Get Started with MATLAB

and Simulink
An Introductory Tutorial
CPE111 Computer Engineering Exploration
2010
Dr.Boonserm Kaewkamnerdpong
What is MATLAB?
MAT + LAB Matrix Laboratory Matrix Laboratory
Interactive system for doing numerical
computations
Powerful tool for calculations in
scientific and engineering problems
MATLAB Components
Command Window Command Window
Command History Command History
Workspace Workspace
MATLAB Components
MATLAB as a Calculator
Arithmetic:
>> 2 + 3
>> 3 - 2
>> 2 * 3
>> 1 / 2
>> 2 ^ 3
>> 2 \ 1
Numbers & Formats
Integer 1362, -217897
Real -1.234, -10.76
Complex -3.21 4.3i
Infinity Inf
Not a number NaN
See different formats:
>>help format <Enter>
Try setting format:
>>format short e <Enter>
The e notation is used for very large or
very small numbers:
-1.3412e+03 = .3412 ! 10
3
= -1341.2
-1.3412e-01 = .3412 ! 10
-1
= -0.13412
Variables
We can use our own names to store numbers:
>> a = 2
>> b = 3
>> x = 3-2^4
>> y = x*5
>> NetCost = x + y
Variable names are case sensitive.
Avoid using special characters i.e. @, -, :, ;
Avoid using special names in mathematics i.e. pi,
i, j
Suppressing Outputs
If you dont want to see the result of
intermediate calculations, you should
end the expression with semicolon.
>> x=-13; y = 5*x, z = x^2+y
y =
-65
z =
104
Built-In Functions
Examples:
Trigonometric Functions (sin, cos, tan,
asin, acos, atan)
>> x = 5*cos(pi/6), y = 5*sin(pi/6)
x =
4.3301
y =
2.5000
>> acos(x/5), asin(y/5), pi/6
ans =
0.5236
Other elementary functions:
>> x = 9;
>> sqrt(x), exp(x), log(sqrt(x)), log10(x^2+6)
ans =
3
ans =
8.1031e+03
ans =
1.0986
ans =
1.9395
Vectors
Series of numbers
Types of vectors:
Row vector
>> v = [ 1 3, sqrt(5)]
v =
1.0000 3.0000 2.2361
>> c = [ 1; 3; sqrt(5)]
c =
1.0000
3.0000
2.2361
Column vector
Matrices
Array of numbers
Table consisting rows and columns
>> a = [1 2 3; 4 5 6]
a =
1 2 3
4 5 6
Reference matrix element:
>> a(2,3), a(2,1:3)
Transpose matrix
>> b = a
Arithmetic of Vectors/Matrices
>> v + 3
ans =

>> v * 3
ans =

>> v * c
ans =

What about What about c * v c * v ? ?
>> c * v
ans =

Arithmetic of Vectors/Matrices
>> c .* c
ans =

Keeping a Record
Saving all subsequent texts appearing on the
screen
>> diary filename
Listing current variables
>> whos
Saving all variables in the workspace
>> save filename
Loading saved workspace
>> load filename
Plotting Functions
>> x1 = linspace(0 ,2*pi,100);
>> y1 = sin(3*x1);
>> plot(x1,y1,b-)
>> grid on; hold on
>> N = 100; h = 1/N; x2 = 0:h:2*pi;
>> y2 = 0.5*cos(x2); plot(x2,y2,r--)
>> title(My First MATLAB Plot);
>> xlabel(x); ylabel(y);
>> legend(sin(3x),0.5cos(x));
Characters, Strings, Texts
Enclosing text in single quotes:
>> S = 'I love MATLAB
To include a single quote inside a
string, use two of them together:
>> SS = 'Green''s function
Displaying text on screen:
>> disp([S SS]);
Logical Operators
>> L = sqrt(pi^3);
>> L == 2
>> L ~= 2
>> L > 2
>> L >= 2
>> L < 2
>> L <= 2
if then else end
>> a = pi^exp(1); c = exp(pi);
>> if a >= c
b = sqrt(a^2 - c^2)
elseif a^c > c^a
b = c^a/a^c
else
b = a^c/c^a
end
Loops
For loop:
>> x = -1:.05:1; figure;
>> for n = 1:8
subplot(4,2,n), plot(x,sin(n*pi*x))
end
While loop:
>> x = -1:.05:1; figure; n = 1;
>> while n <= 8
subplot(4,2,n), plot(x,sin(n*pi*x))
n = n + 1;
end
Script Files
Click on toolbar to create new m-file
or select File | New | M-File on the menu
Saving series of commands into file
m_sample.m
Executing those commands by
>> m_sample
Function m-files
function [A] = area(a,b,c)
% Compute the area of a triangle whose
% sides have length a, b and c.
% Inputs: a,b,c: Lengths of sides
% Output: A: area of triangle
% Usage: Area = area(2,3,4);
s = (a+b+c)/2;
A = sqrt(s*(s-a)*(s-b)*(s-c));
%%%%%%%%% end of area %%%%%%%%%%%
Projectile Motion of a Stone
If a stone is thrown vertically upward with an initial speed
u = 60 m/s, its vertical displacement s after a time t has
elapsed is given by the formula
s = ut !gt
2
/2,
where g is the acceleration due to gravity.
Air resistance has been ignored.
We would like to compute the value of compute the value of s s over a period
of about 12.3 seconds at intervals of 0.1 seconds, and
to plot the distance plot the distance time graph over this period time graph over this period
Projectile Motion of a Stone
Projectile Motion of a Stone
Master Plan:
1. Assign the data (g, u and t) to
MATLAB variables.
2. Calculate the value of s according to
the formula s = ut !gt
2
/2.
3. Plot the graph of s against t.
Juggling
Show me the projectile
motion graph of three three
balls Im juggling.
Only vertical motion is
alright!
Try five five if you dare.
Simulink
Integrated into MATLAB environment
Used for modeling and simulating
systems
Starting simulink by
Click at the toolbar
Type at command line
>> simulink
Example: Train System
Represented by
two masses (M1 and M2)
connected together by a spring with stiffness
coefficient (k)
forces applied by the engine (F)
rolling friction coefficient (u)
Free Body Diagram
Constructing a Model
Click from Simulink Library Browser to open
a new model window
Constructing a Model
Drag Add Add block from Math Operations section
in Simulink Library Browser
Drop it in model window
Create 2 copies (one for each mass)
Label them as Sum_F1 Sum_F1 and Sum_F2 Sum_F2
Constructing a Model
Drag 2 Gain Gain blocks into your model
Attach each one with a line to the outputs of
the Add Add blocks
Double-click on each Gain Gain block and enter
1/M1 and 1/M2 into each Gain field
Label Gain Gain blocks as a1 and a2
Constructing a Model
Drag 2 Integrator Integrator blocks (from
Commonly Used Blocks) into your
model for each of the accelerations
Connect them with lines in two chains
Label these integrators v1, x1, v2,
and "x2"
Constructing a Model
Drag 2 Scope Scope blocks from the Sinks
library into your model
Connect them to the outputs of
integrators
Label them View_x1 and View_x2.
Constructing a Model
Drag a Signal Generator Signal Generator block from
the Sources library
Connect it to the uppermost input of the
Sum_F1 block
Label the Signal Generator F
Constructing a Model
Add another Gain Gain block into your model
Set Gain field as u*g*M1
Connect the input of Gain Gain block with link between v1
and x1
Connect the output with to Sum_F1
Label Gain Gain block as Friction_1
Constructing a Model
Double-click to change the sign of Sum_F1 to +--
Add a Subtract Subtract block below the rest of your model
Label it as (x1-x2) and change its list of signs to -+
Flip the block by right-click and select Format | Flip
Block
Connect to x1 and x2
Constructing a Model
Drag a Gain Gain block into your model to the left
of Sum_F1
Change it's value to k and label it Spring
Connect the output of (x1-x2) to the input of
Spring
Connect the output of Spring to the third input
of Sum_F1
Constructing a Model
Tap off the output of Spring and
connect it to the first input of Sum_F2
Add Friction_2 and connect it to the
second input of Sum_F2
Change the signs of Sum_F2 to +-
Constructing a Model
Add Scope blocks to view velocities and
label them as View_v1 and View_v2
Double-click F to set
Waveform : square
Amplitude : -1
Frequency : 0.001
Model Parameter Settings
Create an new m-file and enter the
following commands:
M1=1; M2=0.5;
k=1; F=1; u=0.002; g=9.8;
Execute your m-file to define these
values so that simulink can recognize
the variables.
Simulation
Select Parameters from the Simulation
menu and change the Stop Time field
to 1000
Run the simulation and open the
scopes to examine the output (select
autoscale in the right-click menu to see
the whole results)
Acknowledgement
David F. Griffiths, An Introduction to Matlab,
University of Dundee, 2005
Timothy A. Davis and Kermit Sigmon, MATLAB

Primer, Seventh Edition, Chapman & Hall/CRC, 2005

Brian D. Hahn and Daniel T. Valentine, Essential
MATLAB

for Engineers and Scientists, Third Edition,

Elsevier, 2007