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Linear Gauge

Display input value on linear scale

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  • Linear Gauge block

Libraries:
Simulink / Dashboard

Description

The Linear Gauge block displays the connected signal on a straight linear scale during simulation. Use the Linear Gauge block with other Dashboard blocks to build an interactive dashboard of controls and indicators for your model. The Linear Gauge block provides an indication of the instantaneous value of the connected signal throughout simulation. You can modify the range of the Linear Gauge block to fit your data. You can also customize the appearance of the Linear Gauge block to provide more information about your signal. For example, you can color-code in-specification and out-of-specification ranges.

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.

Examples

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
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

Limitations

  • Except for the Dashboard Scope block and the Display block, dashboard blocks can only connect to real scalar signals.

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

  • You cannot use the Connection table in the block dialog 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.

  • Dashboard blocks cannot connect to model elements 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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Signal

Use the connection table to select the signal to connect to the block. To connect the block to a signal:

  1. Make a selection in the model that includes one or more signals.

  2. In the table, select the signal you want to connect.

  3. Click Apply.

Tip

You can connect dashboard blocks to signals in the model during simulation.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: Binding
Type: Simulink.HMI.SignalSpecification
Default: []

Main

Finite, real, double, scalar value specifying the minimum tick mark value for the scale. The minimum must be less than the value of the Maximum parameter.

Programmatic Use

To programmatically set the Minimum parameter, use a 1-by-3 vector containing values for the Minimum, Tick Interval, and Maximum parameters, in that order. To use the auto value for the Tick Interval, leave the Tick Interval position in the vector empty or specify -1.

Block Parameter: Limits
Type: 1x3 vector
Default: [0 -1 100]

Finite, real, double, scalar value specifying the maximum tick mark value for the scale. The maximum must be greater than the value of the Minimum parameter.

Programmatic Use

To programmatically set the Maximum parameter, use a 1-by-3 vector containing values for the Minimum, Tick Interval, and Maximum parameters, in that order. To use the auto value for the Tick Interval, leave the Tick Interval position in the vector empty or specify -1.

Block Parameter: Limits
Type: 1x3 vector
Default: [0 -1 100]

Finite, real, positive, whole, scalar value specifying the interval of major tick marks on the scale. When set to auto, the block automatically adjusts the tick interval based on the values of the Maximum and Minimum parameters.

Programmatic Use

To programmatically set the Tick Interval parameter, use a 1-by-3 vector containing values for the Minimum, Tick Interval, and Maximum parameters, in that order. To use the auto value for the Tick Interval, leave the Tick Interval position in the vector empty or specify -1.

Block Parameter: Limits
Type: 1x3 vector
Default: [0 -1 100]

Color specifications for value ranges on the scale. Press the + button to add a scale color. For each color added, specify the minimum and maximum values of the range in which you want to display that color.

Programmatic Use

To programmatically specify the Scale Colors parameter, use an array of structures with the fields:

  • Min — Minimum value for the color range on the scale

  • Max — Maximum value for the color range on the scale

  • Color — 1-by-3 vector of double values between 0 and 1 that specify the color for the range in the form [r g b]

Include a structure in the array for each scale range for which you want to specify a color.

range1.Min = 0;
range1.Max = 10;
range1.Color = [0 0 1];
range2.Min = 10;
range2.Max = 15;
range2.Color = [0 1 0];
scaleRanges = [range1 range2];
Block Parameter: ScaleColors
Type: structure array
Default: 0x1 struct array

Position of the block label. When the block is connected to an element in the model, the label is the name of the connected element.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: LabelPosition
Type: character vector
Values: 'Top' | 'Bottom' | 'Hide'
Default: 'Top'

Format

Block background opacity, specified as a scalar value between 0 and 1.

Example: 0.5

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: Opacity
Type: scalar
Default: 1

Block foreground color, excluding the text. The Foreground Color applies to the scale and the block name. You can select a color from a palette of standard colors or specify a custom color. To specify the color for the block text, use the Font Color.

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: character vector | string
Values: [r g b] vector

Block background color. You can select a color from a palette of standard colors or specify a custom color.

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: character vector | string
Values: [r g b] vector

Block font color. The Font Color applies to the tick labels on the scale. You can select a color from a palette of standard colors or specify a custom color.

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 | double | enumerated | fixed point | half | integer | single

Direct Feedthrough

no

Multidimensional Signals

no

Variable-Size Signals

no

Zero-Crossing Detection

no

Extended Capabilities

Version History

Introduced in R2015a

See Also

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