Automatic SDF-based Code Generation from Simulink Models for Embedded Software Development

TL;DR

This paper presents an automated method to translate Simulink models into Synchronous Dataflow Graphs (SDFGs) for embedded code generation, enabling optimized, deadlock-free, and real-time capable embedded software for control systems.

Contribution

It introduces a novel translation methodology from Simulink to SDFGs, facilitating optimization and real-time analysis for embedded software development.

Findings

Successful translation of Simulink models to SDFGs demonstrated in case studies.

Generated SDF-based code matches Simulink simulation results.

Enhanced analysis and optimization capabilities for embedded system design.

Abstract

Matlab/Simulink is a wide-spread tool for model-based design of embedded systems. Supporting hierarchy, domain specific building blocks, functional simulation and automatic code-generation, makes it well-suited for the design of control and signal processing systems. In this work, we propose an automated translation methodology for a subset of Simulink models to Synchronous dataflow Graphs (SDFGs) including the automatic code-generation of SDF-compatible embedded code. A translation of Simulink models to SDFGs, is very suitable due to Simulink actor-oriented modeling nature, allowing the application of several optimization techniques from the SDFG domain. Because of their well-defined semantics, SDFGs can be analyzed at compiling phase to obtain deadlock-free and memory-efficient schedules. In addition, several real-time analysis methods exist which allow throughput-optimal mappings of SDFGs to Multiprocessor on Chip (MPSoC) while guaranteeing upper-bounded latencies. The correctness of our translation is justified by integrating the SDF generated code as a software-in-the-loop (SIL) and comparing its results with the results of the model-in-the-loop (MIL) simulation of reference Simulink models. The translation is demonstrated with the help of two case studies: a Transmission Controller Unit (TCU) and an Automatic Climate Control.