Here is a summary of tools, resources, and tips for creating an SLRT app:
Upgrade to MATLAB R2024b if possible
App Designer support for SLRT has received several new features and we strongly recommend using a recent MATLAB release (R2024b) if possible. For a summary of the latest updates, see the SLRT Release Notes. You will also benefit from continuous enhancements in App Designer app performance and responsiveness.
Use SLRT App Generator
In the release R2022a, we introduced Simulink Real-Time App Generator. It is an app that enables you to automatically generate an App Designer app from a model within minutes. You can then open the generated MLAPP file in App Designer and apply additional changes to customize the app. SLRT App Generator can save you a lot of effort compared to designing the app from scratch and is the recommended approach for creating SLRT apps.
For more information on SLRT App Generator, see:
- How to create an SLRT app in less than 2 minutes (Video Tutorial)
- SLRT App Generator (Overview)
- Create App Designer Instrument Panels by Using App Generator
- Control Color of Lamp on Instrument Panel by Using App Generator
Use dedicated SLRT UI Components
The Component Library in App Designer includes a set of dedicated Simulink Real-Time UI components that support common operations with real-time applications. The following screenshot shows all SLRT UI components that are available as of R2025a:
An app created by SLRT App Generator will automatically include a toolstrip with key UI components (Target Selector, Connect, Load, Start, System Log). You can then open the generated MLAPP file in App Designer to add additional UI components. Advanced MATLAB users can create their app from scratch, as shown in: Create App Designer Instrument Panels by Using Simulink Real-Time Components.
App Designer Basics for SLRT
To design your fully custom app, or further customize your SLRT App Generator generated app, the following tutorials are a great place to get started:
- User Interfaces for Simulink Real-Time (Video Tutorial)
- Add App Designer App to Inverted Pendulum Model
- Basic App Designer App for Real-Time Application Interface
- Create App Designer Instrument Panels by Using Simulink Real-Time Components
Use the following objects and functions in the app code and callbacks:
- To control your target and real-time application, use a Menu, dedicated buttons (e.g. Update, Connect, Load, StartStop), or the 'slrealtime' target object.
- To tune parameters via UI components (e.g. Knob, Switch), use a ParameterTuner object, or use 'setparam' in the component callback.
- To live-stream signals to your app, use instruments.
- To plot signals, bind instruments to Axes using connectLine.
- To display signals in other UI components (e.g. Numeric Edit Field, Gauge, Lamp), bind instruments to components using connectScalar.
- To trigger actions based on target events, you can listen for target object events.
Create a Standalone SLRT App
If you have a MATLAB Compiler license, you can compile your App Designer GUI as a standalone executable to run it on a computer without a MATLAB installation/license. For more information, see the page below:Can I use MATLAB Compiler to create a standalone app for controlling a Simulink Real-Time application in R2020b and later?
