Modeling of a multiprocessor system

• US 8,447,580 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2005
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Inventors: Ciolfi, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Rivas, Omar Fernandez
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUU, CUONG V
• Application Number:
  US11/141,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20060282252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,912 Days
• Field of Search: 703/21, 703/6, 703/13, 703/14, 700/18, 700/83, 717/108, 717/45, 717/127, 717/162, 713/500, 707/100, 719/314, 709/226, 709/223
• US Class Current: 703/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/35 model driven
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5066 Algorithms for mapping a plurality of inter-dependent sub-tasks onto a plurality of physical CPUs mappping at compile time, see G06F8/451

Abstract

Methods and systems for modeling a multiprocessor system in a graphical modeling environment are disclosed. The multiprocessor system may include multiple processing units that carry out one or more processes, such as programs and sets of instructions. Each of the processing units may be represented as a node at the top level of the model for the multiprocessor system. The nodes representing the processing units of the multiprocessor system may be interconnected to each other via a communication channel. The nodes may include at least one read element for reading data from the communication channel into the nodes. The node may also include at least one write element for writing data from the nodes into the communication channel. Each of the processing unit can communicate with other processing unit via the communication channel using the read and write elements.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for creating a coupled functional and deployment model for a multi-processor system in an electronic device that provides a graphical modeling environment, the method comprising:

creating a deployment model from a functional model including at least one functional unit performing a functional operation, where;

the deployment model comprises a plurality of processing units represented by a plurality of node blocks,

the at least one functional unit of the functional model is mapped to at least one of the plurality of processing units for being executed by the at least one of the plurality of processing units when the deployment model executes, and

the at least one of the plurality of processing units is represented in the deployment model by at least one node block of the plurality of node blocks, the at least one node block including;

one or more of a write block for writing to any of the plurality of node blocks through an inter process communication (IPC) channel or a read block for reading from any of the plurality of node blocks through the IPC channel, where the at least one node block includes a combination of zero or more write blocks and zero or more read blocks, and

the at least one functional unit coupled to one or more of the write block or the read block;

creating a communication channel to interconnect the plurality of node blocks in the deployment model; and

representing the communication channel in the deployment model using the IPC channel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical modeling environment is a time-based block diagram modeling environment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the creating comprises partitioning the functional model into sub-models that map to the node blocks of the deployment model.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the deployment model comprises partitioning the functional model into sub-models that map to the node blocks of the deployment model through instructions from a user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein separate functional units are combined into the single deployment model.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

simulating the IPC channel in the graphical modeling environment.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the IPC channel is represented with a line in the graphical model and the IPC channel is visible in a window separate from a window containing the model.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating code for the deployment model wherein the generated code is used in a physical processor environment.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the deployment model is executed on multiple processors during simulation.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the deployment model represents a distributed system.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the deployment model represent a parallel computing system.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of node blocks in the deployment model comprises sub-nodes representing portions of algorithms that are mapped to the plurality of node blocks.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

generating code for the deployment model wherein the generated code is used for simulating interconnections between the sub-nodes.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

generating code for interconnections between the sub-nodes for execution of the graphical model as a collection of independent tasks represented by the sub-nodes.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

partially generating code and partially simulating interconnections between the sub-nodes.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying graphical elements for representing processing units of the multiprocessor system or the communication channel using a display device.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling a user to add node blocks to the deployment model.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one write block or the at least one read block are used to configure a communication protocol of the communications between the one or more processing units.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the IPC channel is represented using a discrete event model of the communication protocol of the communications between the one or more processing units.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the discrete event model comprises affordances for an error behavior.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the error behavior is packet loss.

17. A system for creating a graphical model for a multi-processor system in a graphical modeling environment, the system comprising:

a user interface to;

create a functional model in the graphical modeling environment, the functional model including at least one functional unit performing a functional operation; and

an integrator to;

generate a deployment model from the functional model, where;

the deployment model comprises a plurality of processing units represented by a plurality of node blocks,

the at least one functional unit of the functional model is mapped to at least one of the plurality of processing units for being executed by the at least one of the plurality of processing units when the deployment model executes, and

the at least one of the plurality of processing units is represented in the deployment model by at least one node block of the plurality of node blocks, the at least one node block including;

one or more of a write block for writing to any of the plurality of node blocks through an inter process communication (IPC) channel or a read block for reading from any of the plurality of node blocks through the IPC channel, where the at least one node block includes a combination of zero or more write blocks and zero or more read blocks, and

the at least one functional unit coupled to one or more of the write block or the read block;

represent the communication channel in the deployment model using the IPC channel; and

synchronize the functional model with the deployment model, the synchronizing automatically reflecting one or more edits made to the deployment model in the functional model.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the graphical modeling environment is a time-based block diagram modeling environment.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the integrator combines separate functional units into the single deployment model.

20. The system of claim 17 further comprising:

a code generator for generating code for the deployment model wherein the generated code is used in a physical processor environment.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the plurality of node blocks in the deployment model comprises sub-nodes representing portions of algorithms that are mapped to the plurality of node blocks.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for creating a graphical model in a graphical modeling environment, the instructions that when executed cause the device to:

create a deployment model from a functional model including at least one functional unit performing a functional operation, where;

the deployment model comprises a plurality of processing units represented by a plurality of node blocks,

the at least one functional unit of the functional model is mapped to at least one of the plurality of processing units for being executed by the at least one of the plurality of processing units when the deployment model executes, and

the at least one of the plurality of processing units is represented in the deployment model by at least one node block of the plurality of node blocks, the at least one node block including;

one or more of a write block for writing to any of the plurality of node blocks through an inter process communication (IPC) channel or a read block for reading from any of the plurality of node blocks through the IPC channel, where the at least one node block includes a combination of zero or more write blocks and zero or more read blocks, and

the at least one functional unit coupled to one or more of the write block or the read block;

create a communication channel to interconnect the plurality of node blocks in the deployment model; and

represent the communication channel in the deployment model using the IPC channel.

23. The medium of claim 22, wherein the graphical modeling environment is a time-based block diagram modeling environment.

24. The medium of claim 22 where separate functional units are combined into the single deployment model.

25. The medium of claim 22 further comprising instructions when executed causing the device to:

generate code for the deployment model.

26. The medium of claim 22, wherein at least one of the plurality of node blocks in the deployment model comprises sub-nodes representing portions of algorithms that are mapped to the plurality of node blocks.

27. The medium of claim 22 further comprising instructions when executed causing the device to:

display graphical elements for representing processing units of the multiprocessor system or the communication channel using a display device.

29. The medium of claim 22, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the device to:

enable a user to add node blocks to the deployment model.

30. The medium of claim 22, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the device to:

synchronize the functional model with the deployment model, the synchronizing automatically reflecting one or more edits made to the deployment model in the functional model.