Dashboard Scope

Trace signals during simulation

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  • Library:

  • Simulink / Dashboard

  • Dashboard Scope block

Description

The Dashboard Scope block shows connected signals during simulation on a scope display. You can use the Dashboard Scope block with other Dashboard blocks to build an interactive dashboard of controls and indicators for your model. The Dashboard Scope block provides a complete picture of a signal's behavior over the course of the simulation. Use the Dashboard Scope block to display signals of any data type that Simulink® supports, including enumerated data types. The Dashboard Scope block can display up to eight signals from a matrix or bus.

Connect Dashboard Blocks

Dashboard blocks do not use ports to connect to model elements. To connect dashboard blocks to signals in your model, use connect mode. Connect mode facilitates the process of connecting dashboard blocks in your model, especially when you want to connect multiple blocks at once. If you only want to connect a single dashboard block, you can also use the Connection table in the block dialog box.

Tip

You can modify dashboard block connections during normal and accelerator mode simulations.

To enter connect mode, select a dashboard block to connect and then on the block tab, click Connect. In connect mode, when you select one or more signals or blocks, a list of signals that are available for connection appears. Select a signal from the list to connect to the selected dashboard block. To connect another dashboard block, pause on the block you want to connect and click the Connect button above it. Then, select one or more signals and blocks in the model and choose a signal to connect.

When you finish connecting the dashboard blocks in your model, on the block tab, click Done Connecting.

Tip

You can hide the message shown on unconnected blocks using the set_param function with the ShowInitialText block parameter. The message also disappears when you connect the block.

Data Cursors

You can add data cursors to a Dashboard Scope block to inspect the displayed signals. The data cursors show when the Dashboard Scope block is selected. With the Dashboard Scope block selected, you can move cursors along the displayed signals to see the data values corresponding to each time sample. When you display two cursors, a box between the cursors along the time axis displays the time difference between the two cursors.

To add data cursors, right-click the Dashboard Scope block. Under the Data Cursors menu, select the number of cursors you want to add.

Zoom and Pan

You can also zoom and pan to inspect your signals. To change zoom and pan modes, right-click the Dashboard Scope block, and select the zoom or pan mode you want.

Signal Appearance

You can modify the color and line style for signals connected to a Dashboard Scope block from the Connection table in the block dialog box. To modify the appearance of a connected signal:

  1. Click the signal appearance preview for the signal in the Style column of the Connection table.

  2. Choose a signal color from the palette of standard colors or specify a custom color using RGB values between 0 and 255.

  3. Select the line style from the solid, dotted, dashed, and dot-dashed options under the Style section in the signal appearance dialog.

Signal color and line style remain consistent for a signal throughout a model. You can configure the line style and color for a signal through the Instrumentation Properties for a logged signal and through the Dashboard Scope block dialog of a Dashboard Scope block connected to the signal. The Override style and color setting is selected by default and controls whether signal appearance options chosen through that Dashboard Scope block dialog box override signal appearance options configured elsewhere in the model. When you clear the Override style and color setting, changes made using the dialog box for that Dashboard Scope block are not applied.

When you connect signals to a Dashboard Scope block using the block dialog box, the connection table shows the default signal color and line style used for a signal you connect. As you check signals to connect, the Connection table updates the default style and color to be used for the next signal you connect from the remaining signals in the selection.

Complex Signals

The Dashboard Scope block displays complex signals according to their Complex Format. You can configure the Complex Format for a signal using the Instrumentation Properties dialog box, accessible when you right-click the logging badge for the signal and select Properties.

A signal can have a Complex Format that is:

  • Real-Imaginary

  • Magnitude-Phase

  • Magnitude

  • Phase

When you set the Complex Format for a signal to Real-Imaginary or Magnitude-Phase, the Dashboard Scope block displays both components of the signal. The real or magnitude component displays in the color indicated in the Connection table. The imaginary or phase component displays in a different shade of the color indicated in the Connection table.

Limitations

  • You cannot use the Connection table to connect a Dashboard block to a block that is commented out. When you connect a Dashboard block to a commented block using connect mode, the Dashboard block does not display the connected value until the you uncomment the block.

  • The toolstrip does not support dashboard blocks that are in a panel.

  • Dashboard blocks cannot connect to signals inside referenced models.

  • When you simulate a model hierarchy, Dashboard blocks inside referenced models do not update.

  • Dashboard blocks do not support rapid accelerator simulation.

    • You cannot connect a dashboard block to data or activity in Stateflow® during simulation.

    • Some signals are removed by optimization and are not available during accelerator mode simulations. To view such a signal using a dashboard block, mark the signal for logging.

Parameters

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Select one or more signals to connect using the Connection table. Populate the Connection table by selecting signals of interest in your model. Select the check box next to the signal you want to display. Click Apply to connect the signal. To facilitate understanding and debugging your model, you can connect signals to a Dashboard Scope block during simulation.

You can also configure the line style and color for signals connected to a Dashboard Scope block using the Connection table. For more information, see Signal Appearance.

Programmatic Use

To programmatically specify one or more signals to connect to the Dashboard Scope block, use a cell array of Simulink.HMI.SignalSpecification objects.

Block Parameter: Binding
Type: cell array of Simulink.HMI.SignalSpecification objects
Default: []

To programmatically configure the line style and color for connected signals, use the Colors parameter. Specify the value for the Colors parameter as an array of structures, where each structure specifies the line style and color for one signal. Settings specified using the Colors parameter apply to the signal at the same index in the value for the Binding parameter.

Specify the line style and color for each signal as a structure with the fields:

  • Color — 1-by-3 [r g b] vector with values between 0 and 1 specifying the signal color.

  • LineStyle — Character vector specifying one of these line style options:

    • Solid: '-'

    • Dashed: '––'

    • Dotted: ':'

    • Dash-dotted: '-.'

sig1Colors.Color = [0 0 1];
sig1Colors.LineStyle = '--';
sig2Colors.Color = [1 0 1];
sig2Colors.LineStyle = '-';
sigColors = [sig1Colors sig2Colors];
Block Parameter: Colors
Type: array of structures

A finite, real, double, scalar value that sets the time span of the scope display.

When Time Span is set to auto, the block sets its time span to the model's simulation stop time.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: TimeSpan
Type: string or character array
Values: 'auto' or numeric value
Default: 'auto'

A finite, real, double, scalar value that sets the minimum of the vertical axis on the scope display.

Dependencies

The Min value must be less than the Max value.

Programmatic Use

To specify the Min parameter for the Dashboard Scope block programmatically, use a 1-by-2 vector containing the minimum y-axis value and maximum y-axis value, in that order.

Block Parameter: YLimits
Type: 1x2 vector
Default: [-3 3]

A finite, real, double, scalar value that sets the maximum of the vertical axis on the scope display.

Dependencies

The Max value must be greater than the Min value.

Programmatic Use

To specify the Max parameter for the Dashboard Scope block programmatically, use a 1-by-2 vector containing the minimum y-axis value and maximum y-axis value, in that order.

Block Parameter: YLimits
Type: 1x2 vector
Default: [-3 3]

Options from the drop-down menu specify the position of the legend in the scope display. The legend shows the color chosen for each connected signal next to the signal's name.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: LegendPosition
Type: string or character vector
Values: 'Top' | 'Right' | 'Hide'
Default: 'Top'

When on, performs a fit-to-view operation on the data displayed in the scope when the simulation stops.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: ScaleAtStop
Type: string or character vector
Values: 'on' | 'off'
Default: 'on'

When on, shows instructional text if the block is not connected. When the block is not connected, you can specify this parameter as off to hide the text.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: ShowInitialText
Type: string or character vector
Values: 'on' | 'off'
Default: 'on'

Model Examples

Modeling a Fault-Tolerant Fuel Control System

Modeling a Fault-Tolerant Fuel Control System

Combine Stateflow® with Simulink® to efficiently model hybrid systems. This type of modeling is particularly useful for systems that have numerous possible operational modes based on discrete events. Traditional signal flow is handled in Simulink while changes in control configuration are implemented in Stateflow. The model described below represents a fuel control system for a gasoline engine. The system is highly robust in that individual sensor failures are detected and the control system is dynamically reconfigured for uninterrupted operation.

Open Model
Control Merging Signals with the Push Button Block

Control Merging Signals with the Push Button Block

Use the Push Button block to control the mergedemo model.

Open Model
Interactively Simulate a Thermal Model of a House

Interactively Simulate a Thermal Model of a House

Use Dashboard blocks to configure and then interactively simulate a thermal model of a house.

Open Model
Tune the Relative Slip for an Anti-Lock Braking System

Tune the Relative Slip for an Anti-Lock Braking System

Tune the relative slip in a model of an anti-lock braking system using Dashboard blocks.

Open Model
Control the Duty Cycle of a PWM Signal Using Dashboard Blocks

Control the Duty Cycle of a PWM Signal Using Dashboard Blocks

Control the generation of a PWM signal from a dashboard of controls and displays.

Open Model
Interactively Simulate a Vehicle Climate Control System

Interactively Simulate a Vehicle Climate Control System

Use a dashboard of controls and indicators to interact with the simulation of an automobile climate control system.

Open Model

Block Characteristics

Data Types

Boolean | bus | double | enumerated | fixed point | half | integer | single | string

Direct Feedthrough

no

Multidimensional Signals

yes

Variable-Size Signals

no

Zero-Crossing Detection

no

Extended Capabilities

See Also

Topics

Introduced in R2015a

Simulink Documentation

Support