Real-Time Workshop and Embedded Coder Overview

The MathWorks model-based design approach makes all phases of the embedded system development process easier -- from concept through deployment. Simulink and Stateflow provide fine grain software design capabilities and bit-accurate simulation to let you develop executable software specification models. MathWorks native automatic code generation technologies preserve your model’s executable behavior and let you move smoothly through simulation, prototyping, implementation, testing, and finally into production. Real-Time Workshop and Stateflow Coder provide the foundational code generation capabilities for applications such as rapid prototyping, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, and host-based simulation acceleration. Real-Time Workshop Embedded Coder extends these capabilities with advanced features for memory optimization, data typing, verification, and deployment on production systems.

Real-Time Workshop Feature Summary

Real-Time Workshop is the code generator for Simulink. It provides the quickest method to explore and test new concepts and designs by using automatically generated ANSI-C code. Real-Time Workshop is a popular and proven solution for system designers who require rapid prototyping, hardware-in-the-loop simulation, stand-alone (real or non real-time) simulation, or generic algorithm export capability. In these phases of the design process, developers require robust analysis, testing, and debugging capabilities. Considerations that are directly related to the embedded software development phase such as memory optimization, code configuration and packaging, component testing, and code traceability are provided by the Real-Time Workshop Embedded Coder.

Real-Time Workshop features that aid system designers include:

Real-Time Workshop Embedded Coder Feature Summary

Real-Time Workshop Embedded Coder generates optimized ANSI-C or ISO-C code for fixed point and floating point microprocessors. It extends the capabilities provided by the Real-Time Workshop to support specification, integration, deployment, and testing of production applications on embedded targets. Real-Time Workshop Embedded Coder addresses targeting considerations such as RAM, ROM, and CPU constraints, code configuration, and code validation.

The Real-Time Workshop Embedded Coder supports all the Real-Time Workshop features listed above plus it adds:

Real-Time Workshop Targets

A Real-Time Workshop target specifies the overall framework of the generated code, determines its style, and enables options. Depending on your application's goal, you can select one of several targets. The two most popular targets are the Generic Real-Time (GRT) and Embedded Real-Time (ERT) targets. GRT exposes the features of Real-Time Workshop. ERT, a superset of GRT, exposes the combined features of Real-Time Workshop and Real-Time Workshop Embedded Coder.

The S-Function (RTWSFCN) target is for converting models into Simulink S-Function DLLs. This allows you to share models without compromising intellectual property. The Generic Real-Time Malloc (GRT-Malloc) target is a slight variant of GRT that adds dynamic memory allocation to GRT.

Custom targets, such as xPC Target, are achieved via target derivation. A Real-Time Workshop license is required if you use or derive from the GRT, GRT-Malloc, and RTWSFCN target. An additional Real-Time Workshop Embedded Coder license is required if you use or derive from the ERT target. The Embedded Target for Motorola MPC555, for example, derives from the ERT target and thus requires a Real-Time Workshop Embedded Coder license.

The ERT target contains a very important option “GRT compatible call interface.” Effectively, this ERT option allows you to create a single target that works seamlessly with or without a Real-Time Workshop Embedded Coder license.

Embedded Targets

Embedded target products let you deploy production code generated from Real-Time Workshop Embedded Coder directly onto microprocessor families. You use embedded targets to execute code in real-time on microcontrollers and DSPs for on-target rapid prototyping or production deployment of embedded applications. Each embedded target offers unique features and capabilities including, device driver blocks, target memory reporting and execution profiling, and integrations with third-party compilers and debuggers.

Embedded target products currently available include:

You can also create your own custom targets similar to these products using the comprehensive APIs provided by Real-Time Workshop and Real-Time Workshop Embedded Coder.

Rapid Simulation Target

The Rapid Simulation (RSim) Target generates extremely fast, standalone simulations for models using variable or fixed-step solvers. RSim supports modification of input signal data and model parameters by reading data from a MAT-File, without recompiling the generated code. This is particularly useful for "batch" and Monte Carlo simulation runs.

RSim is included with Real-Time Workshop.