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systemcomposer.interface.DataElement

Data element in data interface

Since R2021b

    Description

    A DataElement object represents a data element in a data interface.

    Creation

    Create a data element using the addElement function.

    element = addElement(interface,'newElement')

    Properties

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    Parent data interface of data element, specified as a systemcomposer.interface.DataInterface object.

    Data element name, specified as a character vector or string.

    Example: 'newElement'

    Data Types: char | string

    Type of data element, specified as a systemcomposer.interface.DataInterface or systemcomposer.ValueType object.

    Dimensions of data element, specified as a character vector or string.

    Data Types: char | string

    Description of data element, specified as a character vector or string.

    Data Types: char | string

    Unique external identifier, specified as a character vector. The external ID is preserved over the lifespan of the element and through all operations that preserve the UUID.

    Data Types: char

    Universal unique identifier, specified as a character vector.

    Example: '91d5de2c-b14c-4c76-a5d6-5dd0037c52df'

    Data Types: char

    Object Functions

    moveInterfaceMove interface to another data dictionary
    setNameSet name for value type, function argument, interface, or element
    setTypeSet shared type on data element or function argument
    setDimensionsSet dimensions for value type
    setUnitsSet units for value type
    setComplexitySet complexity for value type
    setMinimumSet minimum for value type
    setMaximumSet maximum for value type
    setDescriptionSet description for value type or interface
    createOwnedTypeCreate owned value type on data element or function argument
    destroyRemove model element

    Examples

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    Build an architecture model programmatically using System Composer™.

    To build a model, add a data dictionary with data interfaces, data elements, a value type, and a physical interface, then add components, ports, and connections. Create a profile with stereotypes and properties and then apply those stereotypes to model elements. Assign an owned interface to a port. After the model is built, you can create custom views to focus on specific considerations. You can also query the model to collect different model elements according to criteria you specify.

    Add Components, Ports, Connections, and Interfaces

    Create a model and extract its architecture.

    model = systemcomposer.createModel("mobileRobotAPI");
    arch = model.Architecture;

    Create an interface data dictionary and add a data interface. Add a data element to the data interface. Add a value type to the interface data dictionary. Assign the type of the data element to the value type. Add a physical interface and physical element with a physical domain type. Link the data dictionary to the model.

    dictionary = systemcomposer.createDictionary("SensorInterfaces.sldd");
    interface = dictionary.addInterface("GPSInterface");
    element = interface.addElement("SignalStrength");
    valueType = dictionary.addValueType("SignalStrengthType",Units="dB", ...
        Description="GPS Signal Strength");
    element.setType(valueType);
    physicalInterface = dictionary.addPhysicalInterface("PhysicalInterface");
    physicalElement = addElement(physicalInterface,"ElectricalElement", ...
        Type="electrical.electrical");
    linkDictionary(model,"SensorInterfaces.sldd");

    Save the changes to the interface data dictionary.

    dictionary.save

    Save the model.

    model.save

    Open the model.

    systemcomposer.openModel("mobileRobotAPI");

    View the interfaces in the Interface Editor.

    Interface Editor with new data interfaces, data elements, value type, and physical interface

    Add components, ports, and connections. Set the physical interface to the physical ports, which you connect later.

    componentSensor = addComponent(arch,"Sensor");
    sensorPorts = addPort(componentSensor.Architecture,{'MotionData','SensorPower'}, ...
        {'in','physical'});
    sensorPorts(2).setInterface(physicalInterface)
    
    componentPlanning = addComponent(arch,"Planning");
    planningPorts = addPort(componentPlanning.Architecture, ...
        {'Command','SensorPower1','MotionCommand'}, ...
        {'in','physical','out'});
    planningPorts(2).setInterface(physicalInterface)
    
    componentMotion = addComponent(arch,"Motion");
    motionPorts = addPort(componentMotion.Architecture,{'MotionCommand','MotionData'}, ...
        {'in','out'});

    Create an owned interface on the MotionData port. Add an owned data element under the owned data interface. Assign the data element Rotation to a value type with units set to degrees.

    ownedInterface = motionPorts(2).createInterface("DataInterface");
    ownedElement = ownedInterface.addElement("Rotation");
    subInterface = ownedElement.createOwnedType(Units="degrees");

    View the interfaces in the Interface Editor. Select the MotionData port on the Motion component. In the Interface Editor, switch from Dictionary View to Port Interface View.

    Port interface view in the Interface Editor with the MotionData port and its elements

    Connect components with an interface rule and the default name rule. The interface rule connects ports on components that share the same interface. By default, the name rule connects ports on components that share the same name.

    c_sensorData = connect(arch,componentSensor,componentPlanning,Rule="interface");
    c_motionData = connect(arch,componentMotion,componentSensor);
    c_motionCommand = connect(arch,componentPlanning,componentMotion);

    Add and Connect Architecture Port

    Add an architecture port on the architecture.

    archPort = addPort(arch,"Command","in");

    The connect command requires a component port as an argument. Obtain the component port, then connect.

    compPort = getPort(componentPlanning,"Command");
    c_Command = connect(archPort,compPort);

    Save the model.

    model.save

    Arrange the layout by pressıng Ctrl+Shift+A or using this command.

    Simulink.BlockDiagram.arrangeSystem("mobileRobotAPI"); 

    The mobileRobotAPI architecture model after running the script

    Create and Apply Profile with Stereotypes

    Profiles are XML files that you can apply to any model. You can add stereotypes with properties to profiles and then populate the properties with specific values in the Profile Editor. Along with the built-in analysis capabilities of System Composer, stereotypes help you optimize your system for performance, cost, and reliability.

    Create Profile and Add Stereotypes

    Create a profile.

    profile = systemcomposer.createProfile("GeneralProfile");

    Create a stereotype that applies to all element types.

    elemSType = addStereotype(profile,"projectElement");

    Create stereotypes for different types of components. You select these types according to your design needs.

    pCompSType = addStereotype(profile,"physicalComponent",AppliesTo="Component");
    sCompSType = addStereotype(profile,"softwareComponent",AppliesTo="Component");

    Create a stereotype for connections.

    sConnSType = addStereotype(profile,"standardConn",AppliesTo="Connector");

    Add Properties

    Add properties to the stereotypes. You can use properties to capture metadata for model elements and analyze nonfunctional requirements. These properties are added to all elements to which the stereotype is applied, in any model that imports the profile.

    addProperty(elemSType,'ID',Type="uint8");
    addProperty(elemSType,'Description',Type="string");
    addProperty(pCompSType,'Cost',Type="double",Units="USD");
    addProperty(pCompSType,'Weight',Type="double",Units="g");
    addProperty(sCompSType,'develCost',Type="double",Units="USD");
    addProperty(sCompSType,'develTime',Type="double",Units="hour");
    addProperty(sConnSType,'unitCost',Type="double"',Units="USD");
    addProperty(sConnSType,'unitWeight',Type="double",Units="g");
    addProperty(sConnSType,'length',Type="double",Units="m");

    Save Profile

    profile.save;

    Apply Profile to Model

    Apply the profile to the model.

    applyProfile(model,"GeneralProfile");

    Apply stereotypes to components. Some components are physical components, while others are software components.

    applyStereotype(componentPlanning,"GeneralProfile.softwareComponent")
    applyStereotype(componentSensor,"GeneralProfile.physicalComponent")
    applyStereotype(componentMotion,"GeneralProfile.physicalComponent")

    Apply the connector stereotype to all connections.

    batchApplyStereotype(arch,'Connector',"GeneralProfile.standardConn");

    Apply the general element stereotype to all connectors and ports.

    batchApplyStereotype(arch,'Component',"GeneralProfile.projectElement");
    batchApplyStereotype(arch,'Connector',"GeneralProfile.projectElement");

    Set properties for each component.

    setProperty(componentSensor,'GeneralProfile.projectElement.ID','001');
    setProperty(componentSensor,'GeneralProfile.projectElement.Description', ...
        'Central unit for all sensors');
    setProperty(componentSensor,'GeneralProfile.physicalComponent.Cost','200');
    setProperty(componentSensor,'GeneralProfile.physicalComponent.Weight','450');
    setProperty(componentPlanning,'GeneralProfile.projectElement.ID','002');
    setProperty(componentPlanning,'GeneralProfile.projectElement.Description', ...
        'Planning computer');
    setProperty(componentPlanning,'GeneralProfile.softwareComponent.develCost','20000');
    setProperty(componentPlanning,'GeneralProfile.softwareComponent.develTime','300');
    setProperty(componentMotion,'GeneralProfile.projectElement.ID','003');
    setProperty(componentMotion,'GeneralProfile.projectElement.Description', ...
        'Motor and motor controller');
    setProperty(componentMotion,'GeneralProfile.physicalComponent.Cost','4500');
    setProperty(componentMotion,'GeneralProfile.physicalComponent.Weight','2500');

    Set the properties of connections to be identical.

    connections = [c_sensorData c_motionData c_motionCommand c_Command];
    for k = 1:length(connections)
        setProperty(connections(k),'GeneralProfile.standardConn.unitCost','0.2');
        setProperty(connections(k),'GeneralProfile.standardConn.unitWeight','100');
        setProperty(connections(k),'GeneralProfile.standardConn.length','0.3');
    end

    Add Hierarchy

    Add two components named Controller and Scope inside the Motion component. Define the ports. Connect the components to the architecture and to each other, applying a connector stereotype. Hierarchy in an architecture diagram creates an additional level of detail that specifies how components behave internally.

    motionArch = componentMotion.Architecture;
    
    motionController = motionArch.addComponent('Controller');
    controllerPorts = addPort(motionController.Architecture,{'controlIn','controlOut'}, ...
        {'in','out'});
    controllerCompPortIn = motionController.getPort('controlIn');
    controllerCompPortOut = motionController.getPort('controlOut');
    
    motionScope = motionArch.addComponent('Scope');
    scopePorts = addPort(motionScope.Architecture,{'scopeIn','scopeOut'},{'in','out'});
    scopeCompPortIn = motionScope.getPort('scopeIn');
    scopeCompPortOut = motionScope.getPort('scopeOut');
    
    c_planningController = connect(motionPorts(1),controllerCompPortIn);

    For output port connections, you can specify the destination data element.

    c_planningScope = connect(scopeCompPortOut,motionPorts(2),DestinationElement="Rotation");
    c_planningConnect = connect(controllerCompPortOut,scopeCompPortIn, ...
        "GeneralProfile.standardConn");

    Save the model.

    model.save

    Arrange the layout by pressıng Ctrl+Shift+A or using this command.

    Simulink.BlockDiagram.arrangeSystem("mobileRobotAPI/Motion");

    Inside the Motion component architecture model

    Create Model Reference

    Model references can help you organize large models hierarchically and define architectures or behaviors once that you can then reuse. When a component references another model, any existing ports on the component are removed, and ports that exist on the referenced model will appear on the component.

    Create a new System Composer model. Convert the Controller component into a reference component to reference the new model. To add ports on the Controller component, you must update the referenced model mobileMotion.

    referenceModel = systemcomposer.createModel("mobileMotion");
    referenceArch = referenceModel.Architecture;
    newComponents = addComponent(referenceArch,"Gyroscope");
    referenceModel.save
    
    linkToModel(motionController,"mobileMotion");

    Controller component linked to the referenced model mobileMotion

    Save the models.

    referenceModel.save
    model.save

    Make Variant Component

    You can convert the Planning component to a variant component using the makeVariant function. The original component is embedded within a variant component as one of the available variant choices. You can design other variant choices within the variant component and toggle the active choice. Variant components allow you to choose behavioral designs programmatically in an architecture model to perform trade studies and analysis.

    [variantComp,choice1] = makeVariant(componentMotion);

    Add a variant choice named MotionAlt. The second argument defines the name, and the third argument defines the label. The label identifies the choice. The active choice is controlled by the label.

    choice2 = addChoice(variantComp,{'MotionAlt'},{'MotionAlt'});

    Create the necessary ports on MotionAlt.

    motionAltPorts = addPort(choice2.Architecture,{'MotionCommand','MotionData'},{'in','out'});

    Make MotionAlt the active variant.

    setActiveChoice(variantComp,"MotionAlt")

    Arrange the layout by pressıng Ctrl+Shift+A or using this command.

    Simulink.BlockDiagram.arrangeSystem("mobileRobotAPI/Planning");

    The Motion variant component with two variants

    Save the model.

    model.save

    Clean Up

    Run this script to remove generated artifacts before you run this example again.

    cleanUpArtifacts
    

    More About

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    Version History

    Introduced in R2021b

    See Also

    Functions

    Objects

    Blocks

    Tools

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