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HOWTOCONNECTSIMULINKTOLABVIEWINORDERTOCOLLECT
SYSTEMDATA
C:\TAFiles\364TAFiles\2009C\HowToConnectSimulinkToLabView85.doc
SimulinkProcedure:
1.) OpenMatlab
2.) OpenSimulink
3.) IntheSimulinkLibraryBrowser,gotoFile>New>Model(orCtrl+N).
4.) CreateaSimulinkblockdiagrambyusingblocksfromtheLibraryBrowser.
5.) Labelblockswithauniqueanddescriptivename.
6.) Givegainsandconstantsnominalvalueswhereappropriate(thenumberinthegainorconstant
willbedefault).
NOTE:BesuretoinsertaNISignalProbeintothemodel(SimulinkLibraryBrowser>NISignal
Probe>SignalProbe)
7.) Oncetheblockdiagramiscomplete,SAVEthemodeltoanewfolderonthedesktop.
8.) OntheSimulinkModeltoolbar,changethesimulationfromaNORMALsimulationtoan
EXTERNALsimulation(Figure1).
9.) OntheMenutab,selectSIMULATION,thenCONFIGURATIONPARAMETERS.
i) UndertheSOLVERtab,changethefollowing(Figure2):
(1) SolverOptions>TypetoFIXEDSTEP
(2) SolverOptions>SolvertothedesiredODE
NOTE:ODE5istypicallythebestonetochoose.SomeprogramsmalfunctionifODE5
isnotused.)
(3) SolverOptions>FixedStepSize(Fundamentalsampletime):changeto0.01seconds
(4) APPLYthechanges
ii) UndertheDATAIMPORT/EXPORTtab,changethefollowing(Figure3):
(1) UncheckALLboxes
(2) APPLYthechanges
iii) UndertheOPTIMIZATIONtab,changethefollowing(Figure4):
(1) UncheckBLOCKREDUCTIONOPTIMIZATION
(2) UncheckSIGNALSTORAGEREUSE
(3) APPLYthechanges
iv) UndertheREALTIMEWORKSHOPtab,changethefollowing(Figure5):
(1) TargetSelection>RTWSystemTargetFile:BROWSEforNIDLL.TLC
(2) APPLYthechanges
10.) Onceallofthechangeshavebeenmade,SelectOK.
11.) ResavetheSimulinkFile
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12.) GototheMATLABMainScreen
13.) OntheMATLABtoolbar,BROWSEtheCURRENTDIRECTORYforthefileyousavedyourmodelto
andselectit(Figure6).
14.) GobacktotheSimulinkModelandBUILDthemodelbypressingCtrl+B.
15.) Matlabwillthenbeginbuildingthemodel.Yourprocesscanbecheckedbyobservingthe
COMMANDWINDOW.
NOTE:IfthefinalstatementintheCOMMANDWINDOWafterthedatastopsindicatesaSUCCESS,you
mayprogress.Ifthefinalstatementindicatesanythingelse,yourmodelmaybeincorrectoritmay
simplyneedtobeclosedandthenreopened.
16.) RESAVEyourSimulinkmodel.
LABVIEWProcedure:
Note:BesurethatyourPXIisupandrunningalongwithanypowersupplypresent.
1.) OnceyourSimulinkmodelhasbeenbuilt,gotoLABVIEWandopenanewVI.Thedefault
settingisaRealTimeVI;however,ensurethisisthecase.
2.) BuildyourVIwiththedesiredindicatorsandcontrols(Figure8).
3.) SAVEthefiletothesamelocationtowhichyousavedtheSimulinkfile.
4.) GototheLABVIEWtoolbarandgotoTOOLSandthenSITCONNECTIONMANAGER(Figure7).
5.) OncetheMANAGERopens(Figure9),selectREALTIMETARGET(Figure10).
6.) Oncethisisselected,amenuwillpopupthatasksyoutoSELECTTHEMODELDLLfilefromyour
folder.Searchthroughyourfolderandselectthe.dllfile(Figures10).
7.) Oncethe.dllfileisselected,anothermenuwillopenthatwillaskyoutoADDTARGETSAND
DEVICES(Figure11).
8.) SelectexistingdeviceonremotesubnetandenterIPaddress(youwillfindtheIPaddressonthe
topofremoteDAQ).
9.) SelectOK.
10.) NextBROWSEforyourmodelbyselectingtheiconnexttotheCURRENTMODELspace(Figures
1213).
11.) AnothermenuwillpopupcalledSELECTMODELFILE.YouneedtogoUPONELEVELinorder
tolocateyourSimulink.MDLfile(Figures1213).
12.) Selectthe.MDLfileandselectOK(Figures1213).
13.) The.DLLand.MDLlocationsshouldbeinthespacesprovidedunderMODELDLLandCURRENT
MODEL,respectively(Figure14).
14.) RemainingintheSITCONNECTIONMANAGER,selecttheMAPPINGStabnearthetop.
15.) DoubleclickthegivenspacesunderMAPPEDPARAMETER/SIGNAL.Amenuwillpopupwhere
youaretoselectthecorrectSimulinkparameterthatgoesalongwiththeLABVIEWLABELand
TYPE.

NOTE:Thisisacrucialstepinthatiftheparametersaremappedwrong,thedatawillbeincorrectorthe
VIwillnotfunction.ThisiswhyitisagoodideatogiveLABVIEWindicatorsandcontrolssimilarnames
toyourSimulinkblocksthatwillbemapped(Figure15).

16.) Onceyourparametershavebeenmapped,clickontheHARDWAREI/Otab.
17.) ChecktheboxnexttoNIDAQ(Figure16).
18.) ClickthebuttonthatsaysCONFIGURENIDAQ.
19.) ClickingCONFIGURENIDAQwillopenanothermenuthatsaysCONFIGURENIDAQDEVICES.
Thecorrectdeviceshouldalreadybehighlighted,soclickNEXT(Figure17).
20.) AnothermenuwillpopupthatsaysCONFIGUREDAQMAPPINGS.Thisiswhereyouselectyour
inputandoutputchannels(Figure18).
21.) SelectaninputoroutputfromDAQCHANNELSthatyouwillbeusing.Selectthecorresponding
Simulinkinput/outputfromMODELINPUTS/OUTPUTS.Whenbothboxescontainahighlighted
item,selectADD.Thiswillmaptheinput/output(Figures19and20).
22.) Continuestep21foreachinputandoutputthatyoursystemwillutilize.
23.) Onceallofyourinputs/outputshavebeenmapped,clickFINISH.
24.) ThiswillbringyoubacktothemainSITCONNECTIONMANAGERscreen.Atthispointitwould
bewisetodoublecheckallofyourentriesinthemanager.
25.) ClickOK.
26.) LabviewwillaskifyouwanttoBUILDyourVI.SelectYES.
27.) LabviewwillthenbuildtheVI.Thismaytakeawhile.
28.) OnceLabviewisdonebuilding,anewfeaturewillbedisplayedonthefrontpanel.

NOTE:Thisisacontrolboxwhichstartsorstopsyourprograminthecollectionofdata.TheRUNkey
(arrow)willstillneedtobeclickedinorderfortheVItowork.TostoptheVIordatacollection,press
theREDSQUARE(Figure21).

29.) TheVIblockdiagramwillalsohavenewfeatures.Manynewblockshavebeenaddedinorder
tohelpruntheprogram.DONOTALTERTHEBLOCKSUNLESSINSTRUCTEDTODOSO(Figure
22).
30.) Inordertocollectthedatafromdifferenttrials,ablockneedstobeaddedtotheblock
diagram.
31.) InthebottomCASESTRUCTURE,changethecasefromFALSEtoTRUE(Figures22and23).
32.) AnotherCASESTRUCTUREwillcomeupwithallofyourindicators(Figure23).

NOTE:Controlsarenotwiredtothenewblockdiagramfeatures.Thisisnormalandwillnotpreventthe
controlsfromworking.
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33.) Makesurethatalldesiredindicatorsarepresent(digital,charts,meters,etc.).
34.) RightclicktheblockdiagramtobringuptheFUNCTIONSPALLETTE.
35.) ClickonFILEI/O.
36.) SelecttheblockWRITEMEASFILE(Figure24).
37.) Amenu(CONFIGUREWRITETOMEASUREMENTFILE)willpopup(Figure25).
38.) UnderFILENAME,selecttheBROWSEiconandsearchforthesamefileforwhichyouhave
beensavingallofyourfilesthusfar.
39.) Enteradescriptivenameintotheprovidedspace(CHOOSEAFILETOWRITE).Donotendthe
filenameinanumber(Figures26and27).
40.) SelectOKonceyouhavenamedandfoundalocationforyourfile.
41.) IntheCONFIGUREWRITETOMEASUREMENTFILEmenu,underthesectionIFAFILEALREADY
EXISTS,chooseUSENEXTAVAILABLEFILENAME(Figure28).
42.) UnderthesectionSEGMENTHEADERS,chooseONEHEADERONLY(Figure28).
43.) UnderthesectionXVALUECOLUMNS,chooseONECOLUMNONLY(Figure28).
44.) SelectOK.
45.) Droptheblockintothedesiredindicatorcase(ortheindicatorsfromwhichyouwanttocollect
yourdata).
46.) ConnectawirefromtheSIGNALSinputoftheblocktothewirethatgoesintothedesired
indicator(Figure29).
47.) Repeatsteps34to46foreachindicatoryouwanttocollectdatafrom.
48.) Youcannowrunyourprogram.
CommonProblems:
Youhavebuiltandrebuilttheprogramsandcannotgetyourprogramstofunctionproperly.
o Possiblesolutions
TurnyourPXIofffor20secondsandthenbackonagain.Toensurenotransfer
ofcorruptinformation,rebuildbothyourLabviewandSimulinkfilesoncemore.
Youmissedastepthatissmallandnotnoticeable.
Commonmistakes:
o YoudidnotchangeyourSimulinkfilefromNormaltoExternal
o YoudidnotsetyourmainfileasthelocationinMATLABs
CurrentDirectory
o YoudidnotbuildyourSimulinkmodel(orthebuildfailed).
o YoumappedthewrongSimulinkblockstothelabview
indicatorsandcontrols.
o Youmappedtothewronginputandoutputchannels.
Yourprogramisworkingbutthedataisslowarecorrupted.
o Possiblesolutions/mistakes
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Yousavedyourfilestoaflashdriveinsteadoftothecomputer.Resaveyour
filestothecomputer.

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