MathWorks Updates Simulink Real-Time

MathWorks announces key updates to Simulink Real-Time that enhance rapid control prototyping and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing with Model-Based Design. In Release 2020b, Simulink Real-Time has been enabled with the QNX Neutrino RTOS, a multi-process 64-bit POSIX-compliant real-time operating system from BlackBerry. The QNX RTOS is used in safety-critical systems for vehicles, medical devices, industrial controls, rail, robotics and aerospace & defense.

The update builds on the existing Simulink Real-Time and Speedgoat integration, enabling engineers to extend their Simulink models with I/O driver blocks, automatically build real-time applications, create instrumentation and perform interactive or automated runs on a target computer. Engineers can replace a physical system such as a vehicle, aircraft or robot with a real-time simulation of a virtual system to reduce the cost of testing. The QNX Neutrino RTOS enables new workflows, making real-time computing problems easier to solve, particularly when multiple tasks compete for a system’s resources. 

“MathWorks is renowned for supporting engineers and scientists, who are increasingly seeking novel techniques to improve their designs through simulation and testing,” says Grant Courville, VP, products and strategy, BlackBerry QNX. “QNX is the RTOS of choice for mission-critical embedded systems, and countless engineers across a wide range of industries rely on MathWorks’ Simulink Real-Time for simulation and Model-Based Design. This integration will allow teams to work in their preferred environment and reap the benefits that the QNX Neutrino RTOS has to offer from design to deployment.”

“Engineers working on complex embedded systems are constantly looking for ways to improve real-time simulation and testing with Model-Based Design,” says Jay Abraham, manager—verification products, MathWorks. “With the enablement of the QNX Neutrino RTOS, they can now work with Simulink Real-Time to address design challenges that require streamlined solutions for rapid control prototyping and HIL testing.”

The downloadable Simulink Real-Time Target Support package includes development tools and run-time components, including a cross-compiler provided at no additional cost, to compile and run real-time applications. 

Additional capabilities now available in Simulink Real-Time include:

• New Simulink Real-Time Explorer and graphical instrument panels and applications: Control and configure a real-time application with a new Simulink Real-Time Explorer, and use App Designer to create graphical instrument panels and custom applications
• Support for test engineering workflows: Develop test and calibration apps and scripts that interact with a real-time application using only MATLAB and Simulink Real-Time 
• Upgrade Advisor for Simulink Real-Time: Automatically upgrade models created in prior versions to take advantage of the new 64-bit RTOS
• New File Log block: Enable and disable logging during real-time execution, log multiple runs while disconnected from MATLAB, and import logged data to MATLAB

Simulink Real-Time is available immediately worldwide. To learn more, click here.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.