Non-intrusive data logging

• US 7,512,613 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2003
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Inventors: Taitel, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): LEWIS, CHERYL RENEA
• Application Number:
  US10/417,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20040210578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,176 Days
• Field of Search: 707/102, 707201-202, 707/100, 707 2- 5, 707/101, 356/4.02, 345/952, 717/135, 714/741, 703/1, 703/14
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/952 Simulation

Abstract

The invention relates to enabling a user to log data of a block diagram without using a functional logging block within the block diagram. There is a first timing identifier for a first data set based on a timing characteristic of the first data set. There is also a first task identifier established by an execution engine that is associated with a first data set. The logging of the data associated with the first data set is based on the first timing identifier and the first task identifier.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

simulating an executable block diagram having one or more functional blocks representing aspects of a system being modeled; and

during simulation of the block diagram, logging data related to the simulation of the block diagram into a storage device without using a functional logging block within the block diagram, the logged data being available after completion of the simulation.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising querying an execution engine executing the block diagram to determine whether a functional element of the block diagram associated with the data is executing at a particular time point.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

setting a value of a property of a data structure associated with a functional element of the block diagram to indicate logging of the data associated with the functional element.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the data structure comprises an object.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising generating code from the block diagram, the code being configured to execute external to an execution engine and including a portion to log the data associated with the functional element based on the value of the property.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the data is a first data set, the method further comprising

determining if the first data set is equivalent a second data set;

and

generating in a log for the second data set an association with the first data set if the first data set is determined equivalent to the second data set.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein generating further comprises:

generating a pointer to the first data set; and

storing the pointer with the second data set.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising

generating the block diagram using functional graphical elements;

and

rendering a non-functional graphical affordance to indicate the data to be logged.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the data corresponds to a signal at an input port, a signal at an output port, or an internal state of a functional element within the block diagram.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a destination object to log the data;

associating a location in the destination object with the data; and

associating a portion of execution data with the data.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising associating the location with the portion of execution data.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating an event buffer associated with the data.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising modifying an event element in the event buffer when an associated circular data buffer overwrites existing data.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the block diagram is simulated on a first computing device and wherein the method further comprises:

storing a destination object on a second computing device; and

establishing a communication channel between the simulating block diagram and the destination object to transmit the data.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the data is associated with a bus comprising heterogeneous signals.

16. A computer implemented method comprising:

simulating an executable block diagram having one or more functional modeling elements representing aspects of a system being modeled; and

generating a user interface to enable a user to select data associated with functional modeling elements to be logged into a storage device during block diagram simulation without the use of an additional functional logging element within the block diagram, the logged data being available after completion of the block diagram simulation.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

simulating the block diagram on a first computing device;

rendering the user interface on a second computing device; and

establishing a communication channel between the simulating block diagram and the user interface to transmit the data.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the data is a first data set, the method further comprising enabling the user to define one or more groups, each group comprising one or more data sets selected from a plurality of available data sets associated with the block diagram.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

receiving an input from the user indicating a first group selected from the defined one or more groups; and

logging the respective one or more data sets associated with the first group.

20. A computer implemented system comprising:

a storage device comprising an executable block diagram having one or more functional modeling elements representing aspects of a system being modeled; and

a selection module configured to enable a user to query a logging property of a functional modeling element of the block diagram to enable a user to log data associated with the modeling element into the storage device during block diagram simulation without using an additional functional logging element within the block diagram, the logged data being available after completion of the block diagram simulation.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the data is a first data set, the system further comprising:

a comparator module configured to determine when the first data set is equivalent to a second data set.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the data is a first data set, the system further comprising:

a comparator module configured to determine when the first data set has a time vector equivalent to a second data set.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the comparator module is further configured to store the time vector and associate the time vector with the first data set and the second data set.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the time vector comprises a compact format.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the compact format comprises at least three of a start time, a stop time, an interval, and number of elements.

26. The system of claim 20 further comprising:

a code generator module configured to generate code based on the block diagram, the code being configured to execute external to an execution engine and including a portion to log the data based on a user input to the selection module.

27. The system of claim 20 further comprising:

a logging module configured to collect data from an executing block diagram based on a user input to the selection module.

28. The system of claim 20 wherein the logging module is further configured to query the simulation to determine whether a functional element of the block diagram associated with the data is executing at a particular time point.

29. An article comprising a computer-readable storage medium that stores executable instructions that cause a computer to:

receive an executable block diagram having functional modeling elements representing aspects of a system being modeled; and

generate a user interface to enable a user to select data to be logged into a storage device during block diagram simulation without the use of a functional logging element within the block diagram, the logged data being available after completion of the block diagram simulation.

30. In a computing device, a method to non-intrusively log data within an executable block diagram having one or more functional modeling elements representing aspects of a system being modeled, the method comprising:

generating a first timing identifier for a first data set based on a timing characteristic of the first data set;

associating the first data set with a first task identifier established by an execution engine; and

logging data associated with the first data set into a storage device based on the first timing identifier and the first task identifier during block diagram simulation, the logged data being available after completion of the block diagram simulation.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein generating further comprises determining a checksum based on the timing characteristic.

32. The method of claim 30 further comprising:

generating a second timing identifier for a second data set based on a timing characteristic of the second data set; and

associating the second data set with a second task identifier established by an execution engine.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising associating the first data set with the second data set if the first task identifier is equal to the second task identifier.

34. The method of claim 32 further comprising associating the second data set with the first data set if the first timing identifier is equal to the second timing identifier.

35. The method of claim 32 further comprising:

generating a data structure including the first and second timing identifiers and the first and second task identifiers; and

determining a data point for logging using the data structure.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the data structure comprises a table.

37. The method of claim 30 further comprising generating a time vector associated with the first data set.

38. The system of claim 30 wherein the time vector composes a compact format.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein the compact format comprises at least three of a start time, a stop time, an interval, and number of elements.

40. The method of claim 30 further comprising generating an event buffer associated with the data.

41. The method of claim 40 further comprising modifying an event element in the event buffer when an associated circular data buffer overwrites existing data.

42. The method of claim 30 further comprising querying the execution engine executing the block diagram to determine whether a functional element of the block diagram associated with the first data set is executing at a particular time point.

43. A computer implemented system comprising:

a processor configured to process;

an executable block diagram having one or more functional modeling elements representing aspects of a system being modeled;

a timing identifier generator configured to generate a first timing identifier for a first data set associated with the block diagram based on a timing characteristic of the first data set; and

a logging module configured to associate the first data set with a first task identifier established by an execution engine and to log data associated with the first data based on the first timing identifier and the first task identifier during block diagram simulation, the logged data being available after completion of the block diagram simulation; and

a storage for storing the logged data.

44. The system of claim 43 wherein the first timing identifier comprises a checksum.

45. The system of claim 43, wherein the processor is further configured to process:

a comparator module configured to associate the first data set with a second data set if the first task identifier is equal to a second task identifier associated with the second data set.

46. The system of claim 43, wherein the processor is further configured to process:

a comparator module configured to generate a pointer to use with a second data set that points to the first data set if the first timing identifier is equal to a second timing identifier corresponding to the second data set and a source of the first data set is also the source of the second data set.

47. The system of claim 43 wherein the logging module is further configured to generate a time vector associated with the first data set.

48. The system of claim 43 wherein the logging module is further configured to query the execution engine executing the block diagram to determine whether a functional element of the block diagram associated with the first data set is executing at a particular time point.

49. The system of claim 43,

wherein the storage further stores a data structure including the first timing identifier and the first task identifier, and

wherein the logging module is further configured to determine if a data point is available for logging using the data structure.

50. The system of claim 49 wherein the data structure comprises a table.

51. An article comprising a computer-readable storage medium that stores executable instructions that cause a computer to:

generate a first timing identifier for a first data set based on a timing characteristic of the first data set;

associate the first data set with a first task identifier established by an execution engine; and

log data associated with the first data set into a storage device based on the first timing identifier and the first task identifier.