Connect Dashboard Blocks to Simulink Model

Create an interactive dashboard to tune the value of a variable or block parameter and monitor signal values during simulation or while the simulation is paused. There are two types of dashboard blocks:

Controls — Connect to block parameters or variables to tune values during simulation.
Displays — Connect to signals to display the signal value during simulation.

You can also customize dashboard blocks to look like real system controls and displays by choosing blocks from the Customizable Blocks library. For more information, see Customizable Blocks.

Dashboard blocks do not use ports to connect to model elements. Instead, use connect mode to easily establish connections between dashboard blocks and elements in your model. Connect mode is especially useful when you want to connect multiple dashboard blocks to your model. To connect a single dashboard block, you can also use the connection table in the Block Parameters dialog box.

Connect Interactive Controls and Displays

Open Live Script

The model ConnectDashboardBlocks contains a Sine Wave block and three Constant blocks. The model also contains eight dashboard blocks that are not connected to the model yet. This example shows how to quickly connect multiple dashboard blocks using connect mode, how to connect and tune an interactive control and display using the Block Parameters dialog box, and how to disconnect dashboard blocks from your model.

Connect One or More Dashboard Blocks Using Connect Mode

You can use dashboard blocks to tune and visualize your model during simulation.

To tune the value of a variable or block parameter during simulation, you can connect a control from the Dashboard library or Customizable Dashboard library.
To view signal values during simulation, you can connect a display from the Dashboard library or Customizable Dashboard library.

To quickly connect one or more dashboard blocks, enter connect mode.

For example, connect the three Slider blocks to the three Constant blocks, and connect the three Linear Gauge blocks to the constant signals. To enter connect mode and connect the Slider blocks to the corresponding Constant blocks:

Select or pause on a Slider block. For example, select the Slider block named Slider1.
Click the Connect button above the block.
Select the corresponding Constant block. For example, select the Constant block named Constant1.
In the table of tunable parameters, select the parameter to tune. For example, select Constant1:Value.

While in connect mode, you can connect the display blocks to signals in a similar way.

Select or pause on a Linear Gauge block. For example, select the Linear Gauge block named Linear Gauge1.
Click the Connect button above the block.
Select the corresponding signal. For example, select the signal named const1.
In the table, select the signal to display. For example, select const1.

When you are done connecting dashboard blocks to your model, to exit connect mode, click the Done Connecting button above the last dashboard block you connected.

Animation showing how to connect connect dashboard blocks using connect mode.

Connect and Tune Interactive Control

When you want to tune and connect a control dashboard block at the same time, you can use the Block Parameters dialog box.

For example, suppose you want to use the Knob block to interactively change the amplitude of the Sine Wave block to a value between 0 and 10. Connect the Knob block to the Amplitude parameter of the Sine Wave block, and limit the values on the Knob block to your desired range.

To open the Block Parameters dialog box, double-click the Knob block. From the Block Parameters dialog box, you can connect tunable parameters and specify the scale of the block.
Select the Sine Wave block.
In the table of available parameters to connect to, select Sine Wave:Amplitude.
To limit the scale of the Knob block, set Maximum to 10.

Block Parameters dialog box for the Knob block

Connect and Tune Interactive Display to View Signal Values During Simulation

You can tune and connect a display dashboard block using the Block Parameters dialog box.

For example, connect the Gauge block to the sineSig signal to view the values of the sine wave during simulation. Since the possible values of the sine wave are between -10 and 10, you can scale the Gauge block to correspond to the data.

To open the Block Parameters dialog box, double-click the Gauge block.
Select the sineSig signal.
In the table of available signals to connect to, select sineSig.
To scale the Gauge block, set Minimum to -10 and Maximum to 10.

Block Parameters dialog box for the Gauge block

Disconnect Dashboard Blocks

You can also disconnect dashboard blocks. For example, disconnect the Knob block from the Sine Wave block.

Select the Knob block.
On the Knob tab, click Change Connection.
Select Disconnect.

The Disconnect button

Connect Dashboard Blocks to Matrices and Structures

Open Live Script

This example shows how to connect a control block from the Dashboard library or the Customizable blocks library to:

An element of a matrix
The field of a structure with a scalar value
An element of a matrix that is stored in a structure

While you can pass structures from one block to another using buses, and you can connect a control block to a field in a structure, connecting display blocks to buses is not supported.

Connect Control Block to Element of Matrix

In this example, you connect a Rocker Switch block from the Customizable blocks library to the element in the second column of the row vector [1 2 3].

Open the model ConnectToMatrixElem.slx.

open("ConnectToMatrixElem")

The model contains a Constant block that connects to a Display block. The value of the Constant block is the row vector [1 2 3]. The Display block shows the values of the row vector elements during simulation.

Add a Rocker Switch block to the model using the Simulink® quick insert menu:

To open the quick insert menu, double-click in the canvas.
To search for the Rocker Switch block, type Rocker Switch.
Select the search result with the library path Simulink/Dashboard/Customizable Blocks.

To connect the Rocker Switch block:

Pause on the Rocker Switch block.
Click the Connect button that appears.
Click the Constant block.
In the table that appears, select Constant:Value.
To specify which element to connect to, in the text box, enter 2. Since the value of the Constant block is a row vector, you can specify the element by entering the column number. If the value were a column vector, you could specify the element using the row number. Alternatively, you can specify the element using both the row and column numbers: (1,2).
Press Enter.
Pause on the Rocker Switch block again and click the Done Connecting button that appears.

Animation showing how to conect the Rocker switch block to the second element in a row vector.

Run the simulation. Click the On and Off sides of the Rocker Switch block. When you click the Off side of the switch, the value of the element in the second column of the row vector changes to 0, and when you click the On side, the value changes to 1.

The Rocker Switch block is used to change the value of the second element in the row vector to 1.

Stop the simulation.

Double-click the Constant block. Change the value of the Constant block to [1 2 3; 4 5 6].

Connect the Rocker Switch block to the element in the second row and third column of the matrix.

Select the Rocker Switch block.
Pause on the ellipsis (...) that appears above the block.
In the action menu that expands, click the Connect button.
Click the Constant block.
To specify which element to connect to, in the text box, enter (2,3).
Press Enter.
Pause on the Rocker Switch block and click the Done Connecting button that appears.

The Rocker Switch block connected to the element in the second row and third column of the matrix.

Run the simulation. Resize the display block to show the values of the two-by-three matrix. Click the On and Off sides of the Rocker Switch block. Flipping the switch changes the value of the element in the second row and third column of the matrix.

Connect Control Block to Field of Structure with Scalar Value

Suppose you have a structure that captures information about six gears in a transmission.

For each gear, the structure has these two fields:

engaged specifies whether the driver has engaged the gear (0 for no, 1 for yes).
fault specifies whether a fault is detected by the transmission system when the gear is engaged (0 for no, 1 for yes).

In this example, you connect a Rocker Switch block from the Customizable blocks library to the field in this structure that specifies whether the fourth gear is engaged.

Open the model ConnectToStructElem.slx.

open("ConnectToStructScalar")

The model uses a callback function to initialize the gear structure before the model loads. The top level of the structure contains the names of the gears.

disp(gear)

      first: [1x1 struct]
     second: [1x1 struct]
      third: [1x1 struct]
     fourth: [1x1 struct]
      fifth: [1x1 struct]
    reverse: [1x1 struct]

The second level of the structure contains the fields engaged and fault.

disp(gear.fourth)

      fault: 0
    engaged: 0

The model contains a Constant block that connects to a To Virtual Bus block that connects to a Display block. The value of the Constant block is the gear structure. The Display block shows the values of the structure fields engaged and fault during simulation.

Update the diagram by pressing Ctrl+D (on macOS, press command+D).

Add a Rocker Switch block to the model using the Simulink quick insert menu:

To open the quick insert menu, double-click in the canvas.
To search for the Rocker Switch block, type Rocker Switch.
Select the search result with the library path Simulink/Dashboard/Customizable Blocks.

To connect the Rocker Switch block:

Pause on the Rocker Switch block.
Click the Connect button that appears.
Click the Constant block.
In the table that appears, select gears(base workspace).
To specify which field to connect to, in the text box, enter fourth.engaged.
Press Enter.
Pause on the Rocker Switch block again and click the Done Connecting button that appears.

Animation showing how to connect the Rocker Switch block to a field of the gear structure.

Run the simulation. Click the On and Off sides of the Rocker Switch block. When you click the Off side of the switch, the value of the field labeled Fourth gear, engaged switches to 0. When you click the On side of the switch, the value of the field labeled Fourth gear, engaged switches to 1.

The Rocker Switch block is set to on which sets the Fourth gear, engaged field to 1. '

Connect Control Block to Element of Matrix in Structure

Suppose you have five different laboratory stations, named A through E. During an experiment, for each station, you record the temperature you set for the station and the average of the temperature measured at the station over the duration of the experiment. You store the data in a structure. The structure contains a field for each laboratory station, and each field contains a row vector that stores the set and measured temperatures.

In this example, you connect a Knob block from the Customizable blocks library to the set temperature of station B.

Open the model ConnectToStructMatrixElem.slx.

open("ConnectToStructMatrixElem")

The model uses a callback function to initialize the T structure before the model loads. The top level of the structure contains the names of the laboratory stations.

disp(T)

    stationA: [23 23.4000]
    stationB: [19.5000 20.6000]
    stationC: [23 22.2000]
    stationD: [23 21.5000]
    stationE: [25 24.4000]

The second level of the structure contains a row vector. The first column of the row vector specifies the set temperature of the laboratory station. The second column specifies the measured temperature.

disp(T.stationB)

   19.5000   20.6000

The model contains a Constant block that connects to a To Virtual Bus block that connects to a Display block. The value of the Constant block is the T structure. The Display block shows the set and measured temperatures for each laboratory station.

Update the diagram by pressing Ctrl+D (on macOS, press command+D).

Add a Knob block to the model using the Simulink quick insert menu:

To open the quick insert menu, double-click in the canvas.
To search for the Knob block, type Knob.
Select the search result with the library path Simulink/Dashboard/Customizable Blocks.

To connect the Knob block:

Pause on the Knob block.
Click the Connect button that appears.
Click the Constant block.
In the table that appears, select T(base workspace).
You want to connect to the field corresponding to station B. The set temperature is specified in the first column of the row vector stored in the field. In the text box, enter stationB(1,1).
Press Enter.
Pause on the knob block again and click the Done Connecting button that appears.

Animation showing how to connect the Knob block to the set temperature of station B.

Run the simulation. To turn the knob, click and drag the handle, or, on the scale, click the value you want to turn the knob to. When you turn the knob, the set temperature of station B changes.

The Know block is turned to 49.52 which sets the set temeperature value of Station B to 49.52.