A more advanced example using all types of global parameter and a table

In the Quarter car example shown previously, no tables are involved, so we will now use a different Simcenter Amesim system to demonstrate the use of data files - we will also demonstrate what happens when using integer and text parameters.

Figure 49: Simcenter Amesim system using all types of global parameter and table file

1. Define the following global parameters:

    Type
   
   
    Name
   
   
    Title
   
   
    Unit
   
   
    Value
   
   
    Minimum
   
   
    Default
   
   
    Maximum
   
   
   
   
   
    Real
   
   
    freq
   
   
    Frequency to filter
   
   
    Hz
   
   
    10
   
   
    0
   
   
    10
   
   
    1e+06
   
   
   
   
    Integer
   
   
    fluidindex
   
   
    Index of hydraulic fluid
   
   
   
    0
   
   
    0
   
   
    0
   
   
    1
   
   
   
   
    Text
   
   
    expr
   
   
    Expression for function block
   
   
   
    x^2
   
   
   
    x^2
   

2. Set the following submodel parameters:

    Submodel
   
   
    Parameter name
   
   
    Value
   
   
   
   
   
    FX00-1
   
   
    expression in terms of the input x
   
   
    expr
   
   
   
   
    LAG2-1
   
   
    natural frequency
   
   
    freq
   
   
   
   
    FXA001-1
   
   
    name of ASCII file
   
   
    fxa0data.dat
   

3. Use the Simcenter AmesimTable Editor to create the file fxa0data.dat setting the following data table:

For data files that are not recognized by Simcenter Amesim you will need to specify the type manually. If there are files used by the model that are not supported by Simcenter Amesim, you should select Other, not supported as the data file type. If unsupported files are used in the simulation, it is necessary to provide these files with the S-Function. You should in this case make sure that the path to the file is relative (for example: data\file_to_use.dat) instead of absolute (for example: c:\path\to\my\data\files\file_to_use.dat). The reason is simple: it is unlikely that the end-user of the ASBB will have the same directory structure as you have.

For the other data file used in the Simcenter Amesim system (fxa0data.dat - used by FXA01), Simcenter Amesim recognizes the file type without any help. This will be the case for all files that have been created using the Table Editor tool in Simcenter Amesim. For files generated by other means, you will need to select the file type manually (or add a first line containing the table type).

Figure 50: Summary of the data files used in the model and their type

The popup (figure above) displays a summary of the data files used in the model and their type. In this list, you will often see expressions used in submodels that accept either expressions or filenames. Since the file generation process has no safe way of determining whether a text parameter is a filename or an expression, it displays these expressions as NOT_FOUND. Most of the time this kind of warning comes from a text parameter which does not refer to a filename - such as the unnamed fluid in FP04 in the current example.

The window that opens when you close the Generating files for Simcenter Amesim-Simulink Black-Box generating files for Simcenter Amesim-Simulink Black-Box popup is the classic System Compilation window (figure below). As we can see from this window, it is clear that:

• Simcenter Amesim first does a "normal" (re-)compilation of the Simulink S-function. After this,

• Simcenter Amesim does another compilation of the system, the second time with special options that will include the data files in the generated MEX file. The result of this second mex command of the system (named hydraulic.ame in this case) is a MEX file hydraulic.mexw64 (in recent versions of MATLAB). Figure 51: System Compilation message window

  In MATLAB we will create a submodel including an import AME2SL block. Once the Simcenter Amesim system hydraulic has been selected, the global parameters can be seen via the model parameter window as shown in the following figure. Figure 52: Simulink submodel

  Figure 53: View of all types of global parameter

  From the main window of the AME2SL block, the black-box can be created by clicking on the Create black-box icon. Like any other parameters, integer and text parameters can be modified. Figure 54: View ASBB produced