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Chapter 15 Model SemanticsA number of different tools interpret how Simulink / Stateflow models execute. These include Reactis, the MathWorks Simulation environment, and various autocode tools. In this chapter we discuss issues related to the semantics of Simulink / Stateflow models. In particular we focus on how model execution affects coverage tracking. 15.1 Conditional Input Branch ExecutionA number of factors influence whether or not a Simulink block executes during a given simulation step. These include whether or not the block (or a subsystem containing the block) has a sample time and whether or not the block resides in a conditionally executed subsystem. Conditional input branch execution is an optimization supported by Simulink that offers an additional way to determine when blocks execute by disabling them in some cases. Beginning with V2007, Reactis also supports this feature. To understand how conditional input branch execution works, consider the simple model shown in Figure 15.1. When input c is greater than or equal to zero, the Switch block outputs RelOp1 and ignores RelOp2. Conversely, when c is less than zero, the Switch block outputs RelOp2 and ignores RelOp1. The basic idea behind conditional input branch execution is to not execute blocks whose output is ignored. This optimization does not change the outputs computed by the model, but it will speed up execution since some blocks are not executed. In the case of Reactis, the optimization has an important impact on coverage tracking: the coverage targets associated with a block are not covered during any simulation step in which the block is ignored due to conditional input branch execution. For example, in Figure 15.1, neither the true nor false branch of RelOp2 are covered when c is greater than or equal to zero. In addition to switch blocks, conditional input branch execution also occurs when Multiport Switch blocks or non-virtual subsystems are executed. The non-control inports of Multiport Switches and the inports of non-virtual subsystems each serve as the root of an ignorable branch just as each non-control inport of a switch block does. We call these inports ignorable inports. In Figure 15.1, each ignorable branch consists of a single block wired to an ignorable inport; however, in general, an entire group of blocks might be ignored. The set of blocks included in an ignorable branch is computed as follows. A block B is included in an ignorable branch IB if it meets each of the following conditions:
In Simulink, a model is configured to use conditional branch execution in two ways.
Conditional input branch execution in Reactis is controlled independently for each model. The steps required to change the setting are as follows:
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