System and method for block diagram simulation context restoration

• US 20050216248A1
• Filed: 08/11/2003
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Inventors: Mosterman, Pieter J., Ciolfi, John Edward
• Granted Patent: US 7,801,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/10 Numerical modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/12 Symbolic schematics
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30

Abstract

A method of saving portions of a simulation or execution engine image at various points in a simulation or execution is disclosed. The saving of the simulation or execution context in addition to the more traditional saving of the system state information enables the restoration of a simulation or execution that is capable of producing, in a subsequent simulation or execution of a block diagram continuing from the point of the saved simulation or execution, results that are identical to those of the initial simulation or execution. The ability to restore more than just system state variables enables a user to run multiple variations of a simulation from a given point without having to replicate the simulation up until the point of the saved initial simulation, and the ability to run multiple iterations of a block diagram execution in a non-simulation execution from a given point without having to replicate the execution of the block diagram up until that point.

Claims

1. In a block diagram environment, a method, comprising the steps of:

registering areas of memory to be used in a simulation of a block diagram;

reaching a specified point in said simulation, said specified point being one of a pre-determined point chosen prior to simulation and a user-indicated point chosen during simulation; and

storing simulation context variables from the registered areas of memory in a storage location, said simulation context variables including non-mathematical persistent variables used in said simulation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said simulation context variables include a variable holding an output value of a simulation element.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said simulation context variables include a variable holding an output value of a subsystem.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said simulation context variables include a solver variable.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said solver variables include a variable holding at least one of timing information, tolerances, algebraic loop variables, and Jacobian data.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said simulation context variables include a variable holding zero crossing information.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said simulation context variables include a variable holding debug information.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising the further steps of:

retrieving said simulation context variables from said storage location;

initiating a new simulation, the new simulation using the retrieved simulation context variables.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising the further steps of:

performing more than one new simulation in parallel using said retrieved simulation context variables.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of:

storing the simulation context variables in a platform independent manner.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising the further step of:

storing the simulation context variables via a textual dump using a conversion process.

12. The method of claim 10, comprising the further step of:

storing the simulation context variables via a binary dump using a conversion process.

13. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of:

storing the simulation context variables in a platform dependent manner.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising the further step of:

storing the simulation context variables via a textual dump.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the pre-defined point at which the simulation context variables are saved is the point at which the simulation reaches a steady state.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the simulation context variables are saved at different points during the same simulation.

17. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of:

saving at least one of text information, heap information and stack information.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein said block diagram environment is provided in a textual form.

19. In a block diagram environment, a method, comprising the steps of:

reaching a specified point in a simulation, said specified point being one of a pre-determined point chosen prior to said simulation and a user-indicated point chosen during said simulation; and

storing simulation context variables in a storage location, said simulation context variables including non-mathematical persistent variables used in said simulation.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said storing of simulation context variables occurs without stopping said simulation.

21. The method of claim 20, comprising the further steps of:

indicating more than one specified point in said simulation ; and

storing said simulation context variables separately in said storage location as said simulation reaches each of said pre-determined points.

22. The method of claim 19, comprising the further steps of:

retrieving said simulation context variables from said storage location;

initiating a new simulation, the new simulation using the retrieved simulation context variables.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein said block diagram environment is provided in a textual form.

24. In a block diagram environment, a medium holding computer-executable steps for a method, said method comprising the steps of:

registering areas of memory to be used in simulating a block diagram;

reaching a specified point in said simulation, said specified point being one of a pre-determined point chosen prior to said simulation and a user-indicated point chosen during said simulation; and

storing simulation context variables in a storage location, said simulation context variables including non-mathematical persistent variables used to simulate said block diagram.

25. The medium of claim 24 wherein said simulation context variables include a variable holding an output value of a block.

26. The medium of claim 24 wherein said simulation context variables include a variable holding an output value of a subsystem.

27. The medium of claim 24 wherein said simulation context variables include a solver variable.

28. The medium of claim 27 wherein said solver variables include a variable which is at least one of timing information, tolerances, an algebraic loop variable and Jacobian data.

29. The medium of claim 24 wherein said simulation context variables include a variable holding zero crossing information.

30. The medium of claim 24 wherein said simulation context variables include a variable holding debug information.

31. The medium of claim 24, wherein said method comprises the further steps of:

retrieving said simulation context variables from said storage location;

initiating a new simulation of said block diagram, the new simulation using the retrieved simulation context variables.

32. The medium of claim 31, wherein said method comprises the further step of:

performing more than one new simulation in parallel using said retrieved simulation context variables.

33. The medium of claim 24, wherein said method comprises the further step of:

storing the simulation context variables in a platform independent manner.

34. The medium of claim 33, wherein said method comprises the further step of:

storing the simulation context variables via a textual dump using a conversion process.

35. The medium of claim 33, wherein said method comprises the further steps of:

storing the simulation context variables via a binary dump using a conversion process.

36. The medium of claim 24, wherein said method comprises the further step of:

storing the simulation context variables in a platform dependent manner.

37. The medium of claim 36, wherein said method comprises the further steps of:

storing the simulation context variables via a textual dump.

38. The medium of claim 24 wherein the pre-defined point at which the simulation context variables are saved is the point at which the simulation reaches a steady state.

39. The medium of claim 24 wherein the simulation context variables are saved at different points during the same simulation.

40. The medium of claim 24 wherein said method comprises the further step of:

saving at least one of text information, heap information and stack information.

41. In a data flow diagram environment, a medium holding computer-executable steps for a method, said method comprising the steps of:

registering areas of memory to be used in execution of a data flow diagram;

reaching a specified point in said execution; and

storing execution context variables in a storage location.

42. In a non-simulation block diagram environment, a method, comprising the steps of:

registering areas of memory to be used during the execution of a block diagram;

reaching a specified point in the execution of said block diagram, said specified point being one of a pre-determined point chosen prior to execution and a user-indicated point chosen during execution; and

storing execution context variables from the registered areas of memory in a storage location, said execution context variables including non-mathematical persistent variables used in the execution of said block diagram.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein said execution context variables include a variable holding an output value of an execution element.

44. The method of claim 42 wherein said execution context variables include a variable holding an output value of a subsystem.

45. The method of claim 42 wherein said execution context variables include a solver variable.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein said solver variables include a variable holding at least one of timing information, tolerances, algebraic loop variables, and Jacobian data.

47. The method of claim 42 wherein said execution context variables include a variable holding zero crossing information.

48. The method of claim 42 wherein said execution context variables include a variable holding debug information.

49. The method of claim 42, comprising the further steps of:

retrieving said execution context variables from said storage location;

initiating a new execution, the new execution using the retrieved execution context variables.

50. The method of claim 49, comprising the further steps of:

performing more than one new execution in parallel using said retrieved execution context variables.

51. The method of claim 42, comprising the further step of:

storing the execution context variables in a platform independent manner.

52. The method of claim 51, comprising the further step of:

storing the execution context variables via a textual dump using a conversion process.

53. The method of claim 51, comprising the further step of:

storing the execution context variables via a binary dump using a conversion process.

54. The method of claim 42, comprising the further step of:

storing the execution context variables in a platform dependent manner.

55. The method of claim 54, comprising the further step of:

storing the execution context variables via a textual dump.

56. The method of claim 42 wherein the pre-defined point at which the execution context variables are saved is the point at which the execution reaches a steady state.

57. The method of claim 42 wherein the execution context variables are saved at different points during the same execution.

58. The method of claim 42, comprising the further step of:

saving at least one of text information, heap information and stack information.

59. The method of claim 42 wherein said block diagram environment is provided in a textual form.

60. In a non-simulation block diagram environment, a method, comprising the steps of:

reaching a specified point in the execution of a block diagram, said specified point being one of a pre-determined point chosen prior to execution and a user-indicated point chosen during execution; and

storing execution context variables in a storage location, said execution context variables including non-mathematical persistent variables used in the execution of said block diagram.

61. The method of claim 60 wherein said storing of execution context variables occurs without stopping said execution.

62. The method of claim 61, comprising the further steps of:

indicating more than one specified point in said execution; and

storing said execution context variables separately in said storage location as said execution reaches each of said pre-determined points.

63. The method of claim 60, comprising the further steps of:

retrieving said execution context variables from said storage location;

initiating a new execution of said block diagram, the new execution using the retrieved execution context variables.

64. The method of claim 60 wherein said block diagram environment is provided in a textual form.

65. In a non-simulation block diagram environment, a medium holding computer-executable steps for a method, said method comprising the steps of:

registering areas of memory to be used during the execution of a block diagram;

reaching a specified point in said execution, said specified point being one of a pre-determined point chosen prior to said execution and a user-indicated point chosen during said execution; and

storing execution context variables in a storage location, said execution context variables including non-mathematical persistent variables

66. The medium of claim 65 wherein said execution context variables include a variable holding an output value of a block.

67. The medium of claim 65 wherein said execution context variables include a variable holding an output value of a subsystem.

68. The medium of claim 65 wherein said execution context variables include a solver variable.

69. The medium of claim 68 wherein said solver variables include a variable which is at least one of timing information, tolerances, an algebraic loop variable and Jacobian data.

70. The medium of claim 65 wherein said execution context variables include a variable holding zero crossing information.

71. The medium of claim 65 wherein said execution context variables include a variable holding debug information.

72. The medium of claim 65, wherein said method comprises the further steps of:

retrieving said execution context variables from said storage location;

initiating a new execution of said block diagram, the new execution using the retrieved execution context variables.

73. The medium of claim 72, wherein said method comprises the further step of:

performing more than one new execution in parallel using said retrieved execution context variables.

74. The medium of claim 65, wherein said method comprises the further step of:

storing the execution context variables in a platform independent manner.

75. The medium of claim 74, wherein said method comprises the further step of:

storing the execution context variables via a textual dump using a conversion process.

76. The medium of claim 74, wherein said method comprises the further steps of:

storing the execution context variables via a binary dump using a conversion process.

77. The medium of claim 65, wherein said method comprises the further step of:

storing the execution context variables in a platform dependent manner.

78. The medium of claim 77, wherein said method comprises the further steps of:

storing the execution context variables via a textual dump.

79. The medium of claim 65 wherein the pre-defined point at which the execution context variables are saved is the point at which the execution reaches a steady state.

80. The medium of claim 65 wherein the execution context variables are saved at different points during the same execution.

81. The medium of claim 65 wherein said method comprises the further step of:

saving at least one of text information, heap information and stack information.