xPC Target Release Notes

Chapter 1
xPC Target 2.0 Release Notes

New Features

This section summarizes the new features and enhancements introduced in the xPC Target 2.0 and xPC Target Embedded Option 2.0.

Note    xPC Target 2.0 incorporates changes introduced in xPC Target 1.3, which was initially released in Web-downloadable form after Release 12.1 was released, but before Release 13. These Release Notes describe those changes, as well as changes introduced after Version 1.3.

Note    If you upgrade your xPC Target software from a previous version to 2.0, you need to recreate the target boot disk and you need to rebuild your xPC Target applications.

If you are upgrading from a release earlier than Release 12.1, then you should also see New Features.

xPC Target API

The xPC Target API is an open environment designed for a Windows operating system. It provides all of the information and accessibility you need to integrate with various development tools. You can use these development tools to develop and program a GUI application that connects with an xPC Target application.

The xPC Target API is distributed in two different libraries:

• xpcapi.dll -- DLL written in C with the necessary functions for your GUI application to link to at run time rather than link to statically at compile time.
• xpcapiCOM.dll -- Component Object Model DLL consisting of COM objects. You use these COM objects with your GUI application to control a target application.

A generated model specific COM DLL allows you to easy access preselected parameters and signals in your target application.

Check the xPC Target Product News Page at http://www.mathworks.com/support/product/XP/productnews/productnews.shtml for updated documentation on this feature.

Enhanced Data Logging and Tracing

You can now upload continuous data, without missing samples, while the target application is running. Use two or more host scopes with the new scope property sc.TriggerSample.

New Host PC GUI

xpcrctool (Remote Control Tool) is a graphical user interface (GUI) running on the host PC. This GUI allows you to remotely connect from MATLAB on a host PC to a target application on a target PC, tune parameters, trace signals, and log data.

This GUI includes a new signal viewer for adding and removing signals from an xPC Target Scope.

Additional I/O Support

The following I/O support has been added:

• Standard IP modules
• CONTEC boards and drivers
• Increased NI board support
• National counter boards
• UEI drivers
• SBS shared memory

Additional Async Events Support

xPC Target now supports the Real Time Devices DM6804 board. You can use the board an interrupt source for generating an asynchronous event.

Fortran Support

xPC Target now supports Fortran for using S-functions in Simulink.

Check the xPC Target Product News Page at http://www.mathworks.com/support/product/XP/productnews/productnews.shtml for updated documentation on this feature.

Polling Mode

A new execution mode (Polling Mode) has been introduced in the xPC Target kernel that enables smaller execution times. You should not use this mode unless absolutely necessary, because it will cause you to lose all host-target communication during model execution. Consequently, parameter tuning, signal monitoring, etc. capabilities are lost in this mode.

RS232 Binary Drivers

New drivers have been added for RS-232 I/O that enable you to send and receive arbitrary binary data.

From/To xPC Target Blocks

It is now possible to automatically generate From xPC Target blocks and To xPC Target blocks from an existing Simulink model representing your xPC Target application. This is done by tagging the blocks you want to use the From/To xPC Target blocks with.

Data Logging/Scope Data Upload Is Faster

Uploading logged data or data from an xPC Target scope (of type host) is now faster than it was in xPC Target 1.2.

Scope Data is Uploadable When State Is Interrupted

If an xPC Target scope of type host is interrupted before it can acquire a whole buffer of data, it is now possible to upload the data it has acquired. The uploaded data will still be of the entire buffer size; the last few samples where the data was not acquired will be set to zero.

Support For I82559ER-based Ethernet Cards

Some (mostly in embedded form factors) PCs have Ethernet controllers based on the I82559ER Ethernet controller from Intel. These controllers are now supported.

Scope Data/Data Logging Buffers Accessible Through WWW Interface

Data from xPC Target scopes of type host are uploadable through the WWW interface, as well as the data logged (states, outputs, TET) during application execution. This data is in Comma Separated Variable (CSV) format, which can be read by most spreadsheet programs and also by MATLAB.

Scope ID Autoincrement

xPC Target scopes have to have a unique identifier. This identifier had to be entered manually in case you had two or more xPC Target scope blocks. This has been changed so that the scope ID is automatically incremented to an appropriate value.

xPC Target Release Notes

Major Bug Fixes