Define Model Advisor Checks for Supported or Unsupported Blocks and Parameters

For modeling guidelines that require you to use a subset of block or parameter values, you can create Model Advisor checks in which you specify these constraints:

Supported or unsupported block parameter values
Supported or unsupported model parameter values
Supported or unsupported blocks
Check for whether blocks or parameters meet a combination of constraints

You can also create constraints that check for prerequisite constraints before checking the actual constraint. You can check your model against these constraints as you edit or run the checks interactively after you complete your model design.

Example

The sldemo_bounce model simulates a ball bouncing on Earth. In this example, you create two Model Advisor checks consisting of constraints. Then, check your model against those constraints.

Create Block Parameter Constraints

Create these block parameter constraints:

c1=Advisor.authoring.PositiveBlockParameterConstraint;
c1.ID='ID_1';
c1.BlockType='Gain';
c1.ParameterName='Gain';
c1.SupportedParameterValues={'-.7'};
c1.ValueOperator='eq';

c2=Advisor.authoring.NegativeBlockParameterConstraint;
c2.ID='ID_2';
c2.BlockType='InitialCondition';
c2.ParameterName='Value';
c2.UnsupportedParameterValues={'0'};
c2.ValueOperator='le';

Constraint c1 specifies that a Gain block must have a value equal to -.7. Constraint c2 specifies that the Initial Condition block must have a value less than or equal to zero.

Create this positive model parameter constraint.

c3=Advisor.authoring.PositiveModelParameterConstraint;
c3.ID='ID_3';
c3.ParameterName='SolverType';
c3.SupportedParameterValues={'Variable-step'};

Constraint c3 specifies that the Solver parameter must be equal to Variable-step.

Create this positive block type constraint:

c4=Advisor.authoring.PositiveBlockTypeConstraint;
c4.ID='ID_5';
s1=struct('BlockType','Constant','MaskType','');
s2=struct('BlockType','Subsystem','MaskType','');
s3=struct('BlockType','InitialCondition','MaskType','');
s4=struct('BlockType','Gain','MaskType','');
s5=struct('BlockType','Memory','MaskType','');
s6=struct('BlockType','SecondOrderIntegrator','MaskType','');
s7=struct('BlockType','Terminator','MaskType','');
c4.SupportedBlockTypes={s1;s2;s3;s4;s5;s6;s7;};
c4.addPreRequisiteConstraintID('ID_3');

Constraint c4 specifies the supported blocks. Constraint c3 is a prerequisite to c4 meaning that the Model Advisor only checks c4 if c3 passes.

Create a data file that contains these constraints. This data file corresponds to one Model Advisor check.

Advisor.authoring.generateBlockConstraintsDataFile( ...
               'sldemo_constraints_1.xml','constraints',{c1,c2,c3,c4});

The data file contains tagging specifically for constraints.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<customcheck>
   <checkdata>
      <PositiveBlockParameterConstraint BlockType="Gain" id="ID_1">
         <parameter type="string">Gain</parameter>
         <value>-.7</value>
         <operator>eq</operator>
      </PositiveBlockParameterConstraint>
      <NegativeBlockParameterConstraint BlockType="InitialCondition" id="ID_2">
         <parameter type="string">Value</parameter>
         <value>0</value>
         <operator>le</operator>
      </NegativeBlockParameterConstraint>
      <PositiveModelParameterConstraint id="ID_3">
         <parameter type="enum">SolverType</parameter>
         <value>Variable-step</value>
      </PositiveModelParameterConstraint>
      <PositiveBlockTypeConstraint id="ID_5">
         <BlockType MaskType="">Constant</BlockType>
         <BlockType MaskType="">Subsystem</BlockType>
         <BlockType MaskType="">InitialCondition</BlockType>
         <BlockType MaskType="">Gain</BlockType>
         <BlockType MaskType="">Memory</BlockType>
         <BlockType MaskType="">SecondOrderIntegrator</BlockType>
         <BlockType MaskType="">Terminator</BlockType>
         <dependson>ID_3</dependson>
      </PositiveBlockTypeConstraint>
      <CompositeConstraint>
         <ID>ID_1</ID>
         <ID>ID_2</ID>
         <ID>ID_5</ID>
         <operator>and</operator>
      </CompositeConstraint>
   </checkdata>
</customcheck>

Note

For model configuration parameter constraints, use the Advisor.authoring.generateBlockConstraintsDataFile method only when specifying model configuration parameter constraints as prerequisites to block constraints or as part of a composite constraint consisting of block and model configuration parameter constraints. For other cases, use the Advisor_authoring.generateConfigurationParameterDatafile method.

Create two block parameter constraints and a composite constraint.

cc1=Advisor.authoring.PositiveBlockParameterConstraint;
cc1.ID='ID_cc1';
cc1.BlockType='SecondOrderIntegrator';
cc1.ParameterName='UpperLimitX';
cc1.SupportedParameterValues={'inf'};
cc1.ValueOperator='eq';

cc2=Advisor.authoring.PositiveBlockParameterConstraint;
cc2.ID='ID_cc2';
cc2.BlockType='SecondOrderIntegrator';
cc2.ParameterName='LowerLimitX';
cc2.SupportedParameterValues={'0.0'};
cc2.ValueOperator='eq';

cc=Advisor.authoring.CompositeConstraint;
cc.addConstraintID('ID_cc1');
cc.addConstraintID('ID_cc2');
cc.CompositeOperator='and';

Constraint cc1 specifies that for a Second-Order Integrator block, the Upper limit x parameter must have a value equal to inf. Constraint cc2 specifies that for a Second-Order Integrator block, the Lower limit x parameter must have a value equal to zero. Constraint cc specifies that for this check to pass, both cc1 and cc2 have to pass.

Create a data file that contains these constraints. This data file corresponds to a second Model Advisor check.

Advisor.authoring.generateBlockConstraintsDataFile( ...
               'sldemo_constraints_2.xml','constraints',{cc1,cc2,cc});

Create Model Advisor Checks from Constraints

To specify and register these checks, use this sl_customization.m file.

function sl_customization(cm)

% register custom checks.
cm.addModelAdvisorCheckFcn(@defineModelAdvisorChecks);

% register items to factory group.
cm.addModelAdvisorTaskFcn(@defineModelAdvisorGroups);


% defineModelAdvisorChecks
function defineModelAdvisorChecks

% check1
rec = Advisor.authoring.createBlockConstraintCheck('mathworks.check_0001');
rec.Title = 'Example1: Check block parameter constraints';
rec.setCallbackFcn(@(system)(Advisor.authoring.CustomCheck.checkCallback...
    (system)), 'None', 'StyleOne');
rec.TitleTips = 'Example check block parameter constraints';

% --- data file input parameters
rec.setInputParametersLayoutGrid([1 1]);
inputParam1 = ModelAdvisor.InputParameter;
inputParam1.Name = 'Data File';
inputParam1.Value = 'sldemo_constraints_1.xml';
inputParam1.Type = 'String';
inputParam1.Description = 'Name or full path of XML data file.';
inputParam1.setRowSpan([1 1]);
inputParam1.setColSpan([1 1]);
rec.setInputParameters({inputParam1});
rec.SupportExclusion = false;
rec.SupportLibrary = true;

% check2
rec1 = Advisor.authoring.createBlockConstraintCheck('mathworks.check_0002');
rec1.Title = 'Example2: Check block parameter constraints';
rec1.setCallbackFcn(@(system)(Advisor.authoring.CustomCheck.checkCallback...
    (system)), 'None', 'StyleOne');
rec1.TitleTips = 'Example check block parameter constraints';

% --- data file input parameters
rec1.setInputParametersLayoutGrid([1 1]);
inputParam1 = ModelAdvisor.InputParameter;
inputParam1.Name = 'Data File';
inputParam1.Value = 'sldemo_constraints_2.xml';
inputParam1.Type = 'String';
inputParam1.Description = 'Name or full path of XML data file.';
inputParam1.setRowSpan([1 1]);
inputParam1.setColSpan([1 1]);
rec1.setInputParameters({inputParam1});
rec1.SupportExclusion = false;
rec1.SupportLibrary = true;
mdladvRoot = ModelAdvisor.Root;
mdladvRoot.register(rec);
mdladvRoot.register(rec1);

%% defineModelAdvisorGroups
function defineModelAdvisorGroups
mdladvRoot = ModelAdvisor.Root;

% --- sample factory group 1
rec = ModelAdvisor.FactoryGroup('com.mathworks.Test.factoryGroup');
rec.DisplayName='Example: My Group';
rec.addCheck('mathworks.check_0001');
rec.addCheck('mathworks.check_0002');

mdladvRoot.publish(rec);

You must use the Advisor.authoring.createBlockConstraintCheck function to create the ModelAdvisor.Check object and specify the constraint data file as an input parameter to this object.

Note that block parameter and model parameter constraint checks must use the setCallbackFcn type of StyleOne.

At the command prompt, type create the Example1: Check block parameter constraints and Example2: Check block parameter constraints checks by typing this command:
```
Advisor.Manager.refresh_customizations
```
At the command prompt, type sldemo_bounce.
In the Modeling tab, select Model Advisor to open the Model Advisor.
In the left pane, select By Task > Example: My Group. For each check, in the right pane, the Data File parameters are set to the data files that you previously created.
Click Run Selected Checks.
The Example1: Check block parameter constraints check produces a warning because the Gain block has a value of -0.8 not -0.7. The Example2: Check block parameter constraints check passes because the Second-Order Integrator block meets both constraints.

You can use edit-time checking for custom checks that define block and parameter constraints. To enable edit-time checking, in the Model Advisor Configuration Editor, select the checks that contain the constraints. For more information on edit-time checking, see Check Your Model by Using Edit Time Checks.

Documentation