System and method for block diagram simulation context restoration

• US 7,801,715 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2003
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez; Paul L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Louis; Andre Pierre
• Application Number:
  US10/639,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20050216248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,598 Days
• Field of Search: 703/2, 703/6, 703/13
• US Class Current: 703/13
• 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 of storing and using simulation context variables, comprising:

registering areas of memory to be used in an original simulation of a block diagram of a dynamic system initiated from a zero time-point;

running the original simulation of the block diagram initiated from the zero time-point;

reaching a specified time-point in the original simulation of the block diagram, the original simulation displaying a first behavior of the dynamic system before the specified time-point and a second behavior of the dynamic system after the specified time-point, the specified time-point being one of a pre-determined time-point chosen prior to the original simulation and a user-indicated time-point chosen during the original simulation;

storing system state information and simulation context variables from the registered areas of memory in a storage location based on the running of the original simulation from the zero time-point to the specified time-point, including a snapshot of the simulation context variables, the simulation context variables enabling a subsequent new simulation corresponding to the original simulation to be initiated from the specified time-point of the original simulation and including at least one variable selected from the group of a solver variable, zero-crossing information, debugging information, and a variable holding an output value of a subsystem;

retrieving the simulation context variables and system state information from the storage location; and

initiating the new simulation using the retrieved simulation context variables and the system state information, the new simulation initiated from the specified time-point of the original simulation so that the new simulation displays the second behavior of the dynamic system.

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

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the simulation context variables include at least one solver variable and the at least one solver variable is one of the group of a history of integration points, timing information, information regarding a dynamically changed step size, a tolerance, an algebraic loop variable, and Jacobian data.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the simulation context variables include zero crossing information and the zero-crossing information includes the sign of a zero crossing variable.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

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

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the simulation context variables in a platform independent manner.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

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

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

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

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the simulation context variables in a platform dependent manner.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

storing the simulation context variables via a textual dump.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the specified time-point at which the simulation context variables are saved is the time-point at which the original simulation reaches a steady state.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the simulation context variables are saved at different time-points during the original simulation.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

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

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

15. In a block diagram environment, a method, comprising:

running an original simulation initiated from a zero time-point;

reaching a specified time-point in the original simulation initiated from the zero time-point, the original simulation displaying a first behavior before the specified time-point and a second behavior after the specified time-point, the specified time-point being one of a pre-determined time-point chosen prior to the original simulation and a user-indicated time-point chosen during the original simulation;

storing system state information and simulation context variables in a storage location based on the running of the original simulation from the zero time-point to the specified time-point, including a snapshot of the simulation context variables, the simulation context variables enabling a subsequent new simulation corresponding to the original simulation to be initiated from the specified time-point of the original simulation and including at least one variable selected from the group of a solver variable, zero-crossing information, debugging information, and a variable holding an output value of a subsystem;

retrieving the simulation context variables and system state information from the storage location; and

initiating the new simulation using the retrieved simulation context variables and the system state information, the new simulation initiated from the specified time-point of the original simulation so that the new simulation displays the second behavior.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the storing of simulation context variables occurs without stopping the original simulation.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

indicating more than one specified time-point in the original simulation; and

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

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the block diagram environment is provided in a textual form.

19. A computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for storing and using simulation context variables, the instructions when executed causing a computer to:

register areas of memory to be used in simulating a block diagram of a dynamic system initiated from a zero time-point;

run an original simulation of the block diagram initiated from the zero time-point;

reach a specified time-point in the original simulation of the block diagram, the original simulation displaying a first behavior of the dynamic system before the specified time-point and a second behavior of the dynamic system after the specified time-point, the specified time-point being one of a pre-determined time-point chosen prior to the original simulation and a user-indicated time-point chosen during the original simulation;

store system state information and simulation context variables in a storage location based on the running of the original simulation from the zero time-point to the specified time-point, including a snapshot of the simulation context variables, the simulation context variables enabling a subsequent new simulation corresponding to the original simulation to be initiated from the specified time-point of the original simulation and including at least one variable selected from the group of a solver variable, zero-crossing information, debugging information, and a variable holding an output value of a subsystem;

retrieve the simulation context variables and system state information from the storage location; and

initiate the new simulation of the block diagram using the retrieved simulation context variables and the system state information, the new simulation initiated from the specified time-point of the original simulation so that the new simulation displays the second behavior of the dynamic system.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the simulation context variables include a variable holding an output value of a block.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the simulation context variables include at least one solver variable and the at least one solver variable is one of the group of a history of integration points, timing information, information regarding a dynamically changed step size, a tolerance, an algebraic loop variable, and Jacobian data.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the simulation context variables include a variable holding zero crossing information and the zero-crossing information is the sign of a zero crossing variable.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computer to:

perform more than one new simulation in parallel using the retrieved simulation context variables.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computer to:

store the simulation context variables in a platform independent manner.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computer to:

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

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computer to:

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

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computer to:

store the simulation context variables in a platform dependent manner.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computer to:

store the simulation context variables via a textual dump.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the specified time-point at which the simulation context variables are saved is the time-point at which the original simulation reaches a steady state.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the simulation context variables are saved at different time-points during the original simulation.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computer to:

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

32. In a non-simulation block diagram environment, a method for storing and using context variables, comprising:

registering areas of memory to be used during an original execution of a block diagram of a dynamic system initiated from a zero time-point;

running the original execution of the block diagram initiated from the zero time-point;

reaching a specified time-point in the original execution of the block diagram, the original execution displaying a first behavior of the dynamic system before the specified time-point and a second behavior of the dynamic system after the specified time-point, the specified time-point being one of a pre-determined time-point chosen prior to the original execution and a user-indicated time-point chosen during the original execution;

storing system state information and context variables from the registered areas of memory in a storage location based on the running of the original execution from the zero time-point to the specified time-point, including a snapshot of the simulation context variables, the context variables enabling a subsequent new execution corresponding to the original execution to be initiated from the specified time-point of the original execution and including at least one variable selected from the group of a solver variable, zero-crossing information, debugging information, and a variable holding an output value of a subsystem;

retrieving the context variables and system state information from the storage location; and

initiating the new execution by executing a block method to solve for a block output using the retrieved context variables and the system state information, the new execution initiated from the specified time-point of the original execution so that the new execution displays the second behavior of the dynamic system.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the context variables include a variable holding an output value of an execution element.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the context variables include at least one solver variable and the at least one solver variable is one of the group of a history of integration points, timing information, information regarding a dynamically changed step size, a tolerance, an algebraic loop variable, and Jacobian data.

35. The method of claim 32 wherein the context variables include a variable holding zero crossing information and the zero crossing information is the sign of a zero crossing variable.

36. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

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

37. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

storing the context variables in a platform independent manner.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

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

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

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

40. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

storing the context variables in a platform dependent manner.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

storing the context variables via a textual dump.

42. The method of claim 32 wherein the specified time-point at which the context variables are saved is the time-point at which the original execution reaches a steady state.

43. The method of claim 32 wherein the context variables are saved at different time-points during the original execution.

44. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

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

45. The method of claim 32 wherein the block diagram environment is provided in a textual form.

46. In a non-simulation block diagram environment, a method for storing and using context variables, comprising:

running an original execution of a block diagram of a dynamic system initiated at a zero time-point;

reaching a specified time-point in the original execution of the block diagram, the original execution displaying a first behavior of the dynamic system before the specified time-point and a second behavior of the dynamic system after the specified time-point, the specified time-point being one of a pre-determined time-point chosen prior to the original execution and a user-indicated time-point chosen during the original execution;

storing system state information and context variables in a storage location based on the running of the original execution from the zero time-point to the specified time-point, including a snapshot of the simulation context variables, the context variables enabling a subsequent new execution corresponding to the original execution to be initiated from the specified time-point of the original execution and including at least one variable selected from the group of a solver variable, zero-crossing information, debugging information, and a variable holding an output value of a subsystem;

retrieving the context variables and system state information from the storage location; and

initiating the new execution by executing a block method to solve for a block output using the retrieved context variables and the system state information, the new execution initiated from the specified time-point of the original execution so that the new execution displays the second behavior of the dynamic system.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein the storing of context variables occurs without stopping the original execution.

48. The method of claim 47, further comprising:

indicating more than one specified time-point in the original execution; and

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

49. The method of claim 46 wherein the block diagram environment is provided in a textual form.

50. In a non-simulation block diagram environment, a medium holding computer-executable instructions for storing and using context variables, the instructions when executed causing a computer to:

register areas of memory to be used during an original execution of a block diagram of a dynamic system initiated from a zero time-point;

run the original execution of the block diagram initiated from the zero time-point;

reach a specified time-point in the original execution of the block diagram, the original execution displaying a first behavior of the dynamic system before the specified time-point and a second behavior of the dynamic system after the specified time-point, the specified time-point being one of a pre-determined time-point chosen prior to the original execution and a user-indicated time-point chosen during the original execution;

store system state information and context variables in a storage location based on the running of the original execution from the zero time-point to the specified time-point, including a snapshot of the simulation context variables, the context variables enabling a subsequent new execution corresponding to the original execution to be initiated from the specified time-point of the original execution and including at least one variable selected from the group of a solver variable, zero-crossing information, debugging information, and a variable holding an output value of a subsystem;

retrieve the context variables and system state information from the storage location; and

initiate the new execution by executing a block method to solve for a block output using the retrieved context variables and the system state information, the new execution initiated from the specified time-point of the original execution so that the new execution displays the second behavior of the dynamic system.

51. The medium of claim 50 wherein the context variables include a variable holding an output value of a block.

52. The medium of claim 50 wherein the context variables include at least one solver variable and the at least one solver variable is one of the group of a history of integration points, timing information, information regarding a dynamically changed step size, a tolerance, an algebraic loop variable, and Jacobian data.

53. The medium of claim 50 wherein the context variables include a variable holding zero crossing information and the zero crossing information is the sign of a zero crossing variable.

54. The medium of claim 50, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computer to:

perform more than one new execution in parallel using the retrieved context variables.

55. The medium of claim 50, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computer to:

store the context variables in a platform independent manner.

56. The medium of claim 55, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computer to:

store the context variables via a textual dump using a conversion process.

57. The medium of claim 55, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computer to:

store the context variables via a binary dump using a conversion process.

58. The medium of claim 50, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computer to:

one or more instructions for storing the context variables in a platform dependent manner.

59. The medium of claim 58, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computer to:

one or more instructions for storing the context variables via a textual dump.

60. The medium of claim 50 wherein the specified time-point at which the context variables are saved is the time-point at which the original execution reaches a steady state.

61. The medium of claim 50 wherein the context variables are saved at different time-points during the original execution.

62. The medium of claim 50 wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computer to:

one or more instructions for saving at least one of text information, heap information and stack information.

63. A computer-implemented system for storing and using simulation context variables, comprising:

a block diagram model of a dynamic system, the model including a plurality of elements;

at least one registered area of memory used in a running of an original simulation of the block diagram model initiated from a zero time-point; and

a storage location holding system state information and a collection of simulation context variables saved from the registered areas of memory based on the running of the original simulation from the zero time-point to a specified time-point, including a snapshot of the simulation context variables, the original simulation displaying a first behavior of the dynamic system before the specified time-point and a second behavior of the dynamic system after the specified time-point, the collection of simulation context variables enabling a subsequent new simulation corresponding to the original simulation to be initiated from the specified time-point of the original simulation and including at least one variable selected from the group of a solver variable, zero-crossing information, debugging information, and a variable holding an output value of a subsystem, wherein the simulation context variables and system state information are retrieved from the storage location and used in initiating the new simulation from the specified time-point of the original simulation so that the new simulation displays the second behavior of the dynamic system.

64. The system of claim 63 wherein the collection of simulation context variables are saved at a specified time-point in the original simulation, the specified time-point being one of a pre-determined time-point chosen prior to the original simulation and a user-indicated time-point chosen during the original simulation.

65. The system of claim 63 wherein the collection of simulation context variables are retrieved from the storage location and used to initiate the new simulation.

66. The system of claim 63 wherein the simulation context variables are saved is the time-point at which the original simulation reaches a steady state.

67. The system of claim 63 wherein the simulation context variables are saved in a platform independent manner.