from Guide to Serial Port Interfacing by Nitin Skandan
This article will give a detailed description of serial port interfacing in MATLAB.

sfuntmpl(t,x,u,flag, ser1)
function [sys,x0,str,ts] = sfuntmpl(t,x,u,flag, ser1)

%
switch flag,

  %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
  % Initialization %
  %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
  case 0,
    [sys,x0,str,ts]=mdlInitializeSizes;

  %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
  % Derivatives %
  %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
  case 1,
    sys=mdlDerivatives(t,x,u);

  %%%%%%%%%%
  % Update %
  %%%%%%%%%%
  case 2,
    sys=mdlUpdate(t,x,u);

  %%%%%%%%%%%
  % Outputs %
  %%%%%%%%%%%
  case 3,
    sys=mdlOutputs(t,x,u,ser1);

  %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
  % GetTimeOfNextVarHit %
  %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
  case 4,
    sys=mdlGetTimeOfNextVarHit(t,x,u);

  %%%%%%%%%%%%%
  % Terminate %
  %%%%%%%%%%%%%
  case 9,
    sys=mdlTerminate(t,x,u,ser1);

  %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
  % Unexpected flags %
  %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
  otherwise
    error(['Unhandled flag = ',num2str(flag)]);

end

% end sfuntmpl

%
%=============================================================================
% mdlInitializeSizes
% Return the sizes, initial conditions, and sample times for the S-function.
%=============================================================================
%
function [sys,x0,str,ts]=mdlInitializeSizes

%
% call simsizes for a sizes structure, fill it in and convert it to a
% sizes array.
%
% Note that in this example, the values are hard coded.  This is not a
% recommended practice as the characteristics of the block are typically
% defined by the S-function parameters.
%
sizes = simsizes;

sizes.NumContStates  = 0;
sizes.NumDiscStates  = 0;
sizes.NumOutputs     = 0;
sizes.NumInputs      = 1;
sizes.DirFeedthrough = 1;
sizes.NumSampleTimes = 1;   % at least one sample time is needed

sys = simsizes(sizes);

%
% initialize the initial conditions
%
x0  = [];

%
% str is always an empty matrix
%
str = [];

%
% initialize the array of sample times
%
ts  = [0.01 0];

% end mdlInitializeSizes

%
%=============================================================================
% mdlDerivatives
% Return the derivatives for the continuous states.
%=============================================================================
%
function sys=mdlDerivatives(t,x,u)

sys = [];

% end mdlDerivatives

%
%=============================================================================
% mdlUpdate
% Handle discrete state updates, sample time hits, and major time step
% requirements.
%=============================================================================
%
function sys=mdlUpdate(t,x,u)

sys = [];

% end mdlUpdate

%
%=============================================================================
% mdlOutputs
% Return the block outputs.
%=============================================================================
%
function sys=mdlOutputs(t,x,u,ser1)
curtime = cputime ;
num = u ;
fprintf(ser1, '%f', num) ;
sys = [] ;
% while(abs(curtime-cputime) <= 0.001)
%     ;
% end

% end mdlOutputs

%
%=============================================================================
% mdlGetTimeOfNextVarHit
% Return the time of the next hit for this block.  Note that the result is
% absolute time.  Note that this function is only used when you specify a
% variable discrete-time sample time [-2 0] in the sample time array in
% mdlInitializeSizes.
%=============================================================================
%
function sys=mdlGetTimeOfNextVarHit(t,x,u)

sampleTime = 1;    %  Example, set the next hit to be one second later.
sys = t + sampleTime;

% end mdlGetTimeOfNextVarHit

%
%=============================================================================
% mdlTerminate
% Perform any end of simulation tasks.
%=============================================================================
%
function sys=mdlTerminate(t,x,u,ser1)
% fclose(ser1) ;
sys = [];

% end mdlTerminate

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