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Dashboard Scope

Trace signals on scope display during simulation

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  • Dashboard Scope block

Libraries:
Simulink / Dashboard

Description

The Dashboard Scope block plots connected signals during simulation on a scope display. You can use the Dashboard Scope block with other dashboard blocks to build an interactive dashboard of controls and indicators for your model. Signals connected to the Dashboard Scope block log to the Simulation Data Inspector for analysis during or after simulation. The Dashboard Scope block can display signals of any data type that Simulink® supports, including enumerated data types, and up to eight signals from an array or bus.

Connect Dashboard Blocks

Dashboard blocks do not use ports to connect to model elements. To connect dashboard blocks to signals in your model, use connect mode. Connect mode facilitates the process of connecting dashboard blocks in your model, especially when you want to connect multiple blocks at once. To connect a single dashboard block, you can also use the Connection table in the block dialog box.

Tip

You can modify dashboard block connections during normal and accelerator mode simulations.

To enter connect mode, in the canvas, select the dashboard block to connect. On the Simulink Toolstrip, a tab named after the type of the selected block appears. On the block tab, click Connect. In connect mode, when you select one or more signals or blocks, a list of signals that are available for connection appears. Select a signal from the list to connect to the selected dashboard block. To connect another dashboard block, pause on the block you want to connect and click the Connect button above it. Then, select one or more signals and blocks in the model and choose a signal to connect.

A Gauge block is in connect mode. To the right of the Gauge block is a Sine Wave block that connects to a Gain block that connects to an Outport block. To the right of the Outport block is the list of signals available for connection.

When you finish connecting the dashboard blocks in your model, on the block tab, click Done Connecting.

Tip

You can hide the message shown on unconnected blocks using the set_param function with the ShowInitialText block parameter. The message also disappears when you connect the block.

Analyze Signal Data

You can use the subplot menu or the context menu for the Dashboard Scope block to:

  • Show or hide data cursors.

  • Zoom out by a fixed amount.

  • Configure the mouse interaction to pan and select or to zoom in time, in y, or in both time and y.

  • Perform a fit-to-view in time, in y, or in both time and y.

To access the subplot menu, select the Dashboard Scope block then click the three dots that appear when you pause on the plot area.

A selected Dashboard Scope block with two cursors displayed and the subplot menu visible.

Configure Signal Line Style and Color

You can modify the color and line style for signals connected to a Dashboard Scope block using the Connection table in the Block Parameters dialog box or the Property Inspector. To modify the appearance of a connected signal:

  1. Click the preview of the signal appearance in the Style column of the Connection table.

    Line color and style selection menu for a signal connected to a Dashboard Scope block.

  2. Choose a color from the palette of standard colors or select the Custom tab to specify a custom color using RGB values between 0 and 255.

  3. Select the line style from the solid, dotted, dashed, and dot-dashed options in the Style column.

  4. Click Set.

When you mark a signal connected to the Dashboard Scope block for signal logging, you can also configure the signal color and line style using the Instrumentation Properties dialog box. In the signal color and line style menu for the Dashboard Scope block, the Override style and color option is selected by default and specifies whether signal appearance options you choose using the Connection table for the Dashboard Scope block override signal appearance options configured in the instrumentation properties for the connected signals.

When you connect signals to the Dashboard Scope block using the Block Parameters dialog box, the connection table shows the default signal color and line style for each signal you connect. As you select signals to connect, the Connection table updates the style and color for signals that are not selected to indicate the style and color for the next signal you connect.

Connection table for a Dashboard Scope block with several options of signals to connect and two signals selected.

Configure Complex Signal Format

When you connect a complex signal to the Dashboard Scope block, you can configure how the signal is displayed by specifying the Complex Format property for the signal:

  1. Mark the complex signal for signal logging.

  2. Right-click the logging badge for the complex signal and select Properties.

  3. Specify the Complex Format.

  4. Click OK.

When you specify the Complex Format for a signal as Real-Imaginary or Magnitude-Phase, the Dashboard Scope block displays both components of the signal. The real or magnitude component is displayed using the color indicated in the Connection table. The imaginary or phase component is displayed using a different shade of the color indicated in the Connection table.

Examples

Model a Fault-Tolerant Fuel Control System

Model a Fault-Tolerant Fuel Control System

Combine Stateflow® with Simulink® to efficiently model hybrid systems. This type of modeling is particularly useful for systems that have numerous possible operational modes based on discrete events. Traditional signal flow is handled in Simulink while changes in control configuration are implemented in Stateflow. The model described below represents a fuel control system for a gasoline engine. The system is highly robust in that individual sensor failures are detected and the control system is dynamically reconfigured for uninterrupted operation.

Open Model
Control Merging Signals with the Push Button Block

Control Merging Signals with the Push Button Block

Use the Push Button block to control the mergedemo model.

Open Model
Interactively Simulate a Thermal Model of a House

Interactively Simulate a Thermal Model of a House

Use Dashboard blocks to configure and then interactively simulate a thermal model of a house.

Open Model
Tune the Relative Slip for an Anti-Lock Braking System

Tune the Relative Slip for an Anti-Lock Braking System

Tune the relative slip in a model of an anti-lock braking system using Dashboard blocks.

Open Model
Control the Duty Cycle of a PWM Signal Using Dashboard Blocks

Control the Duty Cycle of a PWM Signal Using Dashboard Blocks

Control the generation of a PWM signal from a dashboard of controls and displays.

Open Model
Interactively Simulate Vehicle Climate Control System

Interactively Simulate Vehicle Climate Control System

Use a dashboard of controls and indicators to interact with the simulation of an automobile climate control system.

Open Model

Limitations

  • You cannot use the Connection table to connect a dashboard block to a block that is commented out. When you connect a dashboard block to a commented block using connect mode, the dashboard block does not display the connected value until the you uncomment the block.

  • The toolstrip does not support dashboard blocks that are in a panel.

  • Dashboard blocks cannot connect to signals inside referenced models.

  • When you simulate a model hierarchy, dashboard blocks inside referenced models do not update.

  • Dashboard blocks do not support rapid accelerator simulation.

  • You cannot connect a dashboard block to state activity or chart data in Stateflow® during simulation.

  • You cannot programmatically connect a dashboard block to state activity or chart data in Stateflow.

  • Some signals do not have data available during simulation due to block reduction or optimization for accelerator mode simulations. To view such a signal using a dashboard block, mark the signal for logging.

Parameters

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Connection Table

Use the Connection table to select one or more signals to display and to configure the line style and color.

Populate the Connection table by selecting signals in the model. To connect a signal, select the check box next to the signal you want to connect, then click Apply.

Tips

You can connect signals to a Dashboard Scope block during simulation.

Programmatic Use

To programmatically specify one or more signals to connect to the Dashboard Scope block, use a cell array of Simulink.HMI.SignalSpecification objects.

Block Parameter: Binding
Type: cell array of Simulink.HMI.SignalSpecification objects
Default: []

You can configure the line style and color for signals connected to a Dashboard Scope block using the Connection table. To change the line style or color for a signal, in the Style column that corresponds to the signal row, click the preview of the signal appearance. When Override style and color is cleared, the Style column displays the word auto instead of a preview of the line style. For more information, see Configure Signal Line Style and Color.

Programmatic Use

To programmatically configure the line style and color for connected signals, use the Colors parameter. Specify the value for the Colors parameter as an array of structures where each structure specifies the style override setting, line style, and line color for one signal. Settings specified using the Colors parameter apply to the signal at the same index in the value for the Binding parameter.

Specify the line style and color for each signal as a structure with these fields:

  • Auto — Style override setting specified by:

    • "on" — Line style and color automatically set by the software

    • "off" — Line style and color specified by Color and LineStyle

  • Color — 1-by-3 [r g b] vector with values between 0 and 1.

  • LineStyle — Character vector that specifies one of these line style options:

    • Solid: '-'

    • Dashed: '––'

    • Dotted: ':'

    • Dash-dotted: '-.'

sigColors1.Color = '';
sigColors1.LineStyle = '';
sigColors1.Auto = "on";
sigColors2.Color = [0 0 1];
sigColors2.LineStyle = '--';
sigColors2.Auto = "off";
sigColors = [sigColors1 sigColors2];

set_param(blockPath,'Colors',sigColors);
Block Parameter: Colors
Type: array of structures

Main

A finite, real, double, scalar value that sets the time span of the plot.

When Time Span is set to auto, the block sets its time span to the simulation stop time.

Tips

When you set the Time Span to a value that is less than the duration of the simulation, use the Update Mode parameter to control whether the display wraps or scrolls when the simulation time exceeds the specified time span.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: TimeSpan
Type: string | character array
Values: 'auto' or numeric value
Default: 'auto'

How the display updates during simulation, specified as Wrap or Scroll.

  • Wrap — Display wraps to show incoming data after simulation time reaches end of time span.

  • Scroll — Display scrolls to show incoming data after simulation time reaches end of time span.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: UpdateMode
Type: string | character array
Values: 'Wrap' | 'Scroll'
Default: 'Wrap'

A finite, real, double, scalar value that sets the minimum of the vertical axis.

Tips

To maintain the minimum and maximum vertical axis limits set by Min and Max after the simulation stops, clear Scale axes limits at stop.

Programmatic Use

To specify the Min parameter for the Dashboard Scope block programmatically, create a 1-by-2 vector that contains the minimum y-axis value and maximum y-axis value, in that order.

Block Parameter: YLimits
Type: 1x2 vector
Default: [-3 3]

A finite, real, double, scalar value that sets the maximum of the vertical axis.

Tips

To maintain the minimum and maximum vertical axis limits set by Min and Max after the simulation stops, clear Scale axes limits at stop.

Programmatic Use

To specify the Max parameter for the Dashboard Scope block programmatically, create a 1-by-2 vector that contains the minimum y-axis value and maximum y-axis value, in that order.

Block Parameter: YLimits
Type: 1x2 vector
Default: [-3 3]

When enabled, the connected signal data is normalized to display on a y-axis range of [0,1].

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: NormalizeYAxis
Type: string | character vector
Values: 'on' | 'off'
Default: 'off'

When enabled, performs a fit-to-view operation on the data displayed in the plot when the simulation stops.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: ScaleAtStop
Type: string | character vector
Values: 'on' | 'off'
Default: 'on'

When enabled, shows instructional text if the block is not connected. When the block is not connected, you can specify this parameter as off to hide the text.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: ShowInitialText
Type: string | character vector
Values: 'on' | 'off'
Default: 'on'

Display

Axes tick positions, specified as Outside, Inside, or None.

  • Outside — Ticks are drawn on the outside of the x- and y-axes.

  • Inside — Ticks are drawn on the inside of the x- and y-axes.

  • None — No ticks are shown on the x- or y-axes.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: TicksPosition
Type: string | character vector
Values: 'Outside' | 'Inside' | 'None'
Default: 'Outside'

Visibility of tick labels on the x- and y-axes.

  • All — Ticks labels are shown on the x- and y-axes.

  • T-Axis — Tick labels are shown on the x-axis only.

  • Y-Axis — Tick labels are shown on the y-axis only.

  • None — No tick labels are shown on the x- or y-axis.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: TickLabels
Type: string | character vector
Values: 'All' | 'T-Axis' | 'Y-Axis' | 'None'
Default: 'All'

You can position the legend at the top of the plot inside or outside the plot area or on the right of the plot inside or outside the plot area. You can also hide the legend. The legend shows the color chosen for each connected signal next to the signal name.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: LegendPosition
Type: string | character vector
Values: 'Top' | 'Right' | 'InsideTop' | 'InsideRight | 'Hide'
Default: 'Top'

Visibility of horizontal grid lines.

  • on — Horizontal grid lines are visible on Dashboard Scope.

  • off — Horizontal grid lines are not shown on Dashboard Scope.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: Grid
Type: string | character vector
Values: 'All' | 'Horizontal' | 'Vertical' | 'None'
Default: 'All'

Visibility of vertical grid lines.

  • on — Vertical grid lines are visible on Dashboard Scope.

  • off — Vertical grid lines are not shown on Dashboard Scope.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: Grid
Type: string | character vector
Values: 'All' | 'Horizontal' | 'Vertical' | 'None'
Default: 'All'

Plot border visibility.

  • on — Plot border is shown on Dashboard Scope.

  • off — Plot border is not shown on Dashboard Scope.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: Border
Type: string | character vector
Values: 'on' | 'off'
Default: 'on'

When enabled, data markers are shown for signals plotted on the Dashboard Scope block.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: Markers
Type: string | character vector
Values: 'on' | 'off'
Default: 'off'

Style

Select the color for the grid lines from a palette of standard colors or specify a custom color using RGB values between 0 and 255.

Programmatic Use

Specify the ForegroundColor parameter for the block as a string or a character vector that defines a 1-by-3 [r g b] vector with values between 0 and 1.

Block Parameter: ForegroundColor
Type: string | character vector
Values: [r g b] vector

Select the color for the plot area from a palette of standard colors or specify a custom color using RGB values between 0 and 255.

Programmatic Use

Specify the BackgroundColor parameter for the block as a string or a character vector that defines a 1-by-3 [r g b] vector with values between 0 and 1.

Block Parameter: BackgroundColor
Type: string | character vector
Values: [r g b] vector

Select the color for the ticks and tick labels from a palette of standard colors or specify a custom color using RGB values between 0 and 255.

Programmatic Use

Specify the FontColor parameter for the block as a 1-by-3 [r g b] vector with values between 0 and 1.

Block Parameter: FontColor
Type: [r g b] vector

Block Characteristics

Data Types

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

Direct Feedthrough

no

Multidimensional Signals

yes

Variable-Size Signals

no

Zero-Crossing Detection

no

Extended Capabilities

Version History

Introduced in R2015a

See Also

Topics