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| R2011b Documentation → Simulink | |
Learn more about Simulink |
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| Contents | Index |
This table summarizes what's new in V7.0 (R2007b):
| New Features and Changes | Version Compatibility Considerations | Fixed Bugs and Known Problems |
|---|---|---|
| Yes Details below | Yes—Details labeled as Compatibility Considerations, below. See also Summary. | Bug
Reports Includes fixes |
New features and changes introduced in this version are organized by these topics:
Simulink® Accelerator™ has been incorporated into Simulink software, and a new Rapid Accelerator mode has been added for faster simulation through code generation technology. See Accelerating Models in Simulink User's Guide.
Note When using From File blocks in Rapid Accelerator mode, the corresponding MAT file must be in the current directory. |
Compatibility Considerations. A license is no longer required to use the Accelerator or Rapid Accelerator modes.
Simulink Profiler has been incorporated into Simulink software for the identification of simulation performance bottlenecks. See Capturing Performance Data in Simulink User's Guide.
Simulink Accelerator mode, Rapid Accelerator mode, and model reference simulation targets can now specify the compiler optimization level used (choose between minimizing compilation time or simulation time). See Customizing the Build Process in Simulink User's Guide.
Compatibility Considerations. The new model configuration parameter Compiler optimization level defaults to Optimizations off (faster builds). As a result, you might notice shorter build times, but longer execution times, compared to previous releases. However, any previously defined custom compiler optimization options using OPT_OPTS will be honored, and model behavior should be unchanged.
Simulink software has been enhanced to no longer take unnecessary time steps at multiples of the maximum step size when using a variable-step discrete solver.
In previous releases, Simulink software executed all referenced models by generating code for them and executing the generated code. In this release, Simulink software can execute appropriately configured referenced models interpretively. Such execution is called Normal mode execution, and execution via generated code is now called Accelerator mode execution. The technique of executing a referenced model via generated code has not changed, but it did not previously need a separate name because it was the only alternative.
Many restrictions that previously applied to all referenced model execution now apply only to Accelerator mode execution, and are relaxed in Normal mode. For example, some Simulink tools that did not work with referenced models because they are incompatible with generated code can now be used by executing the referenced model in Normal mode.
Normal mode also has some restrictions that do not apply to Accelerator mode. For example, at most, one instance of a given model in a referenced model hierarchy can execute in Normal mode. See Referencing a Model in Simulink User's Guide for information about using referenced models in Normal and Accelerator mode.
For more consistent simulation results, Simulink Accelerator mode, Rapid Accelerator mode, and the model reference simulation target now perform mathematical operations with the same internal functions that MATLAB and Simulink products use.
The Model Dependency viewer has a new option to display each reference to a model and indicate whether the reference is simulated in Accelerator or Normal mode. See Referencing a Model and Model Dependency Viewer in Simulink User's Guide.
The Mask Editor now requires that the MATLAB product start with Java enabled. See Simulink Mask Editor in Simulink User's Guide.
Compatibility Considerations. You can no longer use the Mask Editor if you start MATLAB with the -nojvm option.
Embedded MATLAB Function blocks now support complex and fixed-point parameters.
You can now generate embeddable code for external M-functions from Embedded MATLAB function blocks. This feature allows you to call external functions from multiple locations in an M-file or model and include these functions in the generated code.
Compatibility Considerations. In previous releases, Embedded MATLAB function blocks did not compile external M-functions, but instead dispatched them to the MATLAB product for execution (after warning). Now, the default behavior is to compile and generate code for external M-functions called from Embedded MATLAB function blocks. If you do not want Embedded MATLAB function blocks to compile external M-functions, you must explicitly declare them to be extrinsic, as described in Calling MATLAB Functions in the Embedded MATLAB documentation.
If you save Embedded MATLAB Function blocks in R2007b, you will not be able to load the corresponding model in earlier versions of Simulink software. To work around this issue, save your model in the earlier version before loading it, as follows:
In the Simulink Editor, select File > Save As.
In the Save as type field, select the version in which you want to load the model.
For example, if you want to load the model in Simulink R2007a, select Simulink 6.6/R2007a Models (*.mdl).
A new diagnostic detects continuous sample time on non-floating-point signals.
This release introduces a new standardized user interface, the Data Type Assistant, for specifying data types associated with Simulink blocks and data objects, as well as Stateflow data. See Using the Data Type Assistant in Simulink User's Guide for more information.
The Data Type Assistant appears on the dialogs of the following Simulink blocks:
MATLAB Function (formally called Embedded MATLAB Function)
Lookup Table
Lookup Table (2-D)
Weighted Moving Average (obsolete — replaced by the Discrete FIR Filter block)
The Data Type Assistant appears on the dialogs of the following Simulink data objects:
The following new block parameters are available for specifying the minimum and maximum values of signals and other block parameters.
Output minimum, Minimum
Output maximum, Maximum
Parameter minimum
Parameter maximum
These new parameters selectively appear on the dialogs of the following Simulink blocks:
Lookup Table
Lookup Table (2-D)
In this release, Simulink software performs range checking of parameters associated with blocks that specify minimum and maximum values (see New Block Parameters for Specifying Minimum and Maximum Values). Simulink software alerts you when values of block parameters lie outside a range that corresponds to its specified minimum and maximum values and data type. See Checking Parameter Values in Simulink User's Guide for more information.
In the Configuration Parameters dialog, the Diagnostics > Data Validity pane contains a new diagnostic, Simulation range checking, which alerts you during simulation when blocks output signals that exceed specified minimum or maximum values (see New Block Parameters for Specifying Minimum and Maximum Values). For more information about using this diagnostic, see Signal Ranges in Simulink User's Guide.
The following new features help manage disabled library links and protect against accidental loss of work:
"Disabled Link" appears in the title bar of a Model Editor window that displays a subsystem connected to a library by a disabled link.
ToolTips for library-linked blocks include the link status as well as the destination block for the link.
New diagnostics warn when saving a model that contains disabled or parameterized library links.
New Model Advisor checks let you search for disabled or parameterized library links in a model.
See Disabling Links to Library Blocks in Simulink User's Guide for more information.
The model dependencies manifest tools have these new capabilities:
Enhanced analysis to detect file dependencies from Stateflow transitions, Embedded MATLAB functions, and requirements documents. See Scope of Dependency Analysis in Simulink User's Guide.
Model dependencies tools now save user manifest edits for reuse the next time a manifest is generated. See Editing Manifests in Simulink User's Guide.
The Legacy Code Tool has been enhanced to allow the use of void* and void** to declare variables that represent memory allocated for specific instances of items such as file descriptors, device drivers, and memory managed externally.
For more information, see:
Integrating Existing C Functions into Simulink Models with the Legacy Code Tool in the Developing S-Functions
legacy_code function documentation in the Simulink Reference
In previous releases, a Product block whose
Number of inputs parameter begins with a divide character (/)
Multiplication parameter specifies Element-wise(.*)
computes the reciprocal of its first input before multiplying or dividing by subsequent inputs. For example, if a Product block specifies division for its first input, u1, and multiplication for its second input, u2, previous versions of Simulink software compute
(1 / u1) * u2
In this release, the Product block internally reorders its first two inputs if particular conditions apply, such that Simulink software now computes
u2 / u1
See the Product block documentation in the Simulink Reference for more information.
In previous releases, block data tips worked only on Microsoft Windows platforms. In this release, the data tips work on all platforms. Also, the data tip for a library link, even if disabled, now includes the name of the library block it references.
The following blocks now allow you to specify the data type of their outputs:
The following blocks now support single-precision floating-point inputs, outputs, and parameter values:
The following properties have been added to the Simulink.BlockData class:
AliasedThroughDataType
AliasedThroughDataTypeID
The save_system command's BreakLink option has been replaced by two options: BreakAllLinks and BreakUserLinks. The first option duplicates the behavior of the obsolete BreakLink option, i.e., it replaces all library links, including links to Simulink block libraries with copies of the referenced library blocks. The BreakUserLinks option replaces only links to user-defined libraries.
Compatibility Considerations. The save_system command continues to honor the BreakLink option but displays a warning message at the MATLAB command line that the option is deprecated.
When the output port of the Constant or IC block is connected to the Initial Condition port of the Integrator block, Simulink software now compares the data type of the Initial Condition input signal of the Integrator block with the Constant value parameter or Initial value parameter of the Constant block or IC block, respectively.
Compatibility Considerations. If the data type for the output port of the Constant or IC blocks does not match the data type of the Initial Condition input signal for the Integrator block, Simulink software returns an error at compile time.
Model Advisor has been enhanced to navigate checks, display status, and report results. Also, this release contains a new Model Advisor Checks reference.
This release contains new block alignment, distribution, and resize commands to align groups of blocks along their edges, equalize interblock spacing, and resize blocks to be all the same size. See Aligning, Distributing, and Resizing Groups of Blocks Automatically in Simulink User's Guide for more information.
The following functions have been added:
See S-Function SimStruct Functions — Alphabetical List in Developing S-Functions for more information.
This release includes a new Level-2 M-file S-function example in sfundemos.mdl. The Simulink model msfcndemo_varpulse.mdl uses the S-function msfcn_varpulse.m to create a variable-width pulse generator.
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