Function Caller

Call Simulink or exported Stateflow function

• Library:

• Simulink / User-Defined Functions

Description

A Function Caller block calls and executes a function defined with a Simulink^® Function block or an exported Stateflow^® function. Using Function Caller blocks, you can call a function from anywhere in a model or chart hierarchy.

Ports

Input

Input argument — Input signal for an input argument

scalar | vector | matrix

Input signal for an input argument that is sent to the function.

The function prototype determines the number and name of input ports that appear on the Function Caller block. Connect signal lines to the input ports to send data to a function through the function input arguments.

For example, y = myfunction(u) creates one input port (u) on the Function Caller block.

Data Types: single | double | int8 | int16 | int32 | uint8 | uint16 | uint32 | Boolean | fixed point | enumerated | bus

Output

Output argument — Output signal for an output argument

scalar | vector | matrix

Output signal for an output argument that the function returns.

The function prototype determines the number and name of output ports that appear on the Function Caller block. Connect signal lines to the output ports to receive data from a function through the function output arguments.

For example, y = myfunction(u) creates one output port (y) on the Function Caller block.

Data Types: single | double | int8 | int16 | int32 | uint8 | uint16 | uint32 | Boolean | fixed point | enumerated | bus

Parameters

Function prototype — Specify function interface

y=f(u) (default) | <function prototype>

Specify the function interface between a Function Caller block and a Simulink function. A Simulink function can be a Simulink Function block, an exported Stateflow graphical function, or an exported Stateflow MATLAB^® function. For a call to a Simulink Function block:

• Function call argument names must match the function arguments.

• Function names, input arguments, and output arguments must be valid MATLAB identifiers.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: FunctionPrototype

Type: character vector

Values: 'y=f(u)' | '<function prototype>'

Default: 'y=f(u)'

Input argument specifications — Specify input argument data type, dimensions, and complexity

<Enter example> (default) | <MATLAB expression>

Specify a comma-separated list of MATLAB expressions that combine data type, dimensions, and complexity (real or imaginary) for each input argument. For examples, see Argument Specification for Simulink Function Blocks.

This specification must match the Simulink Function block data type specified with the Data type parameter of the Argument Inport block.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: 'InputArgumentSpecifications'

Type: character vector

Values: '' | '<MATLAB expression>'

Default: ''

Output argument specifications — Specify output argument data type, dimensions, and complexity

<Enter example> (default) | <MATLAB Expression>

Specify a comma-separated list of MATLAB expressions that combine data type, dimensions, and complexity (real or imaginary) for each output argument. For examples, see Argument Specification for Simulink Function Blocks.

This specification must match the Simulink Function block data type specified with the Data type parameter of the Argument Outport Block.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: 'OutputArgumentSpecifications'

Type: character vector

Values: '' | '<MATLAB expression>'

Default: ''

Sample time — Time interval between function calls

-1 (default) | Ts | [Ts, To]

Specify the time interval between function calls to a subsystem or model containing this Trigger block. If the actual calling rate for the subsystem or model differs from the time interval this parameter specifies, Simulink displays an error.

Settings

-1

Inherit time interval from the trigger signal.

Ts

Scalar where Ts is the time interval.

[Ts, To]

Vector where Ts is the time interval and To is the initial time offset.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: SampleTime

Type: character vector

Values: '-1' | 'Ts' | '[Ts, To]'

Default: '-1'

Model Examples

Monitoring Ink Status on a Shared Printer Using Simulink Functions

How clients, in this case three computers, can send jobs to a server, a printer, and receive status from that server. This example highlights how Simulink Functions can be called from different subsystems and interact both in Simulink® and Stateflow®.

Open Model

Modeling Reusable Components Using Multiply Instanced Simulink Functions

In this example, the model slexCounterFunctionMdlRef contains a Simulink Function update() which maintains a counter. Multiple instancing provides the ability to reuse this logic as CounterA and CounterB in this application model.

Open Model

Modeling Services and Access from Application Software

This examples shows a typical software modeling pattern involving services and access to those services in an application.

Open Model

Dynamic Priority Scheduling of Functions

A common modeling pattern to dynamically schedule the execution of functions using a Stateflow chart.

Open Model

Block Characteristics

Data Types	Boolean | bus | double | enumerated | fixed point | integer | single
Direct Feedthrough	yes
Multidimensional Signals	yes
Variable-Size Signals	no
Zero-Crossing Detection	no

Extended Capabilities

C/C++ Code Generation
Generate C and C++ code using Simulink® Coder™.

Fixed-Point Conversion
Convert floating-point algorithms to fixed point using Fixed-Point Designer™.