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Environment Controller

(Removed) Create branches of block diagram that apply only to simulation or only to code generation

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Environment Controller block has been removed. Use the Variant Source block instead. For more information, see Version History.

  • Environment Controller block

Libraries:
Simulink / Signal Routing

Description

The Environment Controller block outputs the signal at its Sim port only if the model that contains it is being simulated. It outputs the signal at its Coder port only if code is being generated from the model. This option enables you to create branches of a block diagram that apply only to simulation or code generation. This table describes various scenarios where either the Sim or Coder port applies.

ScenarioOutput
Normal mode simulationSim
Accelerator mode simulationSim
Rapid accelerator mode simulationSim
Simulation of a referenced model in normal or accelerator modesSim
Simulation of a referenced model in processor-in-the-loop (PIL) modeCoder
(uses the same code generated for a referenced model)
External mode simulationCoder
Standard code generationCoder
Code generation of a referenced modelCoder

Simulink® Coder™ software does not generate code for blocks connected to the Sim port if these conditions hold:

  • On the Code Generation > Optimization pane of the Configuration Parameters dialog box, you set Default parameter behavior to Inlined.

  • The blocks connected to the Sim port do not have external signals.

  • The Sim port input path does not contain an S-function or an Interpreted MATLAB Function block.

If you enable block reduction optimization, Simulink eliminates blocks in the branch connected to the Coder port when compiling the model for simulation. For more information, see Block reduction.

Note

Simulink Coder code generation eliminates the blocks connected to the simulation branch only if the simulation branch has the same signal dimensions as the code generation branch. Regardless of whether it eliminates the simulation branch, Simulink Coder uses the sample times on the simulation branch as well as the code generation branch to determine the fundamental sample time of the generated code and might, in some cases, generate sample-time handling code that applies only to sample times specified on the simulation branch.

Ports

Input

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Simulation input values, specified as a scalar, vector, or matrix. Input signal must have the same width as the input to the Coder port.

Data Types: single | double | half | int8 | int16 | int32 | int64 | uint8 | uint16 | uint32 | uint64 | Boolean | fixed point | enumerated | bus

Code generation input values, specified as a scalar, vector, or matrix. Input signal must have the same width as the input to the Sim port.

Data Types: single | double | half | int8 | int16 | int32 | int64 | uint8 | uint16 | uint32 | uint64 | Boolean | fixed point | enumerated | bus

Output

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Values from the Sim or Coder input port, depending on the current environment. For more information on what the block outputs in various simulation and code generation modes, see Description.

Data Types: single | double | half | int8 | int16 | int32 | int64 | uint8 | uint16 | uint32 | uint64 | Boolean | fixed point | enumerated | bus

Block Characteristics

Data Types

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

Direct Feedthrough

no

Multidimensional Signals

yes

Variable-Size Signals

no

Zero-Crossing Detection

no

Extended Capabilities

Fixed-Point Conversion
Design and simulate fixed-point systems using Fixed-Point Designer™.

Version History

Introduced before R2006a

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R2021b: Environment Controller block has been removed

The Environment Controller block has been removed from the Signal Routing library. Existing models that use this block continue to work with a warning. Use the Variant Source block with the Variant control mode parameter set to sim codegen switching instead. You can use Model Advisor or Upgrade Advisor to automatically identify and replace all instances of the Environment Controller block with the Variant Source block. For information on the Model advisor check, see Identify Environment Controller Blocks and Replace Them with Variant Source Blocks.

Variant blocks offer these advantages over the Environment Controller block:

  • Variant Source block with the Variant control mode parameter set to sim codegen switching allows you to automatically switch between simulation and code generation workflows. In this mode, Variant Source block supports these activation times:

    Variant activation timeBehavior
    update diagram

    Simulink sets the active choice during update diagram before the propagation of signal attributes. Inactive choices are removed prior to propagation of signal attributes, so the generated code contains only the active choice.

    update diagram analyze all choicesSimulink sets the active choice during update diagram after the propagation of signal attributes. Signal attributes are propagated to both active and inactive choices to check for consistency. Inactive choices are removed at the end of update diagram before model start occurs. The generated code contains only active choices.

  • Variant Sink block enables branching on the output side (destination of a signal).

  • Variant blocks highlight the path of the active variant choice during simulation and code generation.

  • Variant Source block offers optimal code generation compared to the Environment Controller block. The Environment Controller block can retain blocks connected to the Sim port in the generated code.

  • Variant blocks can be centrally managed using the Variant Manager tool, which offers these key capabilities:

    • Visualize the variant model hierarchy.

    • Define and validate multiple variant configurations of the model.

    • Generate a simplified model for a variant configuration using the Variant Reducer tool. For variant blocks with the Variant control mode parameter set to sim codegen switching, you can choose to retain the simulation branch or the code generation branch in the reduced model.

    • Compare variant configurations using the Variant Configuration Analysis tool.

    For more information, see Variant Manager for Simulink.

See Also

| (Simulink Coder)

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