Interface Editor

Create and author interfaces in local and shared interface data dictionaries

Since R2019a

Description

The Interface Editor allows you to define interfaces in System Composer™ that might contain attributes. In System Composer architecture models, interfaces are necessary to specify information that flows through ports between components.

Types of interfaces include:

• Composite Data Interface — Represents the information that is shared through a connector and enters or exits a component through a port, A data interface can be composite, meaning that it can include data elements that describe the properties of an interface signal.

• Value Type — Can be used as a port interface to define the atomic piece of data that flows through that port and has a top-level type, dimension, unit, complexity, minimum, maximum, and description. You can also assign the type of data elements in data interfaces to value types.

• Physical Interface — Defines the kind of information that flows through a physical port, The same interface can be assigned to multiple ports. A physical interface bundles physical elements to describe a physical model using at least one physical domain

• Service Interface — Defines service elements with function arguments for a client-server port. This interface is only available for software architectures.

You can save a locally defined model data dictionary as a shared data dictionary to reuse interface definitions across architecture models. Apply a profile to your interface dictionary to assign stereotypes to interfaces. These interfaces typed by a stereotype now contain metadata, and you can set the property values for each interface independently.

You can toggle the view for the Interface Editor depending on the locality of the interfaces:

• Dictionary View — Shows shared interfaces across the model that can be reused on multiple ports

• Port Interface View — Shows owned interfaces locally defined on a single port

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Open the Interface Editor

• System Composer toolstrip: Navigate to Modeling > Interface Editor.

Examples

• Modeling System Architecture of Small UAV
• Define Port Interfaces Between Components
• Specify Physical Interfaces on Ports
• Author Service Interfaces for Client-Server Communication
• Use Property Inspector in System Composer

Parameters

Add data interface — Add new data interface

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Add a new data interface by clicking or select one of these options from the drop-down list:

• Composite Data Interface — Represents the information that is shared through a connector and enters or exits a component through a port, A data interface can be composite, meaning that it can include data elements that describe the properties of an interface signal.

• Value Type — Can be used as a port interface to define the atomic piece of data that flows through that port and has a top-level type, dimension, unit, complexity, minimum, maximum, and description. You can also assign the type of data elements in data interfaces to value types.

• Physical Interface — Defines the kind of information that flows through a physical port, The same interface can be assigned to multiple ports. A physical interface bundles physical elements to describe a physical model using at least one physical domain

• Service Interface — Defines service elements with function arguments for a client-server port. This interface is only available for software architectures.

Add element to selected interface — Add new element

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Add a new element by clicking . If the selected interface is one of these, the new element added is one of these types:

• Composite Data Interface — Data Element

• Physical Interface — Physical Element

• Service Interface — Service Element — Function Arguments, which are only available for software architectures

Delete selected interface or element — Delete interface or element

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Delete the selected interface or element in the Interface Editor.

Import interfaces — Import interface definitions

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Import interfaces from these locations:

• Base Workspace

• MAT-file

Save interfaces and/or link dictionary — Save interfaces or link dictionary

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Save interfaces on the current dictionary or link to an existing dictionary. Select a specific option from the drop-down list:

• Save dictionary

• Save all dictionaries

• Save to new dictionary

• Link existing dictionary

Import profile — Choose profile to import into data dictionary

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Choose a profile XML file to import into the currently selected data dictionary.

Show Hide Columns — Show and hide columns in editor

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Show and hide columns on the Interface Editor by checking the corresponding boxes:

• Type

• Dimensions

• Units

• Complexity

• Minimum

• Maximum

• Description

• Asynchronous, available only for software architectures

View — Choose editor view

Dictionary View (default) | Port Interface View

Choose a view for the Interface Editor to display interfaces:

• Dictionary View — Shows shared interfaces across the model that can be reused on multiple ports

• Port Interface View — Shows owned interfaces locally defined on a single port

More About

Interface Data Dictionary

An interface data dictionary is a consolidated list of all the interfaces and value types in an architecture and where they are used.

Local interfaces on a System Composer model can be saved in an interface data dictionary using the Interface Editor. You can reuse interface dictionaries between models that need to use a given set of interfaces, elements, and value types. Linked data dictionaries are stored in separate SLDD files.

Data Interface

A data interface defines the kind of information that flows through a port. The same interface can be assigned to multiple ports. A data interface can be composite, meaning that it can include data elements that describe the properties of an interface signal.

Data interfaces represent the information that is shared through a connector and enters or exits a component through a port. Use the Interface Editor to create and manage data interfaces and data elements and store them in an interface data dictionary for reuse between models.

Data Element

A data element describes a portion of an interface, such as a communication message, a calculated or measured parameter, or other decomposition of that interface.

Data interfaces are decomposed into data elements:

• Pins or wires in a connector or harness.

• Messages transmitted across a bus.

• Data structures shared between components.

Value Type

A value type can be used as a port interface to define the atomic piece of data that flows through that port and has a top-level type, dimension, unit, complexity, minimum, maximum, and description.

You can also assign the type of data elements in data interfaces to value types. Add value types to data dictionaries using the Interface Editor so that you can reuse the value types as interfaces or data elements.

Owned Interface

An owned interface is an interface that is local to a specific port and not shared in a data dictionary or the model dictionary.

Create an owned interface to represent a value type or data interface that is local to a port.

Adapter

An adapter helps connect two components with incompatible port interfaces by mapping between the two interfaces. An adapter can act as a unit delay or rate transition. You can also use an adapter for bus creation. Use the Adapter block to implement an adapter.

With an adapter, you can perform functions on the Interface Adapter dialog box:

• Create and edit mappings between input and output interfaces.

• Apply an interface conversion UnitDelay to break an algebraic loop.

• Apply an interface conversion RateTransition to reconcile different sample time rates for reference models.

• Apply an interface conversion Merge to merges two or more message or signal lines.

• When output interfaces are undefined, you can use input interfaces in bus creation mode to author owned output interfaces.

Physical Interface

A physical interface defines the kind of information that flows through a physical port. The same interface can be assigned to multiple ports. A physical interface is a composite interface equivalent to a Simulink.ConnectionBus object that specifies any number of Simulink.ConnectionElement objects.

Use a physical interface to bundle physical elements to describe a physical model using at least one physical domain.

Physical Element

A physical element describes the decomposition of a physical interface. A physical element is equivalent to a Simulink.ConnectionElement object.

Define the Type of a physical element as a physical domain to enable use of that domain in a physical model.

Function

A function is an entry point that can be defined in a software component.

You can apply stereotypes to functions in software architectures, edit sample times, and specify the function period using the Functions Editor.

Service Interface

A service interface defines the functional interface between client and server components. Each service interface consists of one or more function elements.

Once you have defined a service interface in the Interface Editor, you can assign it to client and server ports using the Property Inspector. You can also use the Property Inspector to assign stereotypes to service interfaces.

Function Element

A function element describes the attributes of a function in a client-server interface.

Edit the function prototype on a function element to change the number and names of inputs and outputs of the function. Edit function element properties as you would edit other interface element properties. Function argument types can include built-in types as well as bus objects. You can specify function elements to support:

• Synchronous execution — When the client calls the server, the function runs immediately and returns the output arguments to the client.

• Asynchronous execution — When the client makes a request to call the server, the function is executed asynchronously based on the priority order defined in the Functions Editor and Schedule Editor and returns the output arguments to the client.

Function Argument

A function argument describes the attributes of an input or output argument in a function element.

You can set the properties of a function argument in the Interface Editor just as you would any value type: Type, Dimensions, Units, Complexity, Minimum, Maximum, and Description.

Version History

Introduced in R2019a