Simulink Editor
Model Finder has a new user interface (UI) to index, search, filter, and browse Simulink® examples, models, and projects across multiple databases. Using multiple databases enables you to create separate indexes for similar set of models for easier maintenance.
To open the Model Finder UI, type modelfinderui in the MATLAB® Command Window. The Model Finder UI has these sections:
Search box — Text box to enter the search terms to find models.
Configure Databases — Menu of the available databases to search. You can select a single database or multiple databases from the list to set the search location.
Search Summary — Display of the examples, models, and projects matching the search query. For each match, the Model Finder UI displays a summary with the name of the example, model, or project; the matched search terms highlighted in yellow; names of MathWorks® products, location of the model; and a button to open the example, model, or project.
Recent — List of up to five recent examples, models, or projects you opened using the Model Finder UI.
Filters — Filters to narrow down search results in response to your search query. The Model Finder UI displays the following filters:
Matched In — Locations of the text that matches the search terms. This includes the model description, annotation, or block.
Product — Names of the MathWorks products used by the examples, models, or projects.
Location — Paths to the Simulink models or projects.
Example Component — Names of the example components.
Info Panel — Description of the example, model, or project, and the block count of the selected search result.
For more information on the Model Finder UI, see Model Finder.
To configure database settings, use these functions:
modelfinder.createDatabase— Create a new database to index models.modelfinder.registerFolder— Register an existing database with Model Finder to index models. If you create a new database, it is automatically registered with Model Finder.modelfinder.setDefaultDatabase— Set a registered database as the default database to index models.modelfinder.unregisterDatabase— Remove a database from Model Finder.modelfinder.setSearchDatabase— Set the search databases to find models.
For more information on Model Finder, see Index and Search Models with Model Finder.
Starting in R2023b, the Debug tab has a new Connectors button. This new Connectors button replaces the existing Function Connectors and Schedule Connectors buttons. This button also allows you to access all the connector options.
Three new connectors: State Connectors, Parameter Connectors and Data Store Connectors.
Two existing connector options: Function Connectors and Schedule Connectors.
Connector is a debug tool that displays the connection between different blocks in a Simulink model. To visually display the list of connectors, on the Debug tab, select Information Overlays > Connectors. The Connectors pane opens on the right side of the Simulink Editor. Select the required connector options to display the corresponding connectors. The arrow heads of the connector lines indicate the direction of signal flow.
This example shows a model with four connector options selected.
Starting in R2023b, you can create ports on Model blocks without entering the referenced model the same way you can on a Subsystem block.
To create a port, pause on any of the four edges of the Model block. When your pointer turns into a cross, click. A new port appears on the edge you clicked, highlighted in blue.
Pause your pointer on the new port. In the action menu that expands, select the type of port you want to create.
Alternatively, to create a port, drag a signal line from the model element you want to connect to the edge of the Model block. Dragging from a port block creates a new port of the same type. For example, dragging from an Inport block creates a new input port. Dragging from a Subsystem or Model block port that represents a port block also creates a new port of the same type as the port block.
To delete an existing port, select the port and press Delete. To delete multiple ports, press Shift and select the ports. Then, press Delete.
For more information about creating Model block ports, see Add Ports to Model Reference Interface.
You can use the same approach to add ports to and delete ports from System Composer™ Reference Component (System Composer) blocks and AUTOSAR Blockset Component blocks that are linked to models.
Give us your feedback for the diagnostic messages displayed in the Diagnostic Viewer when you simulate or build a model. Feedback will be used to improve the diagnostic message.
Click the Add Comment button 
next to the diagnostic message in the Diagnostic Viewer
and enter your feedback in the text box. The character limit of the feedback is 1024
characters. To request help or report a technical bug, contact Technical Support at Contact
Support.
Simulation Analysis and Performance
The redesigned Timing Legend has visualization and organization that simplifies the analysis of timing information needed for the execution of the blocks in your Simulink model.
Starting in R2023b, you do not need to update the diagram for your model when changing the sample time visualization options or when launching the Timing Legend after model compilation.
Visualization in the Timing Legend is now more organized. Same-rate specifications are displayed as one row that you can expand for details. When using the Coloring, only the borders of the block display the color of the sample time rate. Check boxes for sample times also allow you to choose specific sample times to display. The Timing Legend now also displays base rate and scalar multipliers for analysis of the discrete time-lines.
Changes from the previous versions of the Timing Legend include:
The origin highlighting menu at the top of the Timing Legend is replaced by block path links. The block path links are available when you expand a sample time row.
All discrete sample times (for example, periodic partitions, discrete export function etc.) with the same sample time specification are now combined into the same row.
Triggered sample time rates are now visualized as their source sample times since it illustrates the sample rate that is driving the trigger.
Annotations for aperiodic partition, reset, initialize, reinitialize, and terminate sample times no longer use their event names as annotations. These sample times have their own concise annotations.
The colors used in the Timing Legend have been changed and reduced in number which provide more contrast to improve accessibility and usability.
Starting in R2023b, you can designate a Simulink block to execute first or last when the block
is inside a nonvirtual subsystem or at the root level of a model. A subset of Simulink
blocks support this new setting for the Execution Order
property.
To configure a block to execute first or last, in the Block Parameters dialog box, from the
Execution Order list, select First or
Last. You must update the model (Ctrl+D) for
this configuration to take effect.
This example shows the execution order of blocks at the root level of a model. The
Execution Order property of the Data Store Read
block and the Data Store Write block is set to
First and Last, respectively. For
more information, see Specify Block Execution Order, Execution Priority and Tag.
By default, the Execution Order property of a block is set to
Based on priority.
Starting in R2023b, you can use unbounded variable-size signals to transmit data with
unbounded size between components in a model. To specify variable-size signals as unbounded,
set the signal size to Inf.
A subset of Simulink blocks and features support unbounded variable-size signals. These are a few different use cases.
Output unbounded variable-size signals from the Inport block.
Output unbounded variable-size arrays from the MATLAB Function block.
Specify buses containing data with unbounded size using a
Simulink.BusElementobject.Specify signals containing data with unbounded size using a
Simulink.Signalobject.
For example, you need to configure the MATLAB Function block to output an
unbounded variable-size array of size ([Inf 6]). To configure this block,
in the Simulink Editor, on the Modeling tab, from
Design gallery, select Model Explorer.
In the Model Explorer window, select the MATLAB Function. Specify
theSize as [Inf 6] and select the
Variable size property.
This example shows four use cases when the Simulink blocks and objects are configured to use unbounded variable-size signals.
Nonvirtual mathematical operation blocks, including but not limited to the Gain block, Add block, Product, Matrix Multiply block, Math Function block, and Trigonometric Function block, do not support unbounded variable-size signals. To implement these math operations for unbounded variable-size signals, use the MATLAB Function block or S-Function block. For more information, see Unbounded Variable-Size Signals.
In R2020b, the Freeze display 
button was added to the Simulation Data Inspector. In
R2023b, this button has been and enhanced and renamed Hold 
.
Previously, when streaming signals to the Simulation Data Inspector, you could freeze the display to prevent the plots from wrapping or scrolling as new data came in. However, signals continued to plot until hitting the right edge of the plotting area.
Now, the Simulation Data Inspector stops plotting data immediately when you hold the display. For more information about how to hold the display of streaming data, see View Streaming Data in the Simulation Data Inspector.
Previously, the Freeze display
icon appeared only when streaming
data.Now, the Hold
button is always visible. When a simulation
stops, the button becomes inactive.
The text editor now has a subplot menu and context menu like all other visualizations. You can click the three dots in the upper right corner of the text editor or right-click anywhere on the subplot to change the visualization, clear the subplot, maximise the subplot, or take a snapshot.
Performance has been improved for the XY visualization in the Simulation Data Inspector and the Record, XY Graph block, making XY visualizations more responsive.
Changes have also been made to the default appearance of XY visualizations. Previously, by
default, data on an XY plot appeared as lines with no markers. Now, data is shown as a
scatter plot. You can modify the appearance of the XY plot by clicking Visualization
Settings 
. Select or clear Line and
Markers to display only markers, only lines, or both markers and
connecting lines. When you save a Simulation Data Inspector session, that session file also
saves your line and marker style preferences.
A new Preferences panel in the Playback block lets you choose how to group data in the signal table and which signal properties to display. Previously, the Playback block always grouped data by data hierarchy. Now, you can also choose not to group data and instead display a flat list of signals.
Component-Based Modeling
Starting in R2023b, when you have at least one In Bus Element block that represents an input port of a subsystem, you can:
Specify properties of elements at that input bus element port without a block that selects the element or a
Simulink.Busobject.Add elements to that input bus element port without adding blocks or specifying a
Simulink.Busobject.
Previously, only In Bus Element blocks at model interfaces supported this functionality.
For example, suppose a subsystem receives a bus that contains two elements. An In Bus Element block in the subsystem selects one of these elements. You can specify the properties of the elements regardless of whether an In Bus Element block selects them.
For another example, suppose you want to define the interface of a subsystem saved in a
subsystem file. An In Bus Element block in the subsystem selects an element from
the corresponding port. You can add elements to the port without adding blocks or specifying a
Simulink.Bus object.
You can define the interface of the subsystem without cluttering the block diagram with unnecessary blocks. When you reference the subsystem file using a Subsystem Reference block, the hierarchy and properties of the input bus must match the definition at the corresponding port.
To add elements to an input bus without adding blocks to the block diagram:
Double-click the In Bus Element block, or open the Property Inspector and select the block.
In the dialog box or Property Inspector, select the element that you want to contain a new element.
Click the
button arrow. Then, select Add element without
block.The new element is nested under the selected element. The block diagram is unchanged.
To programmatically add elements to the input bus without adding blocks to the block
diagram, use the Simulink.Bus.addElementToPort function.
When you activate a variant configuration from Variant Manager, the operation activates any variant parameters present in the base workspace or data dictionaries that are associated with the active model components in the model hierarchy.
In the Variant Parameters tab, active variant parameters appear highlighted and inactive variant parameters are grayed out. Point to variant parameters to display a tooltip that shows any additional information related to the activation status. You can find the usage of variant control variables by variant parameters in the model hierarchy table. Right-click the variable in the Control Variables table and select Show usage or Hide usage.
For more information, see Create a Simple Variant Parameter Model.
Remove Variant Subsystem Layer from Reduced Model
Use the Remove Variant Subsystem Layer option in the Variant Reducer toolstrip to remove the outer layer of a Variant Subsystem block when only one of the choices of the variant subsystem remains active in the reduced model. Variant Reducer retains the active choice block and removes the Variant Subsystem block in the reduced model. The option is enabled by default. See Steps to Reduce Variant Model.
In this example, after reducing the model for the
Nonlinear Controllerconfiguration, the reduced model retains theNonlinear Controllersubsystem and theControllervariant subsystem is removed.
Exclude Model Files During Variant Reduction
The Files to exclude option in Variant Reducer now supports specifying Simulink model files (
*.slx,*.mdl) to exclude when reducing a model. Previously, the option supported only data files (*.sldd,*.mat).For more information, see Steps to Reduce Variant Model.
Get Name of Referenced Component Configuration
Simulink.VariantConfigurationDatahas a new method,getComponentConfigurationName, that allows you to get the name of the configuration used by a referenced component in a top-model configuration. For example,modelName = 'slexVariantManagement'; openExample(modelName); vcd = Simulink.VariantManager.getConfigurationData(modelName); vcd.getComponentConfigurationName(ConfigurationName='LinExterHighFid',... ComponentName='slexVariantManagementExternalPlantMdlRef');
Starting in R2023b, you can:
Add multiple images to the block mask icon using multiple image commands.
Package the images with the model using the option Save image files with model.
Project and File Management
Model comparison publishable reports now use MATLAB Editor syntax highlighting for script parameters in MATLAB Function blocks. You can now more easily understand changes in MATLAB Function blocks. The report highlights and flags modified lines with the
comparison icons 
, 
, and 
.
In MATLAB Online™, you can use the Source Control panel to see all active source control repositories, manage modified files, and perform source control operations.
To open the Source Control panel, use the Open more panels button (
) in the sidebar.
In previous releases in MATLAB Online, changes to project files were only synced to an evolution when you clicked Update Evolution. In R2023b, changes to project files are automatically recorded by the active evolution.
In MATLAB Online, when you finish making changes to project files in an evolution, you can lock the evolution to prevent further changes to project files in that evolution. You can still edit metadata, such as the name of the evolution or notes that you add to the evolution.
In MATLAB Online, if you make changes to project files when the Design Evolution Manager app is closed, you now have the option to save changes to the project in the evolution when you next open the app.
For example, in this evolution tree, the current files indicator
marks the evolution whose files are currently open in the
project, and the record indicator 
marks the active evolution. Project files in locked
evolutions 
cannot be edited.
Data Management
When you open the Type Editor from a model, the Type Editor is docked as a pane in the model window.
This integration lets you view where a type is used in your model. For example, you can click a type in the docked Type Editor to highlight the blocks that use the type.
To open the Type Editor in a standalone window, click 
.
For more information, see Type Editor.
The look and feel of the Signal Editor tool has changed. Changes include:
Signal Editor icons and layout have changed.
You can customize this layout by dragging and dropping panes and hiding panes.
Continue to add scenarios and signals as you did in releases prior to R2023b. To edit or view the plot of a signal, double-click the hide icon (
). The Edit tab opens. Notice
that signal properties are now on the right of the canvas.
To close the Edit tab and return to the Signal Editor tab, double-click the show icon (
).To start drawing signals, double-click the hide icon
. In the plot canvas, you can begin adding signal
data points. Previously, you clicked Draw Signal to enter the
drawing mode.In the left side Inputs section, you can now select multiple items simultaneously and perform actions on them.
For example, you can:
Select multiple signals and edit the input properties for multiple signals at the same time.
Create the same signal for multiple scenarios.
In the tabular editing pane, you can cut, copy, and paste with Excel® spreadsheets.
These icons have changed.
Action
Old Icon
New Icon
Function Call
Author Signal
Duplicate
Delete
Insert row
Delete row
Replace signal data using MATLAB expression
Erase
Fit to view (Space)
Data Cursors
Align
The Root Inport Mapper tool Check Map Readiness menu has these changes:
The default behavior of the Check Map Readiness button now defaults to the last Check Map Readiness option selected.
When you click Apply to Model, the status now displays in the Status column of the Scenarios panel.
Option names and icons have changed.
Old Option and Icon New Option and Icon Map All (
)All Scenarios (
)Map Selected (
)Selected Scenarios (
)Map Unconnected (
)Unconnected Scenarios (
)Map Failed (
)Failed Scenarios (
)Map Warned (
)Scenarios with Warnings (
)
Block Enhancements
You can now open a dashboard panel in a new window. You can minimize and restore the new window containing the panel separately from the model window. From the panel window, you can run, pause, stop, and step through the simulation.
To open a dashboard panel in a new window, select the panel. In the Simulink Toolstrip, on the Panels tab, in the
Manage section, click Open In New Window.
Alternatively, select the panel and pause on the ellipsis that appears. In the action menu
that expands, click the Open In New Window button
.
Note
If a panel contains Dashboard Scope blocks, you cannot open the panel in a new window during simulation. To open the panel in a new window, stop the simulation.
If the panel has multiple tabs, the panel with all its tabs opens in a new window.
To return the panel to the model canvas, in the panel window toolstrip, click
Open in canvas
.
For more information about opening a panel in a new window, see Open Panel in New Window.
The Bus Selector block dialog box has a new, streamlined design with additional functionality.
In the Elements in the bus list, a green check mark icon appears next to selected output elements.
In the Elements in the bus list, when you pause on a selected output element, a parenthetical displays how many times the Bus Selector block selects that element.
Filtering supports regular expressions by default.
You can toggle between vertical and horizontal layouts.
By default, the dialog box opens in the new vertical layout, with the selected elements under the list of elements in the bus.
To view the elements in the bus and the selected elements side by side, click 
.
The horizontal layout more closely mimics the previous Bus Selector block dialog box design.
The previous functionality remains.
Filter the elements in the bus by name with or without regular expression — Enter the search term in the Filter box.
Show filtered results as a flat list — Click
.Find source of elements in the bus — Click
.Refresh list of elements in the bus — Click
.Select output elements — Select the desired output elements from the Elements in the bus list. Then, click
or 
.Move selected elements up or down — Drag elements in the Selected elements list to a different position in the list.
Remove selected elements — Select the elements to remove from the Selected elements list. Then, click
.Output selected elements as a virtual bus — Click
.
When the value of a mask parameter is a MATLAB array, and you set one of the array elements to the value of an underlying child block parameter, the tunability of the mask parameter is preserved in the generated code.
For example, consider a masked subsystem containing a Gain block as a child block. The masked subsystem has a tunable parameter named customGain whose value is set to a workspace variable baseVar. The value of baseVar is a MATLAB array. The value of Gain parameter in the Gain block is set to an element of customGain using the subscript operator. In this scenario, tunability of customGain is preserved because the variable baseVar is retained in the generated code.
The generated code is:
Observe that the generated code contains the expression for the tunable parameter.
Starting in R2023b, you can tune the mask radio button parameter by providing a list of options for simulation time tunability or an enumeration class for code generation tunability.
Use List of options to create options for the radio button with display names and the values. You can enter numeric or string values as options.
Create a new enumeration class with name, member names and values or reference an external enumeration class derived from
Simulink.IntEnumTypeorSimulink.Mask.EnumerationBase. You can only associate numerical values to the radio button using an enumeration class.Associate a workspace variable with a mask radio button parameter.
See Tune Mask Enumeration Parameters - Popup and Radio Button for more information.
Starting in R2023b, you can:
Render multiple variations of the same block icon using layers. Each variation is visible based on conditions on the block parameters. The variations are saved in a single file. For example, you may want to increase the number of switch ports based on a block parameter. Use layers to create multiple variations of the block icon for each scenario. See Add Dynamic Behavior to Masked Icons for more information.
Package icon image files with the model using the option Save image files with model in the Graphical Icon Editor.
Select arrow heads based on type, fill, and size. Previously you had to choose the arrowhead style from a long list of 250 styles. You can now choose from a drop-down list, toggle to fill the arrowhead, and select the size of the arrowhead.
Easily access canvas properties and element properties. The options are listed based on the icon and element context. For the icon, you have options to set the frame of the icon and rotate or resize the icon. For each element in the icon, you can rotate, resize, and set the stroke of the element. Previously, these options were under Simulink properties in the toolstrip. Now these options are available in the Icon Properties and Element Properties section.
Use the option Port Grid to align the elements of the canvas to ports.
Find port styling information for Simscape blocks in the Graphical Icon Editor.
You can now use the Mask Editor to create and edit the mask icon of a MATLAB System block. The Mask Editor helps you to customize a block icon with descriptive text, images, equations, and graphics using the Graphical Icon Editor or mask drawing commands and save time in writing code. When you use the Mask Editor, all mask definitions are stored in an auxiliary XML file resulting in faster loading of the System object™. For more information on icon customization using Mask Editor, see Customize MATLAB System Icon and Dialog Box Using Mask Editor.
If you previously customized the mask of a MATLAB System block using the
getIconImpl function in a MATLAB System class file, then you can migrate these mask definitions to an auxiliary
XML file. Launch the Mask Editor of the MATLAB System block and save the mask. You will get
a message:
Click Save to save the existing and new dialog and icon customizations to a new XML file. This removes all the dialog and icon customization related functions from the existing MATLAB System class file.
Click Cancel to continue using the dialog and icon customizations from the MATLAB System class file. Any customizations done using the graphical interface are discarded.
You can now use Python Importer wizard to import Python® functions that are defined within Python classes. Python Importer generates a MATLAB System object for each of the selected functions and creates a block library containing MATLAB System blocks that implement each of the generated System object in Simulink. When a class constructor method is specified with the Python class, the Python Importer defines the class constructor arguments as non-tunable properties of the generated System object. The properties appear as non-tunable parameters of the corresponding MATLAB System block in Simulink.
For example, consider the following Python class:
class room: def __init__(self, length, breadth, height): self.length = length self.breadth = breadth self.height = height def volume(self): result = self.length * self.breadth * self.height return result def wallarea(self): result = 2 *(self.length * height + self.breadth * height) return result
volume and wallarea. You can also set the port and
parameter specifications during import. In this example, length,
breadth, and height specified in the class
constructor are imported as parameters. 
The Python Importer generates a block library with a MATLAB System block for
each of the imported functions. The attributes of the class are defined as non-tunable
parameters of the block. In this example, length,
breadth, and height can be set in the Block
Parameters dialog.
You can now directly launch an external debugger for debugging S-Function and S-Function Builder blocks from Simulink without manually configuring the external debugger to connect to Simulink. To launch the external debugger, go to the Debug tab in Simulink and select Set Breakpoints in Custom Code option.
The Select Entities to Debug dialog box list the entities that can be debugged. The custom C/C++ code defined for a model in the Simulation Target pane of the Model Configuration Parameters dialog box is listed under Model Custom Code and the S-function and S-Function Builder blocks are listed under S-Function Blocks. Select the entities that you want to debug and move them to Selected Entities.
Click Open to launch the external debugger.