Data Preparation Overview

R2026b

Data preparation for MBC model fitting is a structured, iterative process. Use the Import Data feature in the Model-Based Calibration Toolbox™ to load and work with data from external sources. Visualize data collected from physical hardware, Simulink® models, or other simulation software. Open the Data Editor from any node in the model tree, and use plotting tools to review the quality of the data. For more information, see Data Preparation.

Use the Data Editor to:

  • View and analyze the data using graphical tools.

  • Clean data by creating variables, applying filters, and removing invalid points.

  • Organize data by operating conditions for analysis.

After preparing the data, proceed to Empirical Modeling Overview to fit models to your data.

Import Data

After collecting data through physical dynamometer testing, simulation software, or other test methods, import the data into the MBC Model Fitting app. You can use data even if it was not collected using the Design Experiment tool. Use the Data Editor to import supported formats including .xls, .csv, .mat, or data copied from the MATLAB® workspace. Importing data might require merging data sets, particularly for incremental data processing. You might also need to define operating point groupings if the data has a hierarchical structure for point-by-point and two-stage modeling.

View and Edit Data

Use the Data Editor to review data quality, examine trends and input‑response relationships, and identify potential issues before model fitting. Use the Variable Editor, Filter Editor, and Operating Point Filter Editor dialog boxes to prepare the data.

Data Preparation StepDescriptionMore Info
Edit user-defined variables toolstrip button View and edit data

The Data Editor provides ways to visualize and edit data:

  • Use visualization tools, including 2-D plots, 3-D plots, and table view, to help identify missing, incorrect, or noisy values that require correction.

  • Manipulate data by changing values, removing columns, and selecting or removing data directly from plots.

View and Edit Data in the Data Editor
Edit user-defined variables toolstrip button Create and edit variables

The Variable Editor supports working with variables in a data set:

  • Create, modify, delete, reorder, or store variables for reuse in other data sets.

  • Define a sequence of variables when variables must be evaluated or computed in a specific order.

Create and Edit Variables Using the Variable Editor
Edit filters toolbar button Create and apply filters

The Filter Editor lets you remove invalid data based on defined rules or logical expressions:

  • Remove noisy or invalid data.

  • Apply constraints to select valid records.

  • Exclude unsuitable test points.

  • Prepare cleaned data for modeling and calibration workflows.

You can edit, update, or remove filters at any time. Store common expressions for reuse.

Create and Apply Filters Using the Filter Editor
Define operating point groups for two-stage or point-by-point modeling toolbar button Operating point groupings

The Define Operating Point Groupings dialog box helps you organize your data:

  • Organize data by grouping into operating conditions, such as speed or load.

  • Use groupings to support diagnostic analysis and modeling when system behavior varies by operating condition.

  • Visualize grouped data to assess coverage and identify sparse regions.

Define Operating Point Groupings

Optional Export

After completing data preparation, export the cleaned data set for use in other workflows.

See Also

Topics