xPC Target Tutorial

Control System Design Feb. 15, 2004

For more detailed information, see the xPC target manual at: www.mathworks.com

Control Hardware
Connect to your experiment through the network.
IP: 128.113.70.196 xPC target xPC target

IP: 128.113.70.114 xPC target

Student laptops

IP: 128.113.70.116

Software Architecture for Laptop

(host computer)
1. Generate real time code and download to computer
Visual C++

Simulink

xPC Target Real Time Workshop

EXECUTABLE

2. Execute code and interact with real time process

MATLAB GUI xpcrctool.m

Simulink

MATLAB command line or script

Setting up xPC Target

This GUI configures your computer to communicate with the xPC target computer. 1. At the MATLAB prompt type: xpcsetup <enter> 2. Enter appropriate data 3. Click on Update 4. Click on Close See zoom on next page.

xPCsetup Zoom
Change all settings to match the values shown below, except for the CompilerPath and TcpIpTargetAddress. The compiler path should contain the path to visual C++ on your computer. Use the TcpIpTargetAddress assigned to the box controlling your hardware.

Path to VC++ on your computer

IP address of target computer

Test your xPC setup

Test your setup with a MATLAB xPC target test suite. At the MATLAB prompt, enter: xpctest(noreboot) <enter> It is important to include the noreboot option or the computer will lock up. All is good if there are no errors reported.

Create Simulink Model

( 2 PD controllers )
Data logging

Encoders

D/A converters

Differentiation

Find Simulink block:

Encoder Details

xPC Target\Incremental Encoder\Measurement Computing\PCI-QUAD04

Channel number: There are four encoder channels available.

Count four times per complete cycle of the quadrature signal.

position in radians = 2*pi*Count / (1024*4)

Find Simulink block: xPC Target\D/A\Measurement Computing\PCIM-DAS1602 16

D/A Details

Channel number: There are 2 D/A channels available. Channels 1 and 2 are connected to motor amplifiers. Set the range for both channels: 10 to +10 volts

Reset to initial value after termination Initial value of D/A

Desired voltage signals feed in here

PD Controller Details
Derivative term in the feedback to avoid reference differentiation
Proportional Gain Derivative Gain
Desired Position Controller Output Actual Position

Differentiation ( velocity estimate )

Configure for Compile (1-runtime)

On your Simulink window select: SimulationConfiguration ParametersSolver
Choose fixed step Program will halt after this time

Your real time interrupt rate

Configure for Compile (2-compile)

On your Simulink window select: SimulationConfiguration ParametersReal-Time Workshop

1. 2.

Click on Browse. Select xPC Target from the pop up menu. Screen should now look like this.

3.

Configure for Compile (3-data log)

On your Simulink window select: SimulationConfiguration ParametersReal-Time WorkshopxPC Target options

Enter size of data Logging buffer.

Compile and Download

Using either method 1 or method 2 will cause MATLAB to compile your Simulink Model and download the real time code to the target PC. Method 1 select: ToolsReal-Time WorkshopBuild Model

Method 2 Click on the Build button.

Execute via GUI

At the MATLAB prompt, type: xpcrctool <enter> Click play button to start real time code execution.

Monitor signals during run time. Not Real Time!

Log data to plot after execution.

Monitor Signals via GUI

1. Select Host scope 2. Click Add Scope 3. Select Host 4. Select from pull down menu: ToolsHost Scope Manager 5. Click Add Signals Your Simulink diagram will pop up. You can select any signal to monitor by right clicking on the signal trace.

Data Logging via GUI

After the program has finished, check the outputs box. Click on Plot Logged Data.

The outputs correspond to the outport blocks in your Simulink Diagram

Execute via Command Line

>> start(tg): start execution of real time code >> stop(tg): stop execution of real time code

If you already have a compiled application, you can load it with: load(XPCOBJ, APPNAME)

Data Logging via Command Line

Regardless of how you execute the real time code, the logged data will be available from the MATLAB command line after the code has finished. tg.outputlog(:,1)
The variable tg.timelog is a time vector tg.outputlog is a matrix of logged data

tg.outputlog(:,2) tg.outputlog(:,3)

At the MATLAB prompt: >> time = tg.timelog; >> outputlog = tg.outputlog; >> response =outputlog(:,3); >> plot(time,response);

Parameter Tuning via Command Line

Each parameter will have a parameter name (e.g. P1 P14, etc.) To see the list of parameters and associated Simulink variables: set(tg,'ShowParameters','on') ; <enter> tg <enter>
Parameters P0 P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 = PROP. VALUE -1.000000 1024.000000 3.000000 1.000000 3.000000 1.000000 0.001000 3.000000 PARAMETER NAME Scalar P1 Scalar P2 Scalar P3 Scalar P4 Scalar P5 Scalar P6 Scalar P7 Scalar P8 BLOCK NAME PCI-QUAD04 PCI-QUAD04 PCI-QUAD04 PCI-QUAD04 PCI-QUAD04 PCI-QUAD04 PCI-QUAD04 PCI-QUAD04

Parameter Tuning via Command Line

To change the value of a parameter: setparam(tg, parameter number, new value); e.g. If we want P3 = 10 we write setparam(tg, 3, 10); <enter>

Execute and Parameter Tuning via Simulink

1. External Mode 2. Connect to Target

3. Run Executable 4. Click on blocks to change parameter values during real time.