then, with a third-party C/C++ compiler, compile the code into a real-time executable.

Features of Real-Time Workshop include support for multirate systems, as well as loop-rolling and S-function inlining, which allow you to optimize your code for size and efficiency. With the xPC Target product, you can build and download your target application to the target computer using the build command in Real-Time Workshop.

Note   xPC Target Version 4.2 requires Real-Time Workshop Version 7.4.

Real-Time Workshop documentation — For information on code generation, see the online Real-Time Workshop documentation.

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C Compiler

The C compiler creates executable code from the C code generated from Real-Time Workshop and the C code S-functions you create. The xPC Target product uses this executable code to create an executable image (target application) that runs with the xPC Target kernel on the target computer.

Note   To configure your C compiler for the xPC Target software, use the xPC Target Explorer interface (see Configuring the xPC Target Host PC for Your C Compiler). Do not use the mex -setup command to set the C compiler for the xPC Target product.

In addition to the products from The MathWorks, you need to install a C compiler. The Real-Time Workshop and xPC Target products support the C compilers listed here: http://www.mathworks.com/support/compilers/current_release/

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xPC Target Embedded Option Product

You do not need this product for rapid prototyping, but with this additional license, you can

• Boot the target PC from an alternate device other than a floppy disk, CD, DVD, or network boot image, such as a hard disk drive or flash memory.

• Deploy a stand-alone GUI application that you create with the xPC Target C, COM, or .NET Framework API. Without the xPC Target Embedded Option product, you can create, but not deploy, stand-alone GUI applications running on the host PC to control, change parameters, and acquire signal data from a target application.

The xPC Target Embedded Option product is a separate entity that requires an additional license from The MathWorks. Information about the xPC Target Embedded Option product is included with the xPC Target documentation.

Note   xPC Target Version 4.2 works with xPC Target Embedded Option Version 4.2.

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Installation and Configuration

Related Products

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