RT-LAB comes with a library of blocks that can be added to your model. These blocks enable you to access various types of I/O modules and other functions.

I/O and synchronization module blocks serve to control external equipment; generic RT-LAB blocks provide other network communication and timing functions.

This topic discusses the need, use and parameters of the I/O blocks, synchronization blocks and other generic blocks that can be used with RT-LAB.

RT-LAB block libraries can be found in the Simulink library browser.

Generic Blocks

RT-LAB comes with many blocks providing generic functionalities like data logging, monitoring, communication with external components. These blocks need to be inserted in the RT-LAB subsystems (SM, SS or SC). Some blocks work offline, others work only when in real-time simulation. Refer to the online documentation in order to get a detailed description for each block.

Adding Blocks to Model

To add blocks to your model and set their parameters:

• Open the browser and click on the RT-LAB block that corresponds to the desired function.
• Drag and drop the RT-LAB block into your simulation model.
• Double-click the RT-LAB block to change its parameters. This opens a parameter control box.

I/O Blocks

I/O cards enable you to control external equipment. These cards may be digital to analog (D/A) converters, analog to digital (A/D) converters, input/output (I/O) binary ports and quadrature decoders, among others. Synchronization cards synchronize computation and communication between nodes.

RT-LAB comes with a library of blocks that provide access to different types of I/O card. The library of modules are sorted by vendor name, product name then block name. The RT-LAB I/O library can be found next to the RT-LAB library in the Simulink library browser.

Each block refers to a function provided by the I/O board. For each block inserted into a simulation model, different parameters must be set to indicate to RT-LAB where to find the card or module that corresponds to the block.

These blocks have no effect when running offline. When loading the model, the target subsystem where the I/O block has been inserted (SM_ or SS_) must be assigned to the target node with the corresponding I/O card.