Communication in Simulink

Vehicle network communication in Simulink^® using CAN

The Vehicle Network Toolbox™ block library includes sets of blocks that allow you to perform CAN or CAN FD communication in Simulink models.

Blocks

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CAN

CAN Configuration	Configure parameters for specified CAN device
CAN Pack	Pack individual signals into CAN message
CAN Receive	Receive CAN messages from specified CAN device
CAN Transmit	Transmit CAN message to selected CAN device
CAN Unpack	Unpack individual signals from CAN messages
CAN Replay	Replay logged CAN messages
CAN Log	Log received CAN messages

CAN FD

CAN FD Configuration	Configure parameters for specified CAN FD device
CAN FD Pack	Pack individual signals into message for CAN FD bus
CAN FD Unpack	Unpack individual signals from CAN FD messages
CAN FD Receive	Receive CAN FD messages from specified CAN FD device
CAN FD Transmit	Transmit CAN FD message to selected CAN FD device
CAN FD Log	Log received CAN FD messages
CAN FD Replay	Replay logged CAN FD messages

Functions

`canMessageBusType`	Create Simulink CAN message bus
`canFDMessageBusType`	Create Simulink CAN FD message bus
`canMessageReplayBlockStruct`	Convert CAN messages for use as CAN Replay block output

Topics

CAN Communication Workflows in Simulink
Common CAN model workflows.
Vehicle Network Toolbox Simulink Blocks
Introduction to the Vehicle Network Toolbox block library.
Open the Vehicle Network Toolbox Block Library
How to access the block library in Simulink.
Build CAN Communication Simulink Models
Examples of using Vehicle Network Toolbox blocks.
ARXML File Support for CAN in Simulink
CAN Pack and CAN Unpack blocks support ARXML files, including Protocol Data Unit (PDU).
Timing in Hardware Interface Models
Determine block execution frequency and relate to real-world time.
Create Custom CAN Blocks
Create custom Receive and Transmit blocks to use with hardware not directly supported by the toolbox.
Supported Block Features
Supported features of blocks in the Vehicle Network Toolbox block library.

Featured Examples

Get Started with CAN Communication in Simulink

Use MathWorks^® virtual CAN channels to set up transmission and reception of CAN messages in Simulink.

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Get Started with CAN FD Communication in Simulink

Use MathWorks® virtual CAN FD channels to set up transmission and reception of CAN FD messages in Simulink®. The virtual channels are connected in a loopback configuration.

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CAN Message Reception Behavior in Simulink

Observe the message processing behaviors of the CAN Receive and CAN Unpack blocks in multiple modeling scenarios. This example demonstrates two cases, with and without using the function trigger f() port of the CAN Receive block. The outputs of the model indicate the number of CAN messages unpacked for downstream processing in each case. The example uses MathWorks virtual CAN channels to send CAN messages from MATLAB to the Simulink model. These modeling practices and behavior also apply to the CAN FD protocol using the Vehicle Network Toolbox CAN FD blocks.

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Periodic CAN Message Transmission Behavior in Simulink

Set up periodic transmission and reception of CAN messages in Simulink® using MathWorks® virtual CAN channels. The virtual channels are connected in a loopback configuration.

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Event-Based CAN Message Transmission Behavior in Simulink

Use event-based CAN message transmission in Simulink® with Vehicle Network Toolbox™. This feature allows for CAN and CAN FD message transmission when a change in data from one time step to the next is detected.

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Log and Replay CAN Messages

Log and replay CAN messages using MathWorks® Virtual CAN channels in Simulink®. You can update this model to connect to supported hardware on your system.

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Log and Replay CAN FD Messages

Log and replay CAN FD messages using MathWorks® virtual CAN FD channels in Simulink®. You can update this model to connect to supported hardware on your system.

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Programmatically Build Simulink Models for CAN Communication

Programmatically construct a Simulink® model to introduce CAN or CAN FD communication using a CAN DBC file. With the add_block and set_param functions of Simulink, one can add and fully configure Vehicle Network Toolbox™ blocks to add network communication to a basic algorithm. The DBC file contains the CAN messages and signal details. The primary focus is to programmatically configure CAN and CAN FD Pack and Unpack block parameters. This can significantly increase model construction efficiency.