Version 3.0 (R2006a+) xPC Target :: xPC Target Release Notes (xPC Target™)

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Version 3.0 (R2006a+) xPC Target

This table summarizes what's new in Version 3.0 (R2006a+):

New Features and Changes	Version Compatibility Considerations	Fixed Bugs and Known Problems	Related Documentation at Web Site
Yes Details below	Yes Summary	Bug Reports Includes fixes	No

New features and changes introduced in this version are

Ethernet Card Support

In addition to the existing list of Ethernet cards, xPC Target now also supports

National Semiconductor DP83815
3Com 3C90x
Realtek RTL8139, RTL8139C, RTL8139C+ (tested and verified for Zonet ZEN3200 and AOpen AON-325)

Intel Visual Fortran 9.0 Support

xPC Target now supports the Intel Visual Fortran 9.0 compiler for the incorporation of Fortran code into Simulink models. See Incorporating Fortran Code into the xPC Target Environment in the xPC Target User's Guide for details.

To/From Blocks and Target PCs

The To/From xPC Target blocks now support multiple target PCs with the following additional parameters:

Use default target PC
Selecting this option directs the To xPC Target block to communicate to the default target PC.
Specify target name
If you deselect the Use default target PC check box, this field is displayed. Enter the name of the configured target PC.

Compatibility Considerations

In earlier releases, to run a model that contained From or To xPC Target blocks in a multiple target PC environment, you had to configure your model with the Simulation > Configuration Parameters menu (see To xPC Target and From xPC Target Blocks). You can now configure the blocks directly for this behavior; you no longer have to configure the model that contains these blocks.

xpctarget.fs Method Enhancements

The xpctarget.fs fopen method now supports the following operations:

Option	Description
`'a'`	Open the file for appending to the file.
`'r+'`	Open the file for reading and writing.
`'w+'`	Open the file for reading and writing.
`'a+'`	Open the file for reading and appending to the file.

Numerical Formats for xPC Target Scope Blocks

In previous releases, the format string for numerical format entries of scopes of type target had a limit of 100 characters for all the signals combined. You can now have 100 characters per signal in a format string (see Entering Parameters for an xPC Target Scope Block in the xPC Target Getting Started Guide).

Simulink External Mode and Tuning Parameters

In previous releases, the act of tuning target application parameters in Simulink external mode displayed messages on the target PC monitor. These messages are no longer displayed when you tune parameters in Simulink external mode.

xPC Target Explorer

xPC Target Explorer has a new check box in the Settings node, Target PC is a 386/486. You must select this check box if your target PC has a 386 or 486 compatible processor. If your target PC has a higher version of the Pentium chip or compatible processor, selecting this check box will slow the performance of your target PC.

I/O Device Driver Support

New Board Support

xPC Target 3.0 has new driver blocks, including support for the following boards:

SBS
MPL PATI (PowerPC^® controlled Analog and Timing I/O Intelligence)

Compatibility Considerations. The previous xPC Target release introduced the MPL PATI PWM measure and MPL PATI PWM generate blocks. The time base for these blocks was hard coded to 20 MHz.

In xPC Target Version 3.0, you must use the new MPL PATI Timebase Setup block with these blocks to select the 20 MHz frequency for the time base. If you do not use the MPL PATI Timebase Setup block with the MPL PATI PWM measure or MPL PATI PWM generate blocks, the TCR1 time base defaults to 1.25 MHz.

Updated Driver Support

The drivers for the following blocks have been added or updated:

Manufacturer	Change
MPL	The MPL PATI PWM generate block has been updated to support armed input.
National Instruments	The following blocks were added: National Instruments PCI/PXI-6711 Pulse Generation National Instruments PCI/PXI-6711 Pulse Width/Period Measurement National Instruments PCI/PXI-6713 Pulse Generation National Instruments PCI/PXI-6713 Pulse Width/Period Measurement National Instruments PCI/PXI-6731 Pulse Generation National Instruments PCI/PXI-6731 Pulse Width/Period Measurement National Instruments PCI/PXI-6733 Pulse Generation National Instruments PCI/PXI-6733 Pulse Width/Period Measurement

Manufacturer

Change

MPL

The MPL PATI PWM generate block has been updated to support armed input.

National Instruments

The following blocks were added:

Utilities Library

The xPC Target library has a new sublibrary, Utilities. It contains blocks that provide generic functions. The following blocks were added to the Utilities sublibrary.

Miscellaneous Library

The following blocks were added to the Miscellaneous library. These blocks provide counter and delta blocks for the Pentium chip.

xPC Target Mouse

Limitation

The mouse does not work on the target PC. Setting Target mouse to any setting on the xPC Target Explorer Configuration > Appearance node has no affect.

xPC Target Demos

The VMIC5565.mdl demo has been added to the xpcdemos folder. This demo illustrates sending and receiving data over the VMIC shared memory.

Recreate Target Boot Disk and Rebuild Applications

Compatibility Considerations

If you upgrade your xPC Target software from a previous version, you must recreate the target boot disk and you must rebuild your xPC Target applications.

Version 3.1 (R2006b) xPC Target

Version 2.9 (R2006a) xPC Target

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