Main Content

Create Signal

Create signal in Live Editor

Since R2022b

expand all in page

Description

The Create Signal task lets you create numerical, logical, and enumeration data. The task automatically generates MATLAB® code for your live script.

Using this task, you can interactively draw and refine numerical data values for vectors, timeseries, timetables, and data arrays using:

  • Pointer

  • Keyboard

  • Touchscreen

By default, the live task creates a workspace variable, createdSignal.

For general information about Live Editor tasks, see Add Interactive Tasks to a Live Script.

Create Signal task in Live Editor

Open the Task

To add the Create Signal task to a live script in the MATLAB Editor:

  • On the Live Editor tab, select Task > Create Signal.

  • In a code block in the script, type a relevant keyword, such as create signal, vector, timeseries, timetable, input, signal, or source. From the selected completions, select Create Signal.

Choosing Create Signal from command completion suggestions

Examples

expand all

Open Live Script

This example shows how to use the Create Signal Live Editor task to create numerical data by drawing an arc. By default, Create Signal creates a variable named createdSignal in the workspace with a numerical signal type and outputs data in the timeseries format.

In the Create signal values section, click , then left-click and drag to create a line of data points.

To the right of the window, observe the time and data points that result from the drawing.

To view a plot of the line, in the Display results section, click Plot. The plot displays to the right.

To see the code that this task generates, expand the task display by clicking at the bottom of the task parameter area.

You can use the createdSignal timeseries object data in many of the cases where you want to input data, for example, to import to Root Inport Mapper or to work with source blocks. To save this task, save the live script.

Open Live Script

This example shows how to use the Create Signal Live Editor task to create numerical data for an inport port in a model by drawing an arc. By default, Create Signal creates a variable named createdSignal in the workspace with a numerical signal type and outputs data in the timeseries format.

In the Create signal values section, click , then left-click and drag to create a line of data points.

To the right of the window, observe the time and data points that result from the drawing.

To view a plot of the line, in the Display results section, click Plot. The plot displays to the right.

At the bottom of the live task, add the code to open the CreateSignalInport model, set the createdSignal variable to the input, load the input from the workspace, and simulate the model.

In the live task, click Run.

In the model, open the Scope block.

Open Live Script

This example shows how to move one signal point, two signal points, or an entire plot in a Create Signal live task.

Move One Point

On the Live Editor tab, select Task > Create Signal.

Create a plot. In the Create signal values section, click Draw button, then left-click and drag to create a line of data points.

Click the Select and Move point(s) Select and move points button button. This action persists until you select another action.

Click a point. The move icon Move icon appears on top of the point.

Drag the point to another area of the plot.

Tip: You cannot drag the point horizontally past adjacent points.

Select and move point with select and move icons highlighted.

Move Two Points

On the Live Editor tab, select Task > Create Signal.

Create a plot. In the Create signal values section, click Draw button, then left-click and drag to create a line of data points.

Click the Select and Move point(s) Select and move points button button. This action persists until you select another action.

Click a point. To select another contiguous point, you can:

  • Click anywhere on the line between the two contiguous points.

  • Drag to the other point on the same line.

The move icon Move icon appears on top of the points.

Drag the points to another area of the plot.

Tip: You cannot drag the points horizontally past adjacent points.

Select and move two points with select and move icons highlighted.

Move Entire Plot

On the Live Editor tab, select Task > Create Signal.

Create a plot. In the Create signal values section, click Draw button, then left-click and drag to create a line of data points.

Click the Select and Move point(s) Select and move points button button. This action persists until you select another action.

Select the entire plot. Alternatively, double-click anywhere on the plot.

The move icon Move icon appears on top of the plot.

Select and move entire plot with select and move icons highlighted.

Related Examples

Parameters

expand all

Type of data to create, specified as Numerical, Logical, or Enumeration.

Data type of the created data, specified as Timeseries, Data array, Timeseries, and Timetable.

Interactively create signals using the palette of mouse and touchscreen actions. The interactively created data is plotted in the plot area. You can refine this data or create new data by:

  • Editing the data in the Time Data table using the keyboard

  • Manipulating the points in the plot using the pointer or touchscreen

ActionKeyboardPointerMulti-Touch

Insert point

Ctrl+P

Click Insert point

Tap

Insert line

Ctrl+L

Click Insert line

Pan and pinch

Select a point

Ctrl+T

Click Select point , then click and select point or area

To select all areas, double-click

Pan and pinch

To select all areas, double-tap

Move a point

Ctrl+M

Click Move and drag

Tap and move

Continuously delete points on a line

 

Click Erase

 

Draw

 

Click Draw

Pan

Zoom in, zoom out

 

Click Move or

Zoom out

.

 

Home

 

Click

Home

.

 

Pan in x-axis, y, and x- and y-axes

 

Click

Pan x-axis and y-axis

.

 

Expand along x-axis

Ctrl+pointer pan

 

Touch and drag along the x-axis in opposite directions

Expand along y-axis

Shift+pointer pan

 

Touch and drag along the y-axis in opposite directions

Snap X or Y to tick

   

Snap X or Y to grid

   

Set up the properties for your data. The data properties depend on the Select type of signal and Select output format settings. Depending on these settings, you can set properties such as:

  • Vector type

  • Data type

  • Variable names

  • Time units

To plot the data, select the Plot check box. The plot displays to the right.

Version History

Introduced in R2022b

expand all