Day 2: Model-Based Design with Simulink: Modeling and Simulation

Model-Based Design Keynote - Andy Grace

  • Technology Trends

    • Mechanization of Everything

    • High-speed Wireless Everything

    • Autonomous Systems in the Age of Aritificial Intelligence

      • "AI can bring on a second industrial revolution" - Kevin Kelly, Wired Magazine

      • Deep Learning and Compute Power improvements are driving innovation in AI

  • Leads to:

    • Simulation as an imperative

    • High levels of abstraction necessary

    • Rigorous processes for safety and security

  • Model-Based Design

    • Systematic use of models throughout the development process

    • Scope: Electronic systems that interact with the physical world

    • Three major areas

      • Modeling & Simulation

        • Software components

          • High-level abstraction with Simulink, Stateflow, & MATLAB

        • Physical components

          • Provide a suite of tools that allow working at multiple levels of fidelity

        • Physical systems

          • One integrated simulation platform that support multiple tools, formalisms, and versions

        • Software systems

          • System architecture was the most requested breakout from last year's MAB survey

            • System composition

              • Interfaces

              • Variants

              • Run-time effects

              • Scheduling

          • Modeling requirements

            • Simulink Requirements (R2017b)

          • Goal: Top-down and bottom-up system design linked together into one workflow

        • Performance: Parallel Simulations (R2017a)

      • Code Generation

        • Ease of use

          • Reduced bus wiring (R2017a)

        • Unbeatable code efficiency

        • Automatic fixed point conversion

        • Goal: Support extensive hardware targets from student targets to the highest performing rapid prototyping systems

        • Vision: Efficient code that easily plugs into any software environment

      • Test & Verification

        • V&V will be separated into three products (R2017b)

          • Simulink Requirements

          • Simulink Coverage

          • Simulink Check

        • Vision: Automate steps and provide assurance for designs

    • Deep Solutions

      • Wireless

        • Providing more communication standards

      • Autonomous Systems Technologies

        • Localization

        • Planning

        • Controls

        • Perception

From Components to Systems

Design Patterns for Bottom-Up Component Modeling - Mani Ramamurthy

  • Traditional workflow bottom-up model-based design

  • A recent trend toward emergence of the software framework

  • Areas of need

    • Modeling abstractions for embedded frameworks

    • Modeling abstractions for communication middlewares

    • Modularity, reuse, portability

      • Continuous-integration

      • Agile development

  • Mission: Enhance model-based design for component frameworks

  • Design Patterns, Erich Gamma, Richard Helm

    • Maximizing reuse

      • Define components

      • Parameterize design

      • Parameterize structure

    • Effect interfaces

      • Rich interfaces

      • Interface management

        • Interface Objects

        • Use concepts such as ICDs

    • Partitioning and Scheduling

      • Behavior design patterns

        • Design Partitioning

          • Scheduling Editor

        • Composing

        • Simulating timing

          • Run-time environment modeling

Maximizing Reuse - Mike Tocci

  • Units of reuse

    • Libraries

      • Foundation for graphical reuse in Simulink

      • Dynamic Interface

      • Support for code reuse as an optimization

      • ideal for Simscape components

      • Libaries support Test Harnesses (R2016b)

    • Model References

      • Interface is locked

        • Incremental code generation

          • Only rebuild if changes are being made

      • Encapsulate design data

    • Simulink Variants

      • Structural Parameterization

      • Variant propagation (R2016b)

  • How to start

    • Build a utility

    • Put utility into a library subsystem

  • What is a componenent in Simulink

    • 1000s of blocks

    • Generate C/C++ code

    • Supports composition

  • Design Data

    • Keep data definitions and usage as close as possible

    • Use Model Workspace for all local data

    • Scope global data using Data Dictionaries

    • Model Data Editor (R2016b)

    • Model Mask (R2017a)

Effective Interfaces - Alphan Ulusoy

  • Signal interfaces

    • Ports are not aligned between components

      • Often buses are used as a workaround

      • New highlight > create bus shortcut (R2017a)

      • Separation of interface from implementation (R2017a)

        • Called Bus Element blocks

        • Looks a lot like from/goto pattern

        • Accessible from bus creator hover-over options

  • Function Interfaces

    • Multi-instance shared resources (R2017b)

      • Example of watchdog using a datastore and the startup pattern

  • Function Ports for Composition

    • Client/Server pattern

      • Both use the same data dictionary

Modeling Software Services - Nirmal Gunaseelan

  • Driver Services (R2017b)

    • Example: NVM driver software

    • Uses software interface

    • Black-box approach: S-functions

    • White-box driver services is new feature

  • Middle services in the software framework

    • Modeled with global Simulink functions

    • Visualization is available

    • Reference implementation for AutoSAR (R2017b)

Partitioning and Scheduling - Alongkrit Chutinan

  • Software integration problem

    • Multiple software components

    • Integrate components into top-level application

  • Typical workflow

    • Create components

    • Reference components in top level

    • Buildin simulation environment around components

    • Generate code from individual component model

    • Collect entry point for functions for each component

    • OS has pre-defined entry point functions (partitions)

      • Integrate code into OS

    • Model styles

      • Export function model

        • The scheduling pattern

      • Rate-based model

        • Algebraic loops are

  • Scheduling pattern with rate-based models (R2017b)

  • Using scheduling pattern to simulate startup/shutdown

    • Available to export function models (R2016b)

    • Extended to rate-based models (R2017b)

Automatic Partitioning for Multicore Execution - Katalin Popovici

Scheduling Editor - Andrew Calcutt

Advanced Run-Time Environment Modeling - Senthil Manickavasagam

Complementary Patterns Using Stateflow (Enabing Effective Designs with Stateflow) - David Andrade

  • Enabling patterns

    • Scheduling

    • Mode switching

      • Debouncing using a stateflow keyword called duration (R2017a)

    • State logic

      • MATLAB

        • Directly in the state, or in a function

      • Child stateflow charts

        • Atomic subcharts are available

        • Port mapping dialog (R2015a)

      • Simulink subsystems within Stateflow (R2017b)

        • Can initialize state within a SL subsystem before it's enabled

Top-Down System Engineering

Framework for Modeling System Architecture - Devdatt Lad

  • Vision

    • Seamless model-based workflow all the way from high-level system architecture to detailed implemention

    • Model-based system engineering

  • System structure

    • New canvas tool

      • Implementation agnostic pipes and connectors

        • Can specify as design progresses

      • Validate requirements

        • Parameterize

        • Evaluate feasible alternatives

        • Select optimal architecture

    • Architecture Tool speaks MATLAB

      • Plug in analysis algorithms into the diagram properties

    • Profiles

      • Allows customization of architecture semantics to the tool

  • Behaviors

    • Capture operation scenarios as sequence diagrams

    • Capture function requirements as activity diagrams

    • Capture component behavior as state charts

  • Possible to start with existing Simmulink models

    • Interface Connectivity View

      • Impact analysis

    • Deployment View

    • Software Architecture View

    • Custom-defined Views

  • Boot-strapped implementation as you move from architecture to implementation

Towards Software Architectures - Tunc Simsek

  • Bring together bottom-up and top-down design

  • Explict control over software interfaces and implementation (R2017b)

    • Control how data is shared

    • Control how functions are scoped

    • Hide implementaiton details through graphical encapsulation

  • Simulate asynchronous messages and functions

    • Scheduability analysis of software architecture

  • Continuous integration with software architecutre modeling

Scaling Up Model-Based Design - Rob Aberg

  • Size and Scope:

    • Past: 1 - 2 code generation targets in one model

  • Simulink caches (R2017a)

  • Simulink parsim (R2017a)

  • Simulink is being enhanced to be a full integration platform

Simulation Integration Platform - Haihua Feng

  • Flexible, reliable, and scalable multi-platform integration

  • Challenges

    • Interfaces available

      • Today: 100+ connection partner tools provide co-sim gateways to Simulink

      • Today: S-function

      • FMI Support Update

        • Functional Mockup Interface

          • FMI Import into Simulink

            • Available for download (R2017a)

            • Ships with Simulink (R2017b)

    • Numberical issues across co-simulation boundaries

Large Model Performance: Simulate It and It Simulates! - Fu Zhang

  • Multi-domain workflow

    • Modeling > Configuration > Simulation > Analysis > Feedback

  • New Modeling Capabilities (R2017b)

    • Improved algebraic constraint handling

  • Solver Configuration Simplification

    • Simulink will automatically pick solver (R2016a)

      • Pick a solver at the beginning of the simulation

  • Large Scale Model Execution

    • Large scale models are usually assembled from components

      • Model references with local solvers

      • Benefits of white box co-simulation

        • Better communication among components

        • Easier debugging with the same tools

  • Analysis: Using Solver Profiler (R2016a)

Simplified Block Authoring Workflows - Kaustubha Govind

  • Why custom blocks?

    • Create a new algorithm that doesn't exist

    • Custom code/simulation

    • Co-simulation gateway

    • Host-specific code

    • Hardware-specific code

    • Standardization across teams

  • Block authoring process

    • Choose block type

    • Implement algorithm

      • S-Function builder, for example

    • Customize interface

      • Mask editor

        • Build rich dialogs

          • New widgets

    • Add to library

  • Goal

    • Streamline

    • Mistake-proof

    • Simplify

  • S-function Quality and Robustness Checking (R2017b)

Faster Simulations, Bigger Models

Working Effectively with Field Data - Alex Trubitsyn

  • Field Data

    • Fleet

    • Track

  • Improved usability of Dataset Object

    • Integration with variable editor (R2017a)

  • Working with big data for simulations

    • Stream directly to disk

      • Constant run-time memory use

  • Accessing simulation data on disk (R2016a)

    • Simulink.SimulationData.DatasetRef

      • Read-only reference to object on disk

      • Analysis in MATLAB

      • Pass to another simulation

    • SimulationDatastore (R2017a)

      • Read from disk, so size in memory is minimal

Massive Parallel Simulations - Rahul Kumar

  • SimulationInput (R2017a)

  • parsim (R2017a)

    • Without PCT/MDCS, simulations run sequentially

    • Automatic management of build folders

    • Better error diagnostics

    • Progress display

  • Monitoring multiple simulations with Simulation Manager (R2017b)

Better Workflows for Bigger Teams - Gavin Walker

  • Simulink Project increases your agility to try new workflows

    • Provides environment

      • Locations for generated files ("slprj") (R2017b)

  • Tight integration with source control

    • Simulink Comparison & Merge tool has a new UI (R2017b)

  • New workflows built on top of Simulink Project

Editors and Visualization - Jay Torgerson

  • Vision

    • Create the world's greatest graphical modeling experience

      • Most

        • epxressive

        • intuitive

        • powerful

        • extensible

        • fast

  • Theme: Model-centered design

    • Dashboar blocks

    • Property inspector dock in canvas

      • TODO: Investigate this

    • Symbol viewer in Stateflow (R2016b)

    • Model data editor (R2015a)

    • Simulink Finder

  • Handling complexity

    • Perspectives

      • Interface

      • Test harnesses

        • Unit test subsystems

        • TODO: Investigate this

      • Requirements (R2017b)

Visualizing Simulation Results - George Quievryn

  • Simulink Instrumentation

    • Data

      • Visualize, Analyze, Manage, Debug, Test, and Understand

      • Unified logging, spectograms, new comparisons (R2017a)

      • Stateflow streaming, triggers, more spectral views (R2017b)

    • Verifying model changes

      • Compare simulation results between runs

      • Compare results in simulation and hardware

    • Simulation dashboards

      • Shipped in R2015a

Managing Model Dashboards - Rich Conlan

  • Flight instruments (R2016a)

  • Enhanced capabilities

Annotating and Documenting Models - Simon Greenwold

  • Types of annotation

    • Presentation

      • Emphasis on expressiveness

        • TODO: Investigate

    • Documentation

      • Contextual documentation

    • Commentary

Searching and Navigating Large Models - Atul Suri

  • Signal tracing navigation using arrow keys (R2017b)

  • Search runs in the background (R2017b)

Managing Model Data - Paul Jackson

  • Model Data Editor (R2016b)

    • Logical organization of design/instrumentation/code properties

    • Spreadsheet within the canvas

    • Directly configure the codegen parameters of the outport

    • R2017b

      • Signal properties tab

      • Data Stores tab

      • States tab

      • Parameters tab

        • See referenced variables

      • Filter contents

      • Configure parameters in the model without variable in the base/model workspace

  • Variable Navigation (R2015b)

    • Discoverable (R2017a)

  • Restore Missing Variables (R2017b)

Editing at the Speed of Thought - Dennis Wilkinson

  • Smart editing

    • Keep you focused on your model

    • Bring the tools to you

    • Eliminate the busy work

    • Edit as fast as you can think

  • Recent advances

    • Default names are automatically hidden (R2017b)

    • Create subsystem (R2017b)

      • Pick up signal names automatically when creating a subsystem

    • Format painter (R2017a)

      • Pop-up menu

    • Quick Insert Refinements (R2017a)

      • Single type and insert will still work

      • Double click and insert

        • Automatically differentiates between annotations and block search insert

      • Automatic port creating by dragging signal to a block

        • Automatic port naming with signal name

      • Suggested blocks in Stateflow when transitions are drawn

      • Stateflow automatically inserts keywords in actions, if forgotten (eg, entry)

      • Stateflow > Chart > Arrange automatically

        • Automatically arranges the Stateflow canvas to be more readable

    • Line routing

      • Channel router (R2017a)

      • Channel routing with smart actions integration (R2017b)

Breakout Sessions

Speeding Up Simulation - Rajesh Pavan Sunkari

Massive Parallel SImulations - Rahul Kumar

  • New workflow

    • Setup > Run > Monitor > Inspect

    • parsim command

      • Strealined design-centric workflow

      • Create a simulation input object

        • Unclear how to rearchitect test harnesses that utilize input files

          • Rahul says it can handle input files

      • One unified interface for running parallel simulations

      • No need to explicitly set up parpool

      • No set_param calls needed

      • Run in background option (R2017b)

    • SimulationInput Object (R2017a)

      • Specify a numerical array, timeseries, or dataset object

      • PreSimFcn

      • TODO: Ask Bao to create example

    • External Inputs

      • DatasetRef

      • createInputDataset

    • PreSimFcn

      • Once per simulation

      • Performed on the worker

      • Use PreSimFcn to offload parameter value computations to parallel workers

    • PostSimFcn

      • Offload post-processing to parallel workers and reduce the data to be returned back from workers

    • Benefits of using parsim

      • Mistake-proofing your workflow

      • Avoiding transparency violations

        • Use 'TransferBaseWorksapceVariables'

      • Model dependencies

        • Automatically picks up model dependencies and sends them to the parallel workers

          • Only for MDCS clusers, workers on local pool always has access to the host files

      • Management of build artifacts

      • Managing logged files

        • parsim automatically brings back logged files

          • Logging to file or to To File blocks

          • Makes the file names unique by appending the 'run id' to the file name

      • Error diagnostics

        • Alerts whenever a simulation failed

        • Simulation metadata is returned

          • Execution time

          • Any errors that get generated

          • Status of simulation termination

    • Simulation Manager (R2017b)

      • Monitoring multiple simulations

Scheduling for Multicore - Andrew Calcutt

  • Parallelize one model for one run across multiple cores

    • Specify the order of partitions

Solver Technology (Simulation Performance Improvement) - Fu Zhang

  • Fu's team is focused on the continuous time solvers

  • Solver Profiler (R2017b)

    • Simulink will identify list of candidates to address solver execptions

    • Command-line interface is available

Polyspace

  • Polyspace Improvement - Simplicity

    • Full support of compilers

    • Unified user interface

      • Single configuration

      • Simplified workflow to launch

      • Results grouped by product

    • Auto-detection of concurrency configuration primatives

      • Removed need for manual configuration

      • Speeds-up project configuration for multi-tasking applications

        • POSIX, VxWorks, C++-11

  • Polyspace Improvement - Completeness

    • Code Prover

      • Easy customization and automation for launching Polyspace and accessing its results with MATLAB API (R2017a)

      • Improved in-source Annotation workflow (R2017b)

      • Launch Polyscapce on code generated from MATLAB Coder (R2017b - must request option to expose)

      • Polyspace results API in MATLAB (R2017a)

        • Results are in MATLAB Table format

      • Improved traceability back to Simulink model (R2017a)

        • Adds a new way to navigate from Polyspace to Simulink

      • Improved in-source annotations workflow (R2017b)

        • /* polyspace MISRA-C:13.2 */

          • By default, Polyspace will mark it as "Not a defect: Justified"

        • Old syntax is still supported for compatibility

      • Improve Floating Points support

        • Detect Integers in Floating Points (R2017a)

          • Benefits

            • Provide more information to Polyspace users

            • Reduce oranges

      • Stack size computation (R2017b)

        • Provide a metric of estimation of stack size for each function

          • Only available to Code Prover

    • Bug Finder

      • MISRA Checker

        • MISRA-C:2012 Support (R2015b)

          • Amendment 1 for security (R2017a)

      • Security Standards

        • Full support of ISO-17961

        • Improved support of CERT-C

        • Cybersecurity - Industry Activities & Standards

          • Coding standards & practices

            • CERT-C

            • ISO/IEC TS 17961 (R2017b)

            • CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

            • MISRA-C:2012 Amendment 1

      • Checkers

        • Add new checkers and improve existing ones

          • Additional programming and security checks (R2017b)

        • Review of race conditions and deadlocks

          • Identifying conflicting Read/Write accessess (R2016b)

  • Polyspace Improvement - More Performant

    • 50% Code Prover improvement from R2016a -> R2016b, no appreciable changes in R2017a and R2017b

    • Incremental analysis when integrated into Eclipse

      • Closing results will release the Polyspace license

Getting Data In and Out of Simulink - Alex Truitsyn; Stacey Gage; David Boissy

  • Creating and Connecting Model Inputs

    • Create input signals for Simulink model

      • Signal Editor (R2017a)

        • Create data through a tabular form

        • Command-line API (R2017b)

        • Usability Improvements (R2018a)

    • Connect external inputs to Simulink model

    • Dataset Signal Plot (R2016b)

      • Initial release of creatInputDataset (R2017a)

      • Support for Timetables in plot (R2017b)

      • Additional data type and format support (R2018a)

    • Root inport mapper (R2014b)

      • Data input/output > connect input

      • Right from the inport block parameters > connect input

      • TODO: Investigate

      • Hetergenous mapping modes in Root Inport Mapper (R2016b)

      • Strong data typing with spreadsheets in Root Inport Mapper (R2017a)

    • Command line mapping of inputs (R2013b)

      • getRootInportMap

  • Timetable will be replacing timeseries

    • Logging in timetable format (R2017a)

      • Dataset element format

    • Load timetable format (R2017b)

  • Simulation Output as Big Data (R2016a)

    • Stream to .mat file on disk

    • Won't run out of memory

  • SimulationDatastore (R2017a)

Followups

  • Simulation artifact sharing - Rob Aberg

    • Build once, everyone else on the same architecture can utilize them

  • Location of Simulink Project configuration folder - Gavin Walker

  • Requirements Perspective on canvas - Jay Torgerson

  • External documentation link or storage so it doesn't get appended to model file - Simon Greenwold

  • TODO: Investigate logic analyzer block

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