Book Image

Getting Started with Simulink

By : Luca Zamboni
Book Image

Getting Started with Simulink

By: Luca Zamboni

Overview of this book

Simulink is an engineer's Swiss army knife: instead of spending the day typing out complex formulas, Simulink enables you to both draw and execute them. Block after block, you can develop your ideas without struggling with obscure programming languages and you don't have to wait to debug your algorithm - just launch a simulation! Getting Started with Simulink will give you comprehensive knowledge of Simulink's capabilities. From the humble constant block to the S-function block, you will have a clear understanding of what modelling really means, without feeling that something has been left out. By the time you close the book, you'll be able to further extend your modelling skills without any help. We''ll start with a brief introduction, and immediately start placing the first blocks. Little by little, you'll build a car cruise controller model, followed by the mathematical model of a sports car in order to calibrate it. Then you'll learn how to interface your Simulink model with the external world. This book will give you an easy understanding of the tools Simulink offers you, guiding you through a complex exercise split into the three main phases of Simulink development: modelling, testing, and interfacing.
Table of Contents (11 chapters)

The Simulink interface


From the MATLAB main window, click on the New button and select the Simulink Model option.

A blank Simulink window will appear, showing an empty model named untitled. This window is made up of the following sections:

  • The title bar with the name of the opened system (untitled).

  • The menu bar immediately below the title bar.

  • The toolbar below the menu bar with the default tools (the Library Browser and Model Explorer are the tools most used).

  • The Model Browser panel on the left displaying the model's hierarchical tree (it can be hidden with the « button at the bottom right of this panel).

  • The model editor panel on the right of the Model Browser panel is the most useful panel. If you like a clutter-free edit window, you can hide all the other panels through the View menu (I suggest that you leave the status bar though).

  • The status bar on the bottom reporting the name and the current status of the underlying simulation solver (more on this later).

The most useful shortcuts and...