Port

Add ports to components in architecture model

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Description

A port is a node on a component or architecture that represents a point of interaction with its environment. A port permits the flow of information to and from other components or systems. Component ports are interaction points on the component to other components. Architecture ports are ports on the boundary of the system, whether the boundary is within a component or the overall architecture model. The root architecture has a boundary defined by its ports. Assign interfaces to ports to define the type and format of data shared between components. For more information, see Assign Interfaces to Ports.

To add or connect System Composer™ components:

• Add an architecture Component block from the Modeling tab or the palette. You can also click and drag a box on the canvas, then select the Component block.

• To add a port, select an edge of the component and choose a direction from the menu: Input, Output, or Physical

• Click and drag the port to create a connection. Connect to another component. You can also create a new component to complete the connection.

• To connect Component blocks to architecture or composition model root ports, drag from the component ports to the containing model boundary. When you release the connection, a root port is created at the boundary.

• To add stereotypes and stereotype-based styling to components, use the Profile Editor tool.

• To add component-level parameters, use the Parameter Editor tool.

An output port is shown with the icon, an input port is shown with the icon, and a physical port is shown with the icon.

Note

Physical ports are nondirectional and are used with Simscape™ physical modeling that implements a physical network approach. For more information about component behavior using Simscape, see Implement Component Behavior Using Simscape.

In software architectures, in addition to data input and output ports, you can add client and server ports to components. A client port represents a request for information from another component and a server port represents a response of information. For more information, see Service Interfaces Overview.

Examples

Modeling System Architecture of Small UAV

Set up and refine the architecture of a small unmanned aerial vehicle.

• Open Live Script

Modeling System Architecture of Keyless Entry System

Use a keyless entry system for a vehicle to create architecture views for different stakeholder concerns.

• Open Live Script

Simulate Mobile Robot with System Composer Workflow

Simulate a mobile robot architecture with a systems engineering workflow.

• Open Live Script

Ports

Input

Source — Input connection from another component

interface

When you connect to a source component, the interfaces on the ports are shared.

Output

Destination — Output connection to another component

interface

When you connect to a destination component, the interfaces on the ports are shared.

Physical

Physical — Physical connection to another component

physical interface

When you connect to another component, the physical interfaces on the ports are shared.

Server

Source — Source server port

service interface

A server is a component that defines and provides a function. Server ports are only available for software architectures.

Client

Destination — Destination client port

service interface

A client is a component that sends a request to the server. Client ports are only available for software architectures.

More About

Definitions

Term	Definition	Application	More Information
Architecture	A System Composer architecture represents a system of components and how they interface with each other structurally and behaviorally.	Different types of architectures describe different aspects of systems. You can use views to visualize a subset of components in an architecture. You can define parameters on the architecture level using the Parameter Editor.	Compose Architectures Visually Author Parameters in System Composer Using Parameter Editor
Root	A root is at the top of an architecture hierarchy. A root architecture has a boundary defined by its architecture ports that surround the system of interest.	The root architecture has a system boundary surrounding your architecture model. You can add architecture ports that define interfaces across the boundary.	Compose Architectures Visually
Model	A System Composer model is the file that contains architectural information, such as components, ports, connectors, interfaces, and behaviors.	Perform operations on a model including extracting root-level architecture, applying profiles, linking interface data dictionaries, or generating instances from model architecture. A System Composer model is stored as an SLX file.	Create Architecture Model with Interfaces and Requirement Links
Component	A component is a replaceable part of a system that fulfills a clear function in the context of an architecture. A component defines an architectural element, such as a function, another system, hardware, software, or other conceptual entity. A component can also be a subsystem or subfunction.	Represented as a block, a component is a part of an architecture model that can be separated into reusable artifacts. Transfer information between components using port interfaces and parameters. Port interfaces and parameters can be configured using the Interface Editor and the Parameter Editor.	Compose Architectures Visually
Port	A port is a node on a component or architecture that represents a point of interaction with its environment. A port permits the flow of information to and from other components or systems.	Component ports are interaction points on the component to other components. Architecture ports are ports on the boundary of the system, whether the boundary is within a component or the overall architecture model. The root architecture has a boundary defined by its ports.	Compose Architectures Visually
Connector	Connectors are lines that provide connections between ports. Connectors describe how information flows between components or architectures.	A connector allows two components to interact without defining the nature of the interaction. Set an interface on a port to define how the components interact.	Compose Architectures Visually

Term	Definition	Application	More Information
Physical subsystem	A physical subsystem is a Simulink® subsystem with Simscape connections.	A physical subsystem with Simscape connections uses a physical network approach suited for simulating systems with real physical components and represents a mathematical model.	Implement Component Behavior Using Simscape
Physical port	A physical port represents a Simscape physical modeling connector port called a Connection Port (Simscape).	Use physical ports to connect components in an architecture model or to enable physical systems in a Simulink subsystem.	Define Physical Ports on Component
Physical connector	A physical connector can represent a nondirectional conserving connection of a specific physical domain. Connectors can also represent physical signals.	Use physical connectors to connect physical components that represent features of a system to simulate mathematically.	Architecture Model with Simscape Behavior for a DC Motor
Physical interface	A physical interface defines the kind of information that flows through a physical port. The same interface can be assigned to multiple ports. A physical interface is a composite interface equivalent to a Simulink.ConnectionBus object that specifies a number of Simulink.ConnectionElement objects.	Use a physical interface to bundle physical elements to describe a physical model using at least one physical domain.	Specify Physical Interfaces on Ports
Physical element	A physical element describes the decomposition of a physical interface. A physical element is equivalent to a Simulink.ConnectionElement object.	Define the Type of a physical element as a physical domain to enable use of that domain in a physical model.	Describe Component Behavior Using Simscape

Term	Definition	Application	More Information
Software architecture	A software architecture is a specialization of an architecture for software-based systems, including the description of software compositions, component functions, and their scheduling.	Use software architectures in System Composer to author software architecture models composed of software components, ports, and interfaces. Design your software architecture model, define the execution order of your component functions, simulate your design in the architecture level, and generate code.	Author Software Architectures Simulate and Deploy Software Architectures
Software component	A software component is a specialization of a component for software entities, including its interfaces.	Implement a Simulink export-function, rate-based, or JMAAB model as a software component, simulate the software architecture model, and generate code.	Implement Behaviors for Architecture Model Simulation Create Software Architecture from Component
Software composition	A software composition is a diagram of software components and connectors that represents a composite software entity, such as a module or application.	Encapsulate functionality by aggregating or nesting multiple software components or compositions.	Model Software Architecture of Throttle Position Control System
Function	A function is an entry point where a transfer of program control occurs and can be defined in a software component.	You can apply stereotypes to functions in software architectures, edit sample times, and specify the function period using the Functions Editor.	Author and Extend Functions for Software Architectures
Function element	A function element describes the attributes of a function in a client-server interface.	Edit the function prototype on a function element to change the number and names of inputs and outputs of the function. Edit function element properties as you would edit other interface element properties. Function argument types can include built-in types as well as bus objects. You can specify function elements to support two types of execution. Asynchronous execution is when the client sends a request to the server, the function executes asynchronously based on the priority order, and the function returns the output arguments to the client. Synchronous execution is when the client sends a request to the server, the function runs immediately, and the function returns the output arguments to the client.	systemcomposer.interface.FunctionElement
Function argument	A function argument describes the attributes of an input or output argument in a function element.	You can set the properties of a function argument in the Interface Editor just as you would other value types: Type, Dimensions, Units, Complexity, Minimum, Maximum, and Description.	systemcomposer.interface.FunctionArgument
Service interface	A service interface defines the functional interface between client and server components. Each service interface consists of one or more function elements.	Once you have defined a service interface in the Interface Editor, you can assign it to client and server ports using the Property Inspector. You can also use the Property Inspector to assign stereotypes to service interfaces.	Service Interfaces Overview systemcomposer.interface.ServiceInterface
Server	A server is a component that defines and provides a function.	A server component is where the function is defined. You can implement function behavior in a Simulink export-function model.	Service Interfaces Overview
Client	A client is a component that sends a request to the server.	A client component is where the function is called. The implementation of function call behavior is dependent on the synchronicity of the function execution.	Service Interfaces Overview
Class diagram	A class diagram is a graphical representation of a static structural model that displays unique architecture types of the software components optionally with software methods and properties.	Class diagrams capture one instance of each referenced model and show relationships between them. A component diagram view can be optionally represented as a class diagram for a software architecture model.	Class Diagram View of Software Architectures

Version History

Introduced in R2019a