Environment Controller

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

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

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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.

Scenario	Output
Normal mode simulation	Sim
Accelerator mode simulation	Sim
Rapid accelerator mode simulation	Sim
Simulation of a referenced model in normal or accelerator modes	Sim
Simulation of a referenced model in processor-in-the-loop (PIL) mode	Coder (uses the same code generated for a referenced model)
External mode simulation	Coder
Standard code generation	Coder
Code generation of a referenced model	Coder

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 Sim branch only if the Sim branch has the same signal dimensions as the Coder branch. Regardless of whether it eliminates the Sim branch, Simulink Coder uses the sample times on the Sim branch as well as the Coder 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 Sim branch.

Ports

Input

Sim — Simulation input

scalar | vector | matrix

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

Coder — Code generation input

scalar | vector | matrix

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

Out — Values from Sim or Coder input port

scalar | vector | matrix

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

C/C++ Code Generation

Generate C and C++ code using Simulink® Coder™.

Not recommended for production code. Relates to resource limits and restrictions on speed and memory often found in embedded systems. Generated code can contain dynamic allocation and freeing of memory, recursion, additional memory overhead, and widely-varying execution times. While the code is functionally valid and generally acceptable in resource-rich environments, smaller embedded targets often cannot support such code. Usually, blocks evolve toward being suitable for production code. Thus, blocks suitable for production code remain suitable.

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

Version History

Introduced before R2006a

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 time	Behavior
  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 choices	Simulink 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.