Training Course in Simulink

What can you expect from this Simulink training?

The self-paced video training "Introduction to Simulink for Function Developers" consists of valuable ideas, methods and techniques drawn from years of practical experience on real projects with Simulink, giving you just the essential materials, that you need to be more effective immediately. Our insights and strategies will help you to learn in one weekend what might take your peers months or even years in real working life. This training will also save you the cost of time off, travel, and other expenses. We'll present you the practical knowledge in a didactically structured way. But please be prepared for this video-training.

How to prepare for the Simulink training?

You will need a MATLAB and Simulink installation on your personal computer to do the exercises. You will need an internet access to view the self-paced video training, and we also suggest an extra monitor for video playback.

How to benefit most from this training?

Please repeat all instructions in this training to assure maximum learning and retention. Pause the video to explore relevant features in Simulink and replay the parts that you did not quite understand. After several repetitions of this material spread over a period of time you will become an advanced user in Simulink.

What topics will be covered in this Simulink training?

Our agenda is tight. We'll first discuss the dynamic systems and how you model them in Simulink. We'll start with the simple ones like algebraic and logical systems. And then we’ll go over to the differential equations with continuous-time systems and discrete-time systems, for example controllers. After developing models in these different domains and testing those, we will integrate the complete system and discuss how to create custom blocks and libraries for future reuse. This course will provide you with all information you need to become an advanced user in Simulink.

Please note: this is a transcript of the training video above.

What is mathematical modeling in Simulink?

Simulink enables scientists and engineers to describe dynamic systems in mathematical form. This process is called modeling or designing. You also can simulate such mathematical models in Simulink. In this chapter, we'll discuss what we mean by using the term dynamic system and the benefits that Simulink provides. We also will make an overview of all the topics that will be discussed in this video course.

What is a dynamic system in Simulink?

A dynamic system is any process that moves or changes in time. Scientists describe dynamic systems as mathematical models with time dependent relationships between the system's inputs, internal states with well-known initial conditions and outputs.

What is a state transition rule in Simulink?

The evolution rule also called the state transition rule of the dynamic system is a fixed rule that describes what future states follow from the current state. The rule is deterministic, which means that for a given time interval, only one future state follows from the current state. Such evolution rules are described by differential equation for continuous systems and difference equation for discrete systems based on inputs, states, and time variables.

How does Simulink solve the system equations?

Solving the system requires iterating the calculation advancing in small time intervals. Over and over again. Dynamic systems occur in every branch of our life. Examples include the mathematical models of thermal flow in different materials, swinging pendulum, chemical reactions, airflow in the pipe, planet motions, stock markets, or weather.

What type of a system will be solved in this Simulink training?

In our Simulink course we will discuss the thermodynamic system of a room, which will have a state (which is the room temperature); and inputs: free heat flow, heater flow, and ambient temperature. We also will discuss other parts of a thermodynamic system, which includes a sensor, for the measurement of temperature state and the temperature controller. So here are all the parts of the system that we will develop in Simulink: sensor and transmitter, actuator (which is the heater), temperature controller, and external inputs. Simulink enables modeling, simulating and analyzing dynamic systems. Simulink provides a graphical modeling editor for creating a block diagram of time dependent mathematical relationships of systems, inputs, states, and outputs. Also referred to as a model.

Why is Simulink so popular for function development?

Simulink is well integrated in MATLAB, which helps us testing the models and analyzing and plotting the outputs. Simulink provides discrete and continuous solvers, advanced test and verification support. And the models developed in Simulink support automatic C code generation for production.

What will be the work products of this training?

Here is the model that we will have developed at the end of our training course, which includes an algebraic system, a logical system, a discrete system. We will build a library, we'll build two continuous systems and talk about differential equations and how you model them in Simulink. And we will test and integrate everything. So you will be able to develop complete systems and become an advanced user in Simulink.

Please note: this is a short transcript of the training video above.

What are algebraic equations?

In this chapter we'll discuss algebraic systems, model equations, and simulate them in Simulink. Then we will create test-cases to verify our designs. Here is the overall model that we will develop in this course. The algebraic system will be needed to convert state values from the Centigrade in the Fahrenheit scale. You will not need any reference files for exercises as we will build all the modules from scratch, test them and then integrate them. The most prominent algebraic equations: linear and quadratic. Below you see the general form of an algebraic equation. We'll model a linear equation. In a linear equation each term is either constant or the product of a constant, and a single input variable. Linear equations describe a relationship between two lines on the plane, like the red and the blue line. The linear equations below describe the relationships between the temperature on the Fahrenheit and Celsius scales.

What are the modelling alternatives for linear equations?

We'll both use mathematical expressions and the lookup table in Simulink to compute the results. Simulink library browser provides all the blocks we need for modeling systems in Simulink.

How to use the Simulink library browser?

You can start a Simulink library browser in two ways: you can use a button in MATLAB or just type “Simulink” in the MATLAB command window. With Simulink library browser you can have access to Simulink block-sets, libraries and single blocks, search in the Simulink library browser, and open Simulink editor for graphical design.

What is a Simulink block?

The smallest unit of the Simulink block diagram is a single block. The block functionality is masked and each block has a mask icon. When double clicking on the mask (of a block), a parameter dialogue will appear. Here you can customize the settings of the block. The mask dialogue includes block type, block description, editable parameter dialogue and block help.

How to develop a Simulink model?

Let us create our first Simulink model, where we convert temperature values in Centigrade to temperature values in Fahrenheit. We will implement the formula by adding, connecting and calibrating the Simulink blocks with Simulink library browser. Now we can also open the Simulink editor and start implementing the formula in Simulink…

Please note: this is a short transcript of the training video above.