Variant Systems
In Model-Based Design, variant design is a method for managing design alternatives in one artifact. Variant design in Simulink® is expressed as a conditional manifestation of components within a single model. A meaningful combination of these variants is defined and managed as a variant configuration. The variant configuration, or variant design, enables organizations to design product lines such as automobiles, aircraft, or electronics that satisfy diverse market needs, customer preferences, and geographic requirements on a common platform. Simulink variant capabilities allow you to create flexible models with built-in variabilities to more efficiently manage, configure, and reuse your designs. For information on the basics of variants, see What Are Variants and When to Use Them.
For example, consider a product line of passenger cars, where each variant differs in properties such as fuel consumption, motor type, or emission standard. Instead of designing multiple models to represent all possible variants, you can model all the variations in a product line using a single variant model. Simulink variant capabilities allow you to create flexible models with built-in variabilities to manage, configure, and reuse your designs more efficiently.
Using Variant Blocks and Variant Manager for Simulink you can:
Define and manage multiple variant configurations.
Easily switch between valid configurations.
Generate C/C++code for all variants.
For information on variant capabilities at various stages of the development process, see V-Model for System Development with Simulink Variants.
Variants Basics
- What Are Variants and When to Use Them
- Variant Terminology
- Introduction to Variant Controls
- Working with Variant Choices
- Activate Variant During Different Stages of Simulation and Code Generation Workflow
- Assemble Variant Conditions Propagated from Variant Blocks
- Propagate Variant Conditions to Define Variant Regions with Variant Blocks
- V-Model for System Development with Simulink Variants
Categories
- Variant Structures
Implement structural variations in a single layer or a separate hierarchy
- Variant Signal Dimensions
Reuse model design by using symbols to reference signal dimensions
- Variant Parameter Values
Implement value variations in block parameters
- Manage Variant Modeling Components
Manage variant elements and define, reduce, and analyze variant configurations
- Variant Code Generation
Generate code for models containing variant blocks, variant parameters, variant transitions, and symbolic dimensions
Related Information
- Variant Systems (Simulink Coder)
- Variant Component (System Composer)
- Using Variant Connectors to Implement Variations in Physical Networks (Simscape)
- AUTOSAR Variants (AUTOSAR Blockset)
- Control Indicator Lamp Dimmer Using Variant Conditions (Stateflow)
Featured Examples
Simulink Variant Examples
The slexVariantExamples model contains a set of conceptual examples that demonstrate capabilities of Simulink® variants.
Verify and Validate Variant Models with Code Compile Activation Time
Verify and validate variant models with code compile variant activation time using Simulink® Design Verifier™ and Simulink Test™.
Verify and Validate Variant Models with Startup Activation Time
Verify and validate variant models with startup variant activation time using Simulink® Design Verifier™ and test it using Simulink Test™.
Create Standalone Executables with Variants Using Simulink Compiler
Create a standalone executable with a Variant Subsystem using the Simulink® Compiler™ workflow. You can use the same workflow for the Variant Source and Variant Sink blocks as well. Set the Variant activation time of the Variant block to startup. With 'startup' variant activation time, you can change the active variant via an input to the executable.
