Simulation Deployment Blockset for MATLAB/Simulink

Model-based approaches are being employed more and more in simulation development. Graphical modeling languages and code generation technologies are enabling agile model development workflows, so that simulation modelers can update their models more easily. However, the process from changing the model to releasing a new simulation version is overlooked. Simulation deployment can be defined as a collection of activities, including model checking, Model-in-the-Loop testing, code generation, build, Software-in-the-Loop testing, deployment, when applicable Processor-in-the-Loop and Hardware-in-the-Loop testing and release. When it is conducted manually and ad hoc, it is repetitive, labor intensive, time-consuming and error prone. The automation of deployment pipeline, on the other hand, requires extensive scripting, unfortunately, in way in which simulation modelers are usually not accustomed. Causal Block Diagrams propose a graphical modeling language that is extensively used in simulation of technical systems. MATLAB/Simulink supports them as the basic modeling language. Exploiting the competence of MATLAB/Simulink users on Causal Block Diagrams, this paper presents a model-based approach for automating the simulation deployment activities. Thus, rather than scripting, the deployment automation functions are made available and accessible to the simulation modelers within the graphical modeling environment that they are using.