WinCon 3.0.

2a
Quanser Consulting Inc.
Realtime Digital Signal Processing and Control
under Windows 95 using SIMULINK and TCP/IP Technology
1.0 Introduction
1.0.1 Principles of Operation
1.0.2 WinCon W95Server
1.0.3 WinCon W95Client
1.1 Configurations
1.1.1 One PC - No Network
1.1.2 Two PCs - Direct Connection
1.1.3 Two PCs - Two PCs - Intranet or Internet connection
1.1.4 One Server - Several Clients
1.1.5 Several Servers - Several Clients
2.0 System Requirements
3.0 Installation
3.1 Data acquisition board
3.1.1 Analog input
3.1.2 Analog output
3.1.3 Encoder input
3.1.4 Digital bit read
3.1.5 Digital bit out
3.2 Sampling period and IRQ level
3.2.1 System clock
3.2.2 Hardware clock
3.2.3 Threshold and Tolerance in sampling interval deviations
4.0 Generating the code
4.1 Simulation solver
4.2 RTW Options
4.3 RTW External Options
4.4 WinCon Toolbar in SIMULINK
5.0 Running the Controller
5.1 Connecting to the client
5.1.1 Configuration 1 : No Network
5.1.2 Configuration 2 : INTRANET
5.1.3 Configuration 3 : INTERNET
5.2 Downloading the code
5.3 Running the client
5.4 Changing parameters online
6.0 Plotting and saving data
6.1 Realtime Plots
6.2 Saving Data
6.3 Performance variables
7.0 Navigating through the Windows
7.7 Toolbar buttons
8.0 Examples
9.1 Loopback
9.2 PID Controller
9.3 Inverted Pendulum Controller
9.4 High Wire Walker Controller
9.0 Scripting WinCon execution from MATLAB
10.0 Hints and potential problems
Configuration 1 - One PC - No Network
1.0 Introduction
1.0.1 Principles of Operation
WinCon is a real time Windows 95 application that runs Simulink generated code using Real-Time
Workshop on a PC. WinCon consists of a client and a server referred to as WinCon W95Client and
WinCon W95Server. Each server can communicate with several clients. Each client can communicate
with several servers. A PC can have a client as well as a server operating on it at the same time.
1.0.2 WinCon W95Server
The Server component performs the following:
- Converts a Simulink diagram to a PC executable Virtual Device Driver using Real-Time Workshop
- Compiles and links the code using Visual C++
- Downloads the executable code to run on the WinCon W95Client
- Starts and Stops the WinCon client
- Maintains TCP/IP communications with the WinCon W95Client
- Maintains communications with Simulink to perform real-time changes in the WinCon W95Client
parameters. i.e. download new gain from Simulink to the WinCon W95Client
- Plots the data streamed from a desired WinCon W95Client in real time
- Saves data to disk
1.0.3 WinCon W95Client
This is the real-time software component that runs the code generated from the Simulink diagram at the
sampling rate specified. It performs the following:
- Receives controller code from the server
- Runs the controller code in real time
- Maintains communications with a W95Server
- Streams realtime data to the W95Server(s) requesting it
The rest of this manual assumes that you are familair with MATLAB and Simulink. A good
understanding of networking under Win95 is required when operating in multi-computer Server/Client
mode.
1.1 Configurations
1.1.1 One PC - No Network
The simplest and most common configuration is a
single PC equipped with the required software and
hardware. In this configuration, the PC runs both
the server and the client and can be used to
perform real-time control, tuning and monitoring in
the same location. (See Configuration 1)
Configuration 2 - Two PCs - Direct Connection
Configuration 3 - Two PCs - Internet connection
Configuration 4 - One W95Server and multiple
1.1.2 Two PCs - Direct Connection
The second configuration consists of two PCs: one
running the server and another running the client. In
this case the two PCs must be connected to each
other directly or via a network. The advantage of this
configuration is that the client is running on a PC that
is usually not running any software other than
Windows 95 and WinCon W95Client. This
configuration enables you to obtain the fastest
possible sampling rates on the client since the PC is
not burdened with other tasks. (See Configuration 2)
1.1.3 Two PCs - Internet connection
A third configuration is two PCs communicating via
The Internet. Each PC is connected to a server and
they can each be located anywhere in the world. It is
essentially the same as configuration #2 but the
connection between the PCs is via The Internet. (See
Configuration 3)
1.1.4 One W95Server and multiple W95Clients:
Internet connection
Another configuration is one W95Server and many
W95Clients running as nodes on the Internet. The
server can download code to several clients. It can
maintain communications with one client at any given
time.
1.1.5 Multiple Servers and Multiple Clients - Internet connection
Another possible configuration includes multiple servers and multiple clients running as nodes on a
TCP/IP network. For example Sever S1 can download code to Client C1 and other code to client C2.
Since it is the first server to connect to these clients, it becomes the primary server for these clients and
can start, stop, download new code to either client, and change parameters on the fly. Server S2 (from
a different PC) can connect to client C1 as a secondary server and observe data in realtime from it,
and start and stop the controller. Server S2 can not download code to client C1, nor can it adjust
parameters on the fly. Server S2 can download code to a new client C3 and become the primary
server for client C3.

2.0 System Requirements - Overview
The following table shows the PC requirements for each possible configuration. Note that not all the
hardware and software are required on all the PCs being used.
Configuration
1 PC - No network 2 PCs - INTRANET Several PCs -
INTERNET
PC Running WinCon WinCon WinCon WinCon WinCon WinCon
Server Client Server Client Server Client
SOFTWARE REQUIRED
Windows 95* & & & & &
WinCon Server & & &
WinCon Client & & &
Mathworks MATLAB & & &
Mathworks Simulink & & &
Mathworks Real-Time
Workshop
& & &
Microsoft Visual C++ & & &
HARDWARE REQUIRED
MultiQ board** & & &
Ethernet card & &
Internet connection & &
NETWORKING REQUIREMENTS
TCP/IP Protocol Installed & & &
Microsoft Dial-Up Adapter &
(if no Network card
installed)
Fully Functional TCP/IP &
Compliant Network (if Network card &
installed)
Fully Functional Internet
Connectivity
&
The PC requirements are:
- Pentium class processor (the faster the better)
- 16 Meg RAM (the more the better)
- Windows 95 (Without would have been better!)
* The WinCon W95Server will also run with Windows NT version 4.0 however the WinCon W95Client
requires Windows 95
** The standard data acquisition board supported by WinCon is the MultiQ board. You may however
write your own device drivers as Simulink blocks and link them with WinCon.
2.1 Windows 95 Version
Before you install WinCon 3.0, please ensure the following:
1) Make sure you have the correct version of Windows 95: Click the Right mouse button on the My
Computer Icon and select Properties. WinCon requires that certain DirectX components are installed.
The required DirectX components are included on Windows 95 versions 4.00.950b or greater.
If you have an earlier version you MAY HAVE TO install Direct X in order for WinCon to
work properly.
If you start WinCon and it crashes with a floating point exception (0x07) and you get the famous BLUE
SCREEN then you MUST install Direct X 5.0.
Information about DirectX can be found at:
http://www.microsoft.com/directx/
Download the latest version of DirectX (Version 5.0) from:
http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/directx/dxf/enduser5.0
2.2 MATLAB versions - See section 10.4
To check that you have the correct version of Matlab installed, start up Matlab, and in the command
prompt window type in ver. Press enter. You should see a screen that looks like this:
ver
--------------------------------------------------
MATLAB Version 5.2.0.3084 on PCWIN
MATLAB License Identification Number: ******
--------------------------------------------------
MATLAB Toolbox Version 5.2 18-Dec-1997
Real-Time Workshop Version 2.2.0 01-Jan-1998
Simulink Version 2.2 21-Nov-1997
If you are using Matlab/Simulink, WinCon requires that you have the preceding versions of software
from The Mathworks installed.
2.3 Visual C++ Professional Version: 5.0 or 5.1 (See section 10.6)
The PC which has Visual C++ and runs the W95 Server must have the environment variables set.
2.3.1 Run setenvvar.exe found in the WinCon3/Bin directory and enter the CORRECT paths for all
the components specified.
2.3.2 Also run mex -setup in the MATLAB command window to set the parameters of RTW.
2.4 TCP / IP Installation
The WinCon W95 Client and W95 Server communicate with each other via sockets. This requires that
you install the TCP/IP protocol on your computer. See the Installation section (section 3) for details.
Licencing rules are as follows:
You must acquire and dedicate a license for WinCon for each
computer on which the WinCon is used.
Each WinCon package consists of one copy of W95Server and
one copy of W95Client. If you want to run configurations that
require more than one PC, you will need as many copies of
WinCon.
For complete details, please review the End-user licence agreement installed with WinCon.
3.0 Installation
Please ensure that you have the correct software installed on the appropriate PC as covered in section
2.
As there are many possible configurations, please follow the installation instructions for your desired
configuration. The options are shown in section 1.1
3.1 Configuration 1 - One PC - No Network
STEP # ACTION
1
Ensure that the Operating System
is Windows 95. WinCon 3.0 is not
compatible with Windows NT.
2
Ensure that MATLAB 5.2 is
installed on the PC before
proceeding to the next step. The
other components, Real-Time
Workshop, Simulink, Microsoft
Visual C++ can be installed either
before or after W95Server.
Check to see that you have two diskettes labeled WinCon W95Server. You must install W95Server
BEFORE you install W95Client
3
Place WinCon W95Server diskette 1 of 2 in the A drive. Click the Start button, and then
click Run. In the Open box, type a:setup
Follow the installation instructions, making sure you correctly
enter the WinCon W95Server serial number supplied to you. It is on a separate form supplied with
your software
Once the Server installation is completed, proceed with the installation of W95Client.
Check to see that you have two diskettes labelled WinCon W95Client.
4
Place WinCon W95Client diskette 1 of 2 in the A drive. Click the Start button, and then
click Run. In the Open box, type a:setup
Follow the installation instructions, making sure you correctly
enter the WinCon W95Server serial number supplied to you. It is on a separate form supplied with
your software as well as on the reverse of the diskette.
5
Check to see if you have the Microsoft Dial-up Adapter installed.
Click the Start button, click Settings and Control Panel. Double-click on the Network
Icon. With the Configuration TAB selected, check to see if Dial-Up Adapter is installed.
If it is, close the window and proceed to step 7. If not, keep the Configuration window
open and proceed to step 6.
6
Click Add, select Adapter, select Microsoft and Dial-Up Adapter. Once complete, restart
your computer. DO NOT FORGET TO CONTINUE TO STEP 7 AFTER YOU RESTART.
7
Check to see if you have the TCP/IP installed.
Click the Start button, click Settings and Control Panel. Double-click on the Network
Icon. With the Configuration TAB selected, check to see if TCP/IP Dial-Up Adapter is
installed. If it is, close the window and proceed to step 9. If not, keep the Configuration
window open and proceed to step 8.
8 computer. Once complete, restart your computer. DO NOT FORGET TO CONTINUE TO
Click Add, select Protocol, select Microsoft and TCP/IP. Setup TCP/IP for your
STEP 9 AFTER YOU RESTART.
9
If you intend to generate real-time code on this machine, ensure that you have the
following components installed before attempting to do so:
* Simulink 2.2
* Real-Time Workshop 2.2
* Microsoft Visual C++ 5.0 or 5.1 (Professional or Enterprise Edition)
* Ensure that the Data Acquistion card of your choice is installed as specified by the
manufacturer
* If you are installing a Data Acquisition Card other than the MultiQ, you must obtain the
appropriate Simulink blocks for them.
10
Set Environment variables by running the SetEnvVars Program.
(Start | Programs | WinCon3 | SetEnvVars). Fill in the information as it applies to your
system then press OK.
Configuration 2 - Two PCs - Direct Connection
STEP # ACTION
1
Prior to installation of ANY network configuration of WinCon, you must ensure that the PCs
are on a fully functional network with the TCP/IP protocol installed and configured. If this
is not the case, do not proceed to step 2, contact the your Network Administrator or
the person(s) responsible for the network and inform them of your requirements.
2
Ensure that the Operating System is
Windows 95. WinCon 3.0 is not compatible
with Windows NT.
3
ON PC#1: Ensure that MATLAB 5.2 is
installed on the PC before proceeding to
the next step. The other components, Real-
Time Workshop, Simulink, Microsoft Visual
C++ can be installed on PC#1either before
or after W95Server.
Check to see that you have two diskettes labeled WinCon W95Server. You must install W95Server
BEFORE you install W95Client
4
ON PC#1: Place WinCon W95Server diskette 1 of 2 in the A drive. Click the Start button,
and then click Run. In the Open box, type a:setup
Follow the installation instructions, making sure you correctly
enter the WinCon W95Server serial number supplied to you. It is on a separate form supplied with
your software as well as on the reverse of the diskette.
5
ON PC#2: Place W95Client diskette 1 of 2 in the A drive. Click the Start button, and then
click Run.In the Open box, type a:setup
Follow the installation instructions, making sure you correctly
enter the WinCon W95Client serial number supplied to you. It is on a separate form supplied with
your software.
6
If you intend to generate real-time code on PC#1, ensure that you have
the following components installed before attempting to do so:
* Simulink 2.2
* Real-Time Workshop 2.2
* Microsoft Visual C++ 5.0 or 5.1 (Professional or Enterprise Edition)
Ensure that the Data Acquistion card of your choice is installed as specified by the
manufacturer. If you are installing a Data Acquisition Card other than the MultiQ, you
must obtain the appropriate Simulink blocks for them.
7
On the PC with the Server Software installed, set Environment variables by running the
SetEnvVars Program. (Start | Programs | WinCon3 | SetEnvVars). Fill in the information
as it applies to your system then press OK.
Configuration 3 - Two PCs - Internet
connection
Configuration 3 - Two PCs - Internet / Intranet / LAN Connection
STEP # ACTION
1
Prior to installation of ANY network configuration of WinCon, you must ensure that the PCs
are on a fully functional network with the TCP/IP protocol installed and configured. If this
is not the case, do not proceed to step 2. Contact the your Network Administrator or the
person(s) responsible for the network and inform them of your requirements.
2
Identify the Operating System is Windows
95. WinCon 3.0 is not compatible with
Windows NT.
3
ON PC#1: Ensure that MATLAB 5.2 is
installed on the PC before proceeding to
the next step. The other components, Real-
Time Workshop, Simulink, Microsoft Visual
C++ can be installed on PC#1either before
or after W95Server.
Check to see that you have two diskettes labeled WinCon W95Server. You must install W95Server
BEFORE you install W95Client
4
ON PC#1: Place WinCon W95Server diskette 1 of 2 in the A drive. Click the Start button,
and then click Run. In the Open box, type a:setup
Follow the installation instructions, making sure you correctly
enter the WinCon W95Server serial number supplied to you. It is on a separate form supplied with
your software as well as on the reverse of the diskette.
5
ON PC#2: Place W95Client diskette 1 of 2 in the A drive. Click the Start button, and then
click Run.In the Open box, type a:setup
Follow the installation instructions, making sure you correctly
enter the WinCon W95Client serial number supplied to you. It is on a separate form supplied with
your software.
6
If you intend to generate real-time code on PC#1, ensure that you have
the following components installed before attempting to do so:
* Simulink 2.2
* Real-Time Workshop 2.2
* Microsoft Visual C++ 5.0 or 5.1 (Professional or Enterprise Edition)
Ensure that the Data Acquistion card of your choice is installed as specified by the
manufacturer. If you are installing a Data Acquisition Card other than the MultiQ, you
must obtain the appropriate Simulink blocks for them.
7
On the PC with the Server Software installed, set Environment variables by running the
SetEnvVars Program. (Start | Programs | WinCon3 | SetEnvVars). Fill in the information
as it applies to your system then press OK.
Configuration 4 - One W95Server and multiple W95Clients: Internet / Intranet or LAN connection
STEP # ACTION
1
Prior to installation of ANY network configuration of WinCon, you must ensure that the PCs
are on a fully functional network with the TCP/IP protocol installed and configured. If this
is not the case, do not proceed to step 2. Contact the your Network Administrator or the
person(s) responsible for the network and inform them of your requirements.
2
Ensure that the Operating System is
Windows 95. WinCon 3.0 is not compatible
with Windows NT.
3
ON PC#1: Ensure that MATLAB 5.2 is
installed on the PC before proceeding to
the next step. The other components, Real-
Time Workshop, Simulink, Microsoft Visual
C++ can be installed on PC#1either before
or after W95Server.
Check to see that you have two diskettes labeled WinCon W95Server. You must install W95Server
BEFORE you install W95Client
4
ON PC#1: Place WinCon W95Server diskette 1 of 2 in the A drive. Click the Start button,
and then click Run. In the Open box, type a:setup
Follow the installation instructions, making sure you correctly
enter the WinCon W95Server serial number supplied to you. It is on a separate form supplied with
your software as well as on the reverse of the diskette.
5
ON PC#2 through PC#n: Place W95Client diskette 1 of 2 in the A drive. Click the Start
button, and then click Run.In the Open box, type a:setup. Repeat this procedure for
each PC, #2 through n. Ensure that you have the correct number of licenced copies
for any network installation.
Follow the installation instructions, making sure you correctly
enter the WinCon W95Client serial number supplied to you. It is on a separate form supplied with
your software.
6
If you intend to generate real-time code on PC#1, ensure that you have
the following components installed before attempting to do so:
* Simulink 2.2
* Real-Time Workshop 2.2
* Microsoft Visual C++ 5.0 or 5.1 (Professional or Enterprise Edition)
Ensure that the Data Acquistion card of your choice is installed as specified by the
manufacturer. If you are installing a Data Acquisition Card other than the MultiQ, you
must obtain the appropriate Simulink blocks for them.
Configuration 5 - Multiple W95Servers and multiple W95Clients: Internet / Intranet or LAN
connection
STEP # ACTION
1
Prior to installation of ANY network configuration of WinCon, you must ensure that the PCs
are on a fully functional network with the TCP/IP protocol network. If this is not the case,
do not proceed to step 2. Contact the your Network Administrator or the person(s)
responsible for the network and inform them of your requirements.
2
Ensure that the Operating System is Windows 95. WinCon 3.0 is not compatible with
Windows NT.
3
On each PC to act as a Server: Ensure that MATLAB 5.2 is installed on the PC before
proceeding to the next step. The other components, Real-Time Workshop, Simulink,
Microsoft Visual C++ can be installed either before or after W95Server.
Check to see that you have two diskettes labeled WinCon W95Server. You must install W95Server
BEFORE you install W95Client
4
On the desired W95Server PC(s): Place WinCon W95Server diskette 1 of 2 in the A
drive. Click the Start button, and then click Run. In the Open box, type a:setup
Follow the installation instructions, making sure you correctly
enter the WinCon W95Server serial number supplied to you. It is on a separate form supplied with
your software as well as on the reverse of the diskette. Repeat the procedures above for each of the
machines that you wish to act a a W95Server. Ensure that you have the correct number of licenced
copies of WinCon for any network installation.
5 Repeat this procedure for each PC that you intend to operate as a W95Client.
ON each PC that you intend to operate as a W95Client: Place W95Client diskette 1 of
2 in the A drive. Click the Start button, and then click Run. In the Open box, type a:setup.
Ensure that you have the correct number of licenced copies of WinCon for any
network installation.
Follow the installation instructions, making sure you correctly
enter the WinCon W95Client serial number supplied to you. It is on a separate form supplied with
your software. Ensure that you have the correct number of licenced copies of WinCon for any
network installation.
6
If you intend to generate real-time code on any of the PCs with W95Server, ensure that
you have the following components installed before attempting to do so:
* Simulink 2.2
* Real-Time Workshop 2.2
* Microsoft Visual C++ 5.0 or 5.1 (Professional or Enterprise Edition)
Ensure that the Data Acquistion card of your choice is installed as specified by the
manufacturer. If you are installing a Data Acquisition Card other than the MultiQ, you
must obtain the appropriate Simulink blocks for them.
7 SetEnvVars Program. (Start | Programs | WinCon3 | SetEnvVars). Fill in the information
On the PC with the Server Software installed, set the environment variables by running the
as it applies to your system.
3.1 Integrating the Data Acquisition Board with WinCon
WinCon is fully compatible with the MultiQ board. In order to access the MultiQ drivers and use them in
Simulink diagrams, enter winlib in the MATLAB window. This displays the library of board drivers that
will function with SIMULINK. The MultiQ library offers you the use the following blocks:
3.1.1 Analog input: Select the channel you want to sample from. The output is a value between +5
Volts and -5 Volts. The resolution is 13 bits.
3.1.2 Analog output: Select the channel you want to put the voltage out to. The input to the block is a
value between +5 and -5 volts. The resolution is 12 bits.
3.1.3 Encoder input : Select the input channel you want to measure from. The output of the block is an
integer value indicating the counts of the encoder. The resolution will depend on the type of encoder
you are using.
3.1.4 Digital bit read: The MultiQ has an 8 bit digital input port. You can read any of the eight bits (0 to
7) using this block.
3.1.5 Digital bit out: The input to this is a binary value which will be put out to the selected bit on the
digital output port of the MultiQ.
If you have another board that you would like to use, you will need to write drivers for it. See the
Realtime Workshop Users Guide for details on writing drivers. Quanser Consulting can assist
you in writing drivers for a nominal fee. Please contact Quanser Consulting directly.

3.2 Sampling period and IRQ Level
WinCon is a realtime process and as such will require a realtime interrupt source to synchronize it.
There are 2 timebase options for WinCon: System clock and Hardware clock. The system clock uses
the PC timer and can provide a maximum sample rate of 1 kHz. A hardware clock uses an independent
clock tied to an interrupt line on the PC bus and results in more reliable realtime operation than the
system clock.
3.2.1 System Clock
This is not the recommended method of operation.
This method derives an interrupt from the Windows system timer and is limited to a maximum sampling
frequency of 1 kHz. Furthermore, the resolution of the timer is 1 msec which results in latencies in the
order of 1 msec. This method is not very accurate but may be adequate for slow processes such as
chemical plants.
3.2.2 Hardware clock
This is the recommended mode of operation.
In order to use this mode, you need a hardware clock that is connected to an interrupt line on the PC
bus. The MultiQ board has three such clocks which can be used to generate interrupts. The drivers
included with WinCon (in winlib) include a timebase block which controls a MultiQ realtime clock. In
order to use the hardware clock, each diagram must have a timebase block in it. When you include a
MultiQ timer block in your diagram, ensure that the IRQ level selected in the block is compatible with the
jumper configuration on the board. The board is configured for IRQ5 timer #1 at the factory. The
Simulink timebase block is also set for this . ALSO, ensure that no other devices are connected to
the IRQ level you are using for the MultiQ. Specifically, ensure that your modem, network card or
sound card is not in conflict with the MultiQ board. To check this, right click My Computer, select
Properties. Select the device manager tab at the top of the dialog box. Click on the Computer icon (at
the top of the list) then Properties. You should see a list of IRQs. Make sure that the IRQ for the MultiQ
(IRQ 5 from the factory) is not in use by another device. If it is, you need to resolve this conflict.
The timing diagram in the figure below illustrates the principles of realtime operations. The hardware
clock generates interrupts at fixed intervals Ts (sampling time). This is the sampling frequency you have
selected. Since the processor may be running other operations (Windows, MATLAB etc....) it takes an
unknown amount of time to service the interrupt. This duration is termed the latency period T (latency
L
time). At the end of the latency period the controller runs for a duration Tc (computation time). After the
controller finishes running, the processor returns to execute the foreground tasks until another interrupt
occurs. The effective sampling period Te is the time taken between two services of the interrupt. This
time is variable and depends on the latency time. Our tests indicate a minimum latency time of
approximately 10 < T < 20 secs under Windows95. This value depends on the foreground tasks you
L
are running (the total system load). When running in configurations that have more than 1 PC, with the
server on one PC and the client on another, the latency time can be as small as 10 secs. The
computational delay Tc will depend on the complexity of the controller you are running. Note that the
scale in the diagram is exaggerated. It is unlikely you will be designing a controller that takes over 50%
of the processor time and results in such asymmetry. One important factor to note is that the latency will
generally be relatively constant. This means that if the latency was 20 secs on the first sample, it is
likely that it will be 20 secs at the second sample and thus the sampling period is very close to the
desired period. The samples are only delayed by T .
L
Determining the fastest sampling frequency possible will depend on how much computing power you are
willing to relinquish to the foreground tasks (Tf = Te-Tc in the diagram), especially realtime plotting. You
should always start with the slowest possible sampling frequency for the process you are controlling. If
Timing of realtime events
you want faster sampling, increase it slowly and note how much this affects your foreground task. If the
sampling frequency is too high, mouse operations and realtime plots will slow down. This should be an
indication that the controller is running too fast for the computer you are using.
3.2.3 Threshold Setting
Each W95Client is assigned a threshold (Threshold) parameter (Menu: Control/Threshold in
W95Server Window) that ensures that there is enough foreground time allocated for the operating
system to perform its functions. This time is computed at each sample as the time difference between
the initiation of the present ISR and the completion of the previous ISR. The client is forced to stop if the
foreground time Tf value drops below the specified threshold.

The program causes the client to stop if Tf < Threshold
The default value for Threshold is 20 seconds and can be changed from the WinCon W95Server
window. This value is rather arbitrary but our tests have shown that a Threshold of 20 seconds is
enough to allow for the foreground to operate normally. Sometimes, the threshold value will be crossed
at startup only and once the program has been put into cache memory it will work fine. In these cases
you can start the program and it will run after the first try. Selecting a Threshold value that is too low and
a sampling rate that is too fast will crash the system. We recommend the equation Ts = (20e-6+Tc) to
be used as your fastest possible sampling period for a given controller.
4.0 Generating the code
When you install WinCon on your PC, a blue WinCon icon will automatically appear in the bottom right
corner of the Windows 95 status bar on the computer with the WinCon Server installed. When you start
SIMULINK, a new WinCon Menu item will appear in the SIMULINK window. This menu item will enable
you to generate and run the realtime code seamlessly. Simply use SIMULINK to create or load the
diagram (SIMULINK model) you want to run in realtime and click on the WinCon/Build menu option.
This initiates the process of generating the realtime code. When the code is generated, a message
appears in the MATLAB window indicating that a wcl file has been successfully created.
In order to generate the code the following options should be set in the in the SIMULINK diagram.
Remember to select the sampling frequency you
want!
4.1 SIMULATION SOLVER (Step Size) : Select the
sampling period Ts by entering the value under Fixed
Step Size. The choice of integration method is up to
you.
4.2 RTW Options
We have included a Matlab script to set all of the
options for generating code for WinCon from Simulink.
Type in the following from the Matlab Command
Prompt:
wc_setoptions
or set the options yourself as follows:
System target file:
wincon.tlc -aAllSignals=1 -aAllParameters=0
Template Makefile:
wc95_msvc.tmf
Make Command :
make_wc
4.3 RTW External Option:
The MEX file used is wc_comm
4.4 Potential problems
If you get errors generating the code ( e.g. the .wcl is not created correctly) the most likely problem is
that the paths to either WinCon or the compiler components are not set correctly. Please make sure that
you have run the program (WINCON_DIRECTORY)\bin\setenvar.exe
(START | PROGRAMS | WINCON3 | SetEnvVar) and entered the paths correctly.
If you wish you may confirm that the file ..\matlab\rtw\c\winson\wc95_msvc.tmf has all the
paths and environment variables set correctly, it can be opened using Notepad.
4.5 WinCon Menu in SIMULINK
The WinCon Link which is automatically loaded when your computer starts establishes the WinCon
Menu item added to the SIMULINK diagram. This gives you access to the following actions:
1) Start/Stop the realtime controller which is associated with this diagram.
2) Open Plot: This open a realtime WinCon plot of a desired Scope that has been defined in the
diagram.
3) New Plot This open the Plot dialogue box which allows you to plot the output of any SIMULINK block
in the diagram.
4) Options Set the RTW Realtime options. Same as clicking on [Tools/RTW] in SIMULINK.
5) Build Compile the realtime controller for this diagram
6) Download the realtime controller to the client to which the server is connected.

7) Clean the directory. This function deletes all files that were generated from a build and leaves only the
original mdl file in the directory (the SIMULINK diagram). This function is useful as it forces a build from
scratch. The template makefile (.tmf file) usually does not re-compile functions that have not changed
since the last build. Occasionally however these functions may get corrupted and you will need to re-
compile everything all over again. In this case, simply click on the clean command to delete all the
intermediate files and to ensure that you are re-compiling all the necessary files.
5.0 Running the controller
In order to run the controller on a desired client you need to establish a connection to it from the
W95Server and then download the code that you have generated. You may connect to as many
W95Clients as you wish from any one W95Server. Once you are connected to a client, you must
download the generated code to that client. Note that you can be connected to only one client at any
given instant. In order to download the code, select Model/Download from the W95Server menu or
WinCon/Download menu option in SIMULINK. This will download the generated code to the client you
are presently connected to.
5.1 Connecting to the client
The correct method to connect to the client depends upon which client/server configuration you have
installed.
5.1.1 Configuration 1 : NO NETWORK
The simplest configuration is to run the server and client on the same PC. Select the Client/Connect
menu option from the server. Type localhost for the name of the remote PC. Click OK. The WinCon
Client should start up automatically if it is not running already.
5.1.2 Configuration 2 : INTRANET
You need to establish a TCP/IP connection between the two PCs. If a DNS server is installed, you can
refer to the client PC by domain name (ie fred.jones.com). Otherwise you will need to know the IP
address of the PC running the WinCon Client as well as ensuring that the 2 PCs are physically
connected. You can obtain the WinCon Client PCs IP address by running the utility winipcfg included
with Windows on the client PC. Run the W95Client program on the client PC. If you want the client to
start automatically as the PC boots, add it to the (Windows95 Directory)\Start
Menu\Programs\StartUp folder. If the client PC is accessible, connect to it using the WinCon
W95Server Client/Connect Menu option. Type in the IP address (or DNS name) of the remote client
PC and click OK.

5.1.3 Configuration 3: INTERNET
In order to download the code to a client who is connected to the Internet you need to have the clients
IP address or DNS name. You can obtain this by running the utility winipcfg included with Windows
directory on the client PC. Once you know the IP address of the client, you can then connect to that
client using theClient/Connect menu option from W95Server. Type in the IP address (or DNS name)
of the client for the remote PC and click OK.
If it is not possible to connect to the client, the W95Server program on the server PC will appear locked
up while it tries to connect. After 30 seconds or so, the Server will respond with a message box
indicating that it can not connect to the remote client. The odds are that you do not have the correct IP
address for the client PC (or the client PC is down). It may also be possible that the connection is not
available or the connection has been dropped (this may happen if the client is connected via modem and
there has been no internet activity for a long time).
5.2 Dowloading the code
When you have selected the client you wish to connect to, you download the code by selecting
Model/Download from the server.
5.3 Running the client
You can start and stop the controller on the client to which you are connected using any of the following
methods:
- Model/Start or Model/Stop from the Server Menu
- Start / Stop button from the Server Window
- Start / Stop button in SIMULINK WinCon Toolbar
- Alt-Pause to start and Pause to stop from the keyboard while in any Window.
5.3.1 Potential problems
5.3.1.1 You may encounter the message: The Model cannot be started. It may be necessary to
generate and download the code. If this happens, make sure that there are no conflicts on the bus
between the interrupt and other devices such as a sound card (See section 3).
5.3.1.2 You may encounter the message: The controller was running too fast. Try setting the
Threshold (Client/Threshold) to 1e-6 seconds and start the controller again. If the message appears
again then the controller is too complicated and can not run at the sampling rate you have selected. Try
a slower sampling rate. Make sure the drivers for the data acquisition boards are not timing out.
5.4 Changing parameters online
Any parameter that you can change in a SIMULINK diagram can be changed in the controller while it is
running. Simply change the parameter as you would using SIMULINK. In order to obtain this feature,
you must have the external feature turned on in the SIMULINK diagram ( menu option
Simulation/External should have a check mark ) and the RTW-External MEX-file should be set to
wc_comm
6.0 Plotting and saving data
Outputs of all SIMULINK blocks are available for plotting and saving. You do not need to define any
scope blocks or sinks in order to plot or save data. If you have defined Scopes, they are simply faster
to access. The can be plotted using the Plot / Open Menu of the Server or the Scope Toolbar on the
SIMULINK diagram. You may then select to display a desired variable as a realtime [x vs time] plot, a
digital meter (looks like a digital voltmeter), a thermometer, or an xy [ x vs y ] plot.
In addition to the different display types, there are several different methods you can use to collect the
data. Realtime plots collect decimated data and display it in near-real time (real-time with
communication, buffering, and display delays). Fixed-mode plots display all data points in a specified
interval. These are not updated in realtime but rather are supplied for a given time period.
6.1 Realtime plots
In order to plot the output of any block select Plot/Variable from the Server Menu. You may change plot
buffers, axes, scales etc. from the appropriate menu. You can select more than 1 variable for a single
plot. Note that the realtime plots are self-decimating: data is automatically displayed at a rate that
will minimize the number of pixels being overdrawn. This is done deliberately in order to reduce
communications bandwidth and to maximize the number of plots that can be opened at any instant. This
self-decimation may result in plot aliasing where a variable is changing much faster in the realtime
process than what is shown in the realtime plot. This can be deceptive and lead you to think that the
model is incorrectly specified. You must be careful in selecting the time scale of the data so that the
plots are not misinterpreted.
Data being saved however is not decimated. There is no risk of losing data when it is being saved.
The following options can be set for each plot
Update/ Real-time: Data will be drawn across the plot window for the duration of the buffer (5 seconds
is the default). At the end of a trace the plot returns to T=0 and it draws the new data as it arrives.
Update/Freeze plot: This option stops the plot and allows you to examine the data more closely. If you
select Update/Real-time after Update/Freeze Plot, the latest real time data from the client will be
displayed, not the data immediately following the freeze.
Update/Freeze all plots: This option makes all plots freeze at the same time.
Update/Buffer: Duration of time for which data is collected for each plot between refreshes. The default
is 5 seconds.
Update/Frequency: The frequency at which data is sampled for the plot. For example, if the controller is
sampling at 10 kHz, there is no need to display the data at that frequency. It would also be impossible to
view all the data points on screen at that rate. The plots auto select the decimation frequency of the
display. Data being saved is not decimated.
Axis/Time
Time: Duration of time which is displayed on the plot. This cannot exceed the Buffer duration. In fixed
mode, if you enter a time that is less than the Buffer time, a scroll bar appears. This allows you to
examine the data more closely.
Window/Always on top This option will ensure that the plot window is not being covered by the
Windows of other applications.
Window/legend
Opens a window with
legend info. You can
change line colors by
clicking on the legend
name.
6.2 Saving Data
Clicking on the File/Save menu option of any plot will save the data associated with that plot. You can
save data in one of two formats:
- m file: will create a .m file of the desired name. Entering the name in MATLAB will generate a MATLAB
plot of the saved data and bring the variables into the workspace under the array named plot_data.
- mat file: will create a .mat file. You load the file into the MATLAB workspace using the MATLAB load
command. The variable names are then the same as the block outputs you had selected.
- To Workspace : is equivalent to saving to a mat file and then loading it into the workspace.
6.3 Fixed mode
You may switch a plot to fixed mode which means that the plot will not clear itself at the end of trace.
This feature allows you to examine the data closely. When you switch to fixed mode all the data for the
last N seconds will be collected from the server and displayed on the plot. This data will not be
decimated (every data point collected in realtime from the client will be drawn). You can change the
timescale on the plot. A timescale smaller than the buffer length will result in a closeup of that time
period. You may scroll within that time frame using the scroll bar on the top of the graph.
6.4 Digital Meter
Selecting Plot/New/Digital Meter allows you to display a
variable as a digital meter independent of time. You may select
the accuracy of the display using the Number menu item. You
can also displace () the Decimal point by clicking on it and
and dragging it left or right. This display is handy for monitoring
variables which change at a slow rate. You may also remove
the Menu from the display by selecting Window/Hide Menu. A
right mouse button click gives you access to the other options one of which returns the Menu bar to the
digital display.
6.5 XY Plots
You may also plot two variables against each other in realtime. You select the X axis variable and the Y
axis variable. You may also select whether the plot erases itself at the end of a buffer similar to the
realtime plots or leaves a trail as is done with fixed mode. Plot aliasing can be a problem with XY plots.
6.6 Thermometer
A thermometer is a bar-graph like display of a single variable. You can set the minimum and maximum
values for each thermometer. It is useful for variables that change at a slow rate.
6.5 Performance variables
Each controller can be monitored for performance by plotting the performance variables supplied. The
most important of these is the Sampling interval which shows the actual interval achieved between
samples (Te). This should be as close as possible to the desired sampling interval. If this variable
diverges significantly from the desired sampling rate, then the controller performance will not be as
expected. Using the MultiQ as a time base block results in sampling intervals which diverge by at most
20 microseconds from the desired sampling interval.
Another important parameter is the computation delay (Tc) which can also be monitored. This shows
you how long it takes to execute the controller per sample. Knowing Tc lets you compute the fastest
possible sampling frequency for that controller. If you determine that you would like to keep Tf seconds
for foreground tasks and you know that the computation delay is Tc, then the fastest sampling rate you
should select should be Fmax = 1/(Tf+Tc).
WinCon Server Main Toolbar Window
7.0 Navigating through the Windows
7.1 WinCon Server
The WinCon Server main window is
shown on the right. It has the following
menu options
- File Menu - Operation on *.wcp files.
- Client Menu - Connect and
disconnect from a client.
- Model Menu - Open a SIMULINK
model (.mdl) or a WinCon Controller (.wcl)
- Plot menu - Plot data - see section 6
- Window Menu -Select whether the WinCon window is always on top of all other windows. Navigate
to other windows related to WinCon.
- View Menu - View Toolbar or not. Change Toolbar size.
- Help Menu
7.1.1 Toolbar Buttons
The WinCon Toolbar offers shortcuts to the following:
1) Open a project - opens a .wcp file
2) Save Project - saves the running controller as a .wcp file
3) Open a Model - opens a .mdl or .wcl file
4) To SIMULINK - takes you to the SIMULINK diagram associated with the selected controller.
5) To MATLAB: Will take you to the MATLAB main window.
6) Plot existing Scopes in the diagram
7) Start / Stop the controller to which the server is connected.
7.1.2 WinCon Projects
A WinCon project file (wcp extension) can be created by saving a session of the server. The session
can contain several connections, plots and controllers. If you re-load a project, all connections are re-
established, controller downloaded and appropriate plots opened. In order to successfully open a
complex project (multi client) make sure that all the required clients are up and running.
7.2 WinCon Client
The WinCon Client window is shown in the figure below. This window is usually minimized as you do not
normally need to interact with it. In case you want to ensure that the client is running, you can maximize
this window and observe its content. It displays some of the performance variables discussed above in
realtime and allows you to change the threshold parameter that ensures the sufficiency of processor
time for foreground tasks. You may select Client/Close upon Exit from the server which allows the
server to shut down the client upon exit. This is the default value which you may want to change if you
are running a remote client which you do not want to terminate when you exit from the server.
For a detailed description of the contents of the Client window see section 11.
Figure 8.1.1 Wiring for
loopback experiment
8.0 Examples
8.1 Loopback Example
This example is a tutorial that everyone should
try. Not only do you practice the use of WinCon but
you also test your data acquisition board and learn
how all of the components of WinCon and
SIMULINK interact. The example is a loopback
system. You need to wire the output of channel # 0
on the D/A subsystem of your board to the input of
channel #0 on the A/D subsystem on your board.
This is shown in Figure 8.1.1
The "controller" will simply apply a sine wave to the
D/A output and will measure the voltage from the
A/D. No other hardware is required for this example.

1) Start MATLAB for windows on the PC with the W95Server installed and type cd
c:\wincon3\examples Type q_lpbk This loads the diagram shown in Figure 8.1.2 into SIMULINK.
You could have generated this diagram yourself using SIMULINK.
2) If you have a MultiQ board you can skip to step 4
3) If you do not have a MultiQ board installed in your system you will need to replace the data acquisition
blocks and the timer block with the appropriate blocks for your board. See the Realtime workshop
manual regarding writing drivers for your boards.
4) If you are running the client on a different PC than the server, please follow the instructions in
section 9 before you proceed.
5) Select WinCon from the SIMULINK menu and click on Build. This generates the realtime code for the
diagram. Wait until the compilation is complete. The MATLAB window displays the progress of the code
generation task and when it is complete the following message appears:
### Successful completion of RTW build procedure for model : q_lpbk
Following the code generation, WinCon Sever and WinCon client are automatically started. The
generated code is then automatically downloaded to the client on the local machine and the system is
ready to run.
6) Once you have downloaded the controller to the client, click on WinCon/Start from the SIMULINK
window. This starts the controller at the sampling rate specified. In this case it is set to 200 Hz as
determined by the RTW/Solver options
window.
7) Click on Plot or the
Plot button in WinCon
Server and select
New/Scope. The
names of all block in
the diagram appear in
a Multi Select Variable
Tree. You can then
select the variables
you want plotted. In
this case select Gain
and Scope. The
output of Gain is the
output of the signal
generator. The output
of Scope is the
measured voltage
using A/D Channel 0.
Select OK. This
displays a clipped sine
wave and a full sine
wave as shown above.
The clipped sine wave
is the measured voltage from the A/D. The clipped sine wave is the output of the gain block. The Gain
block is putting out a sine wave of amplitude 8 volts but the D/A output has a range of +/- 5 volts. For
this reason, the measured signal has an amplitude of only 5 volts.
8) Let the plot keep
drawing and click To
SIMULINK from
WinConServer. Click
on the gain block and
change it to 4. Note
the changes in the
plots. Now the gain
output is not clipped
and the input and
output match in
voltage levels. This
shows that the output
of the D/A is being
measured by the A/D
block. Note also that
you were able to
change a gain in
realtime! Stop the
controller and change
the Signal generator to
a sawtooth function.
Start the controller
again. This does not work since changing the signal generator function is equivalent to a change in the
SIMULINK diagram, which requires changing the realtime code. If you want to change the signal you
need to re-compile. Change the signal back to a sine wave and start the controller. The 4 volt sine wave
signals should return.
9) Stop the controller. Save wc_lpbk.mdl from the SIMULINK window with the amplitude set to 4 volts.
Close all other applications without saving anything.
10) Ensure that WinCOn W95Server is closed. Then start WinCon Server. Select Model/Open and
load c:\wincon3\examples\q_lpbk.wcl. Note that File/Open is used for WinCon Project files
(*.wcp) and not WinCon controller files (*.wcl). This is the code that was generated in step 4. Click
Start. This starts WinCon client, downloads the code to it and starts the controller. Open the plots as in
section 6. What are the plots showing?
Clipped or unclipped waves?
It will be clipped because the compiled code in step 4 was using an amplitude of 8 volts. Stop the
controller using the Pause button. Click To SIMULINK. This starts MATLAB and loads q_lpbk.mdl
diagram into SIMULINK. Click on WinCon Start. Switch to the plot Window.
What do the plots show now?
An unclipped sine wave at 4 volts because you just loaded the parameters from the SIMULINK diagram
into the running controller! This is where you have to be cautious. WinCon runs generated in realtime
code that can only be changed via SIMULINK or re-compiling.
Figure 8.2.1 SRV02 Rotary
position servo plant
Figure 4.2.2 SIMULINK controller of position servo (PID)
8.2 PID Controller
This example demonstrates a PID controller that positions the output of the Servo plant shown in figure
8.2.1.
Start WinCon W95Server and load the controller \wincon3\examples\q_pid.wcl (Model/Load). Click To
SIMULINK , this brings up the diagram shown below.
The controlled output of the Servo Plant is measured using the A/D
channel #0. The command to the system is generated from the
Command Generation block (in this example, the Signal Generator
Block is the Command Generation Block). The difference between the
command angle and the actual angle is the error signal which is
multiplied by a proportional gain Kp. The error is also integrated and
multiplied by an integral gain Ki. The measured variable (eg motor
angle) is also differentiated using a high pass filter and multiplied by a
gain Kd. The three gains are the PID gains of the controller. The sum of
these terms is applied to the D/A output channel #0. The signal from
the Signal Generator could be anything you want. In this example it is a
signal generator applying a square wave of +/-10 degrees. You may
replace this block with another A/D channel for example which has a
potentiometer attached to it. The controlled system will track the signal
generated by the command generation block. The PID gains in the
Figure could be constants or variables defined in the MATLAB
Command Window. If you enter variable names in the PID gains (or in
any other block for that matter) they must have a value assigned to them before you can generate the
realtime code. Once you generate the code, the controller (.wcl file extension) will have these gain values
hard coded into it. Changing the values of the variables in the MATLAB command window will not
immediately change the value in a running controller. You will have to either stop and start the simulation
or, open the dialog box for the SIMULINK block which uses the variable name in it and then click [OK] or
[APPLY]. This can be done while the simulation is running.
Figure 8.2.3 Change in step response proportional gain is increased.
The plot shown above shows the difference in response when the proportional gain is changed in realtime
from 0.7 to 1.0.

u
sin
1
( sin(
f
) ) sin(
f
)
Figure 8.3.1: Self erecting inverted pendulum
Figure 8.3.2 Up and
down positions and their
directions
Figure 8.3.3 : Up and down angles
8.3 Self Erecting Inverted Pendulum
This example covers the self erecting inverted
pendulum system shown in Figure 8.3.1. It consists of a
motor driven cart which is equipped with two quadrature
encoders. One encoder measures the position of the
cart via a pinion which meshes with the track. The other
encoder measures the angle of the pendulum which is
free to swing in front of the cart. The implemented
controller starts with the pendulum in the down
position, swings it up and maintains it upright. The
controller is shown in Figure 8.3.4
The system is implemented in SIMULINK with the
controller q_ip2_se.mdl and run in realtime using
WinCon.
The subsystems of the controller are the following:
8.3.1 Calibration and differentiation
This block simply converts the count value measured from the encoder
channels on the MultiQ board to the appropriate units. The values are also fed
through high pass filters which essentially differentiate the signals.
8.3.2 Pendulum Full/Up/Down measurements
We define three frames of reference
This block converts the measurement of the pendulum angle from the Full
position to two other frames of reference shown in figure 8.3.2 and 8.3.3.
8.3.2.1 f (FULL) : The FULL position measures the absolute angle of the
pendulum from its initial position hanging down. The value start at zero
(hanging down) and increases in the positive direction when the pendulum
rotates clockwise and decreases when the pendulum rotates
counterclockwise. The value of the angle measured can exceed 360 degrees
many times over in both directions. This value is obtained directly from the
encoder counter.
8.3.2.2 u (UP) : The UP position is relative to the
vertical axis in the up position. It gives a zero value
when the pendulum is straight up and a positive value
when the pendulum is tilting to the right of the vertical
and a negative value when it is to the left of the vertical.
It is obtained by performing the following operation:
8.3.2.3 d (DOWN) : The DOWN position is essentially
the same as the FULL position expect that it is limited to
values between 180 degrees (NOT SATURATED!).
This is the value used in the swing-upcontroller since
the feedback is relative to the down position. If we feed
back the FULL value and the pendulum does a full
swing then swing up control will be ineffective! The
value d is obtained using the following equation:

d
tan2
1
( sin(
f
) , cos(
f
) )
V
d
K
p
(x x
d
) K
d
x
x
d
P
d
D

d
|
u
| <
k
(ie angle small enough)
|x| < x
k
(ie cart position small enough
cos(
f
) < 0 (ie pendulum is up)
|

f
| <

k
(ie pendulum moving slowly enough)
( note tan2 returns values between )
-1
Note that all trigonometric operations are performed on the angles converted to radians. The results are
then converted back to degrees.
8.3.3 Swing up control
This is the positive feedback loop used to swing the pendulum up. It consists of two loops. The inner
loop performs position control of the cart :
The outer loop of the system generates the command x via the following equation:
d
with P = 0.5 cm/deg and D = .004 cm / (deg/sec). These two values are crucial in bringing up the
pendulum smoothly. You can tune the value of D to adjust the damping in the system.
Note also that x is limited to 3 cm. For the first 2.75 (T ) seconds of control however, x is multiplied by
d high d
(1+Kh) resulting in a high gain system for a short time. This effectively speeds up the initial response to
get maximum swing in the shortest possible time. Ideally, you want to move the cart back and forth a
minimum number of times and bring the pendulum up quickly. If you do not have a high gain period, the
system will still come up but it may take up to 20 oscillations of the cart to bring the pendulum up.
8.3.4 Mode control
This block determines which of the two voltages should be fed to the motor. Initially, at startup, we want to
feed the voltage computed by the swing up controller. When all of the conditions listed below are met, we
want to switch to the stabilizing controller output voltage.
Stabilizing conditions:
When all of the above conditions are true, the output of the AND gate is 1. We limit the rate of change of
the output and pass it through a backlash block in order to de-bounce it. This output is the signal MODE.
When MODE is 0, the voltage fed to the motor is obtained from the swing-up controller, When MODE is
1, the voltage to the motor is obtained from the stabilizing controller.
Furthermore, MODE is fed to a delay block ( 1.8s / ( s+1.8) ) and its output is fed to a comparator. When
the output of the comparator is 1, the value of is reduced by 13 degrees. This now changes the
k
stabilizing conditions to the following let go conditions. When any of the following conditions is NOT
TRUE, the system switches MODE to 0 and goes back to swing up mode.
|
u
| <
k
(ie angle disturbed too much )
|x| < x
k
(ie cart position tool far
cos(
f
) < 0 (ie pendulum is not up)
|

f
| <

k
(ie pendulum moving too quickly)
V
s
(k
1
x k
2
k
3
x k
4

)
8.3.5 Balance control
This is the stabilizing state feedback controller. It simply feeds back the voltage:
as obtained in the LQR design.
This voltage maintains the pendulum upright
8.3.4 Results
Typical results are shown in Figure 8.3.5. These are all obtained from the same run. The controller starts
by applying a de-stabilizing cart position command limited to 3*(1+Kh) cm. This results in the pendulum
swinging with increasing amplitude. At T = 2.75 seconds the cart command is limited to 3 cm. The
destabilizing controller continues however to increase the amplitude of the pendulum oscillations.
At some point, all the following conditions are met:
- Pendulum UP angle < 15 degrees
- Pendulum speed < 100 deg/sec
- Cart position < 25 cm
- Pendulum Full angle in 2nd or 3rd quadrant
This sets MODE = 1 and the state feedback controller output V is fed to the motor rather than the
s
destabilizing voltage V . This stabilizes the pendulum and keeps it upright.
d
The Mode is maintained to the value 1 unless one of the following conditions becomes false:
- Pendulum UP angle less than 2 degrees
- Cart position < 25 cm
- Pendulum velocity < 100 deg/sec
- Pendulum Full angle is in 2nd or 3rd quadrant as defined in Figure 8.3.2
If you apply a tap to the pendulum, it will remain upright unless the tap was so hard that one of the above
conditions is not maintained. If MODE switches to zero, then the pendulum falls and the cart will start
oscillating again until the pendulum comes up and MODE switches to 1. Note however that there may be
situations when the tap was so hard that the pendulum swinging in full rotations and never stabilizes. It is
of course possible to design a controller that avoids this situation. One way would be to implement a
controller that detects full rotations and turns off the system momentarily until the pendulum is simply
swinging in the down mode and then resume to the swing up controller in low gain.
Figure 8.3.4 Simulink Controller for the Self-Erecting Inverted Pendulum
Figure 8.3.5 Plot demonsrating the typical results achieved with implemenation described in
Section 8.3.4
Figure 8.4.1 High wire artist
Figure 8.4.2 High wire experiment hardware
8.4 High Wire walker - state estimation
The high wire walker experiment (HWW) is an electromechanical
system which is dynamically equivalent to the tightrope circus
walker shown in Figure 8.4.1.
It consists of a body that resembles an inverted obelisk which
has a sharp bottom making it unstable in the vertical position. A
motor is mounted to the body which can apply a torque to a long
beam mounted in front of the body. The moment of inertia of the
stick is much higher than the body and can thus be used as a fixed
inertial frame against which the torque applied by the motor can be
used to keep the body upright. The fall of the body
relative to the vertical axis however cannot be
measured. An instrumented pendulum mounted to
the body swivels as the body falls and is used to
estimate the fall of the body relative to the vertical
axis. Although the dynamics of the pendulum
movements are very different from the falling body,
an observer (Kalman filter) is designed which
estimates the body angle relative to the vertical
axis. The observer state and the measured states
are then used to stabilize the entire structure.
The controller is implemented in SIMULINK and run
in realtime using WinCon. Figure 8.4.3 shows the
main block diagram of the controller.
The two encoders are used to measure the stick
angle relative to the body and the pendulum angle
relative to the body. These are then fed to
calibration blocks which convert from counts to
radians as required by the controller. The two
signals are then fed to the observer block which
implements the observer dynamical system
described by [A ,B ] whose output is the state z. The feedback gain Kf is computed in the MATLAB
obs obs
program hi_wr.m. The measured angles and the observed state are passed through the gain Kf to
calculate the output voltage of the controller which is then fed to the D/A block which is tied to the motor.
Starting the controller requires that you hold the system in the zero position: body vertical, beam
horizontal and the pendulum vertical and not swinging. As soon as you let go, the body remains
balanced and the beam rotates to compensate for the fall of the body. This controller demonstrates that
observers can be used successfully in estimating unknown states and controlling an unstable system.
9 - 1
9.0 Scripting From MATLAB
Quanser Consulting provides Matlab scripts which can be used to control WinCon from the Matlab
window. These are very useful for applications which require automated execution such as gain
scheduling, data collection, adaptive learning control and parameter estimation.
9.1 Available script commands
9.1.1 WC_PATH: returns the path for the given model.
P = WC_PATH
P = WC_PATH('model')
where:
model = string containing name of model
For example P = WC_PATH('q_p')where q_p is the name of the Simulink diagram for the model. If the
model hasn't been saved then an empty string is returned. If the model is not open, then it must be in the
Matlab path (see the PATH command in the Matlab documentation). If no argument is specified, then the
path for the current system is returned. See also: GCS
9.1.2 WC_BUILD: build the code for a model.
WC_BUILD
WC_BUILD('model')
WC_BUILD('model', path')
where:
'model' = string containing model name, such as 'test'
'path' = string containing the path to the model folder.
The path is not required if the model is open, or if it is in the Matlab path (see WC_PATH). If no model is
specified then the current system is built. WC_BUILD generates and compiles the model code and then
downloads it to WinCon. For example wc_build(q_p,c:\wincon3\examples);
9.1.3 WC_RUN: Run WinCon Server. If it is already running, it brings it to the foreground.
R = WC_RUN
where:
R = 1 if WinCon had not been running
0 if WinCon was already running or failed to run.
For example R = wc_run;
9.1.4 WC_DOWNLOAD: download the code for a model to the active client
R = WC_DOWNLOAD
R = WC_DOWNLOAD('model')
R = WC_DOWNLOAD('model', 'path')
where:
R = boolean (0 or 1) result where 1 indicates success
'model' = string containing model name, such as 'test'
'path' = string containing path to generated code
WC_DOWNLOAD will run WinCon W95Server automatically if it is not already running. The model path may
be obtained using WC_PATH. The path need not be specified if the model is open or if it is in the Matlab
path. If no model is specified, the current system is used. For example
wc_download(q_p,c:\wincon3\examples);
9.1.5 WC_START: start the code for a model.
9 - 2
WC_START
WC_START('model')
WC_START('model', 'path')
where:
'model' = string containing model name, such as 'test'
'path' = string containing path to generated code
The path is not required if the model is open or if it is in the Matlab path (see WC_PATH). If no model is
specified then the current system is started. WC_START will run WcServer automatically if it is not already
running. For example wc_start(q_p,c:\wincon3\examples);
9.1.6 WC_STOP: stop the code for a model.
WC_STOP
WC_STOP('model')
WC_STOP('model', 'path')
where:
'model' = string containing model name, such as 'test'
'path' = string containing path to generated code
The path is not required if the model is open, or if it is in the Matlab path (see WC_PATH). If no model is
specified, then the current system is used. WC_STOP assumes WinCon W95Server is running.
For example wc_stop(q_p,c:\wincon3\examples);
9.1.7 WC_NEWPLOT: open a new plot in WinCon.
WC_NEWPLOT
WC_NEWPLOT('model')
where:
'model' = string containing name of model
If no argument is specified, WC_NEWPLOT uses the current model. The user will be presented with a list of
the different plot types to choose from. WC_NEWPLOT will run WinCon W95Server automatically if it is not
already running. For example wc_newplot(q_p);
9.1.8 WC_OPENPLOT: open a plot in WinCon.
WC_OPENPLOT
WC_OPENPLOT('model')
where:
'model' = string containing name of model
If no argument is specified, WC_OPENPLOT uses the current model. The user will be presented with a list
of the different plots to choose from. WC_OPENPLOT will run WinCon W95Server automatically if it is not
already running. For example wc_openplot(q_p);
9.1.9 WC_SAVEPLOT: save plot data to a MAT file
WC_SAVEPLOT('plot title', 'filename')
where:
'Plot title' = title of the plot window
'filename' = name of file to save data to
WC_SAVEPLOT looks for the plot with the given title and tells it to save its data to the given file in MAT
format. Note that the .mat extension MUST be specified in the filename. It is not added automatically.
For example wc_saveplot(Scope - q_p\Angle,scope.mat) will save the data displayed
into the file scope.mat which can be loaded into the matlab workspace by issuing load scope.(See your
9 - 3
Matlab documentation) Note the name of the plot you are copying from is shown in the Task bar of the
plot. Also note that when you save data from a plot, it switches it to fixed mode temporarily and collects
the data from the server without any decimation (for details see section 6 of this manual). It is important
to wait until all the data has been collected before you start the controller again. See the script
example that ensures that the data has been saved before you start a second run.
9.1.10 WC_ISRUNNING: test if a model is running
R = WC_ISRUNNING
R = WC_ISRUNNING('model')
where:
'model' = string containing model name
The return value is 1 if the model is running, 0 otherwise. If no model is specified, the current system is
used. For example the statement while(wc_isrunning(q_p,c:\wincon3\examples) is a
while loop that polls for execution termination of the WinCon controller q_p from the Matlab window
9.1.11 WC_SELECT: Select the given model in WinCon
WC_SELECT
WC_SELECT('model')
WC_SELECT('model', 'path')
where:
'model' = string containing model name
'path' = string containing path to generated code
WC_SELECT will run WinCon W95Server automatically if it is not already running. The model path may
be obtained using WC_PATH. The path need not be specified if the model is open or in the Matlab path. If
no model is specified, the current system is used. For example
wc_select(q_p,c:\wincon3\examples); Will select q_p as the active WinCon model.
9.1.12 WC_OPEN: open the specified WinCon project.
R = WC_OPEN('project')
where:
R = boolean (0 or 1) result where 1 indicates success
'project' = string containing project filename
WC_OPEN will run WcServer automatically if it is not already running. For example wc_open(test);
will open a project file named test.wcp.
9.1.13 WC_SAVE: Save the current WinCon project.
WC_SAVE
WC_SAVE('file')
where:
9 - 4
'file' = is the name of the file to save to
Saves the current WinCon project. If a filename is specified then the project is saved to the specified file.
If no extension is specified, then an appropriate extension will be added. For example
wc_save(test); will save the current model and associated plots etc. in a WinCon project file named
test.wcp.
9.1.14 WC_CLOSE: Close the current WinCon project. You will be prompted to save the project if it has
been modified. For example wc_close;
9.1.15 WC_SETOPTIONS: set the build options for a model to generate real-time code for WinCon.
WC_SETOPTIONS
WC_SETOPTIONS('MODEL')
WC_SETOPTIONS('MODEL' ,OPT)
where:
MODEL = name of model diagram
OPT = 'win', 'dos' or 'nt'

If an option is not specified, 'win' is assumed. If no model is specified, then the options are set as the
defaults. If a model is specified, it must be open. Call wc_setoptions() in startup.m to make
WinCon the default for real-time code generation. To set the defaults for a client other than a Windows
client, call wc_setoptions with a model of zero.
For example:
wc_setoptions('test') - set the options for the 'test' diagram to build
real-time code for a WinCon W95Client.

wc_setoptions('test','dos') - set the options for the 'test' diagram to build
real-time code for a WinCon DOSClient.

wc_setoptions - set the default options to build real-time code
for a WinCon W95Client.

wc_setoptions(0, 'dos') - set the default options to build real-time code
for a WinCon DOSClient.

9.1.16 Initializing function
You may want to design controllers that use parameter values computed in the Matlab workspace using
a Matlab script file. You can automate this process using the
set_param('modelname','StartFcn','m_file_name')
function. If you perform this on the active Simulink model, then each time you start the controller, the
m_file_name will be executed in Matlab, then the controller will run with the new parameters values. The
function
set_param('modelname','InitFcn','m_file_name')
runs the script file as soon as you load the model into Matlab.
Counter
Quanser Consul ti ng
Mul ti Q T i mer
T i me-Base
Sum
ST OP
Stop Si mul ati on
Si gnal
Generator
4
SetPoi nt
==
Rel ati onal
Operator
-Kp
Proporti onal
Memory
Count
1
Constant1
3000
Constant
Command
8
Cal i brate
Angl e
Quanser Consul ti ng
Mul ti Q DAC
Anal og Output #0
Quanser Consul ti ng
Mul ti Q ADC
Anal og Input #0
9 - 5
9.2 Scripting Example
Consider the Simulink diagram shown below (q_p.mdl) which is set up such that it stops execution
sample #3000. The following script in MATLAB can be used to collect the response of the system for
proportional gain Kp changing from Kp = 0.35 to Kp = 1.05 in steps of 0.1.
Kp = 2.5;
for I = 1:8
Kp = Kp + 1.0;
wc_start('q_p','C:\WINCON3\Examples')
a = wc_isrunning('q_p');
while(a == 1),
a = wc_isrunning('q_p');
end
fname = ['res_' int2str(I) '.mat'];
delete(fname) % to make sure that it does not exist before we save it
wc_savePlot('Scope - q_p\Angle',fname)
fprintf('Saving File %s',fname) % wait for the file to be saved before
proceeding
done =0;
while(done ==0),
if(exist(fname,'file') == 2),
done = 1
end
end

end
for I = 1:2,
fname = ['res_' int2str(I) '.mat']
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500
-4
-2
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
9 - 6
load(fname)
nn = size(q_p_Angle)
for J = 1:nn(1),
out(J,I) = q_p_Angle(J)+I;
end
end
plot(out)
Using the above script the Matlab program
starts by initializing the gain Kp and
executes the command wc_start which
starts the controller. The script then waits
for the termination of the controller which
occurs in the diagram at sample #3000.
When the execution is terminated, a
filename is created (res_n.mat, n =
1..8) and the contents of the plot named
Scope - q_p_Angle are saved to the
file. The script then increments Kp and runs
the controller again with a new value of Kp.
This process is performed 8 times and at
the end of the cycle, the files that were
created are loaded to the workspace and
the plots shown are generated. In this
manner, the user can evaluate system
response for values of Kp.
Note that the buffer length of the realtime plot should be longer than the duration of the run. This
way you ensure that you do not end up collecting only partial data from the run.
.
10- 1
10.0 Hints and Troubleshooting
10.1 Multiple PC operation
If you are running the client and server on two different PCs, both Client and Server PCs must have an
IP address assigned to them. Consult with your network expert in your institution to have this performed.
In short, you must set the IP address from Control Panel/Network/TCP-IP/Properties. If you are using
the WinCon W95Server on a Windows NT system, you will need administrative rights to access these
properties.
Once you have both PCs booted and configured with TCP-IP address, then you must perform the
following operations in sequence:
1) Start WcClient on the Client PC (Computer that controls the plant).
2) Start WcServer on the Server PC (Computer that has SIMULINK etc..).
3) From WcServer Client Connect to the Client PC using the clients IP address.
Now you have connected the Server to the desired client. When you click on download, you will
download the code for the model you have selected to the client you have selected. If you connect to
another PC on the network, you can also download a different model to it.
10.2 Compile results in error
The most likely cause is that one of the blocks you are using cannot be converted to realtime code. If
that is the case, please contact us and we try to update the libraries to compensate for this.
The following blocks are not possible to convert to realtime operation since they require hardware
access during the service of the controller:
- To File: In order to achieve this, you must plot the data and then save it to a file using the WinCon
W95Server
- To Workspace: In order to achieve this function you must plot the data and save it to the workspace

10.3 I do not know my IP address
You can obtain the IP address of the PC you are using by either running myipcfg from the Windows
directory or by clicking on the Client/Network menu in the WinCon W95Server Window or
File/Network in the WinCon W95Client Window.
10.4 MATLAB Versions
This version of WinCon (Ver 3.0) has been tested using the following versions of MATLAB and its
components. We will upgrade WinCon accordingly and new versions will be available through our web
site www.wincon.quanser.com
You can obtain this list by typing ver in the MATLAB command window.
ver
--------------------------------------------------
MATLAB Version 5.2.0.3084 on PCWIN
MATLAB License Identification Number: ******
--------------------------------------------------
MATLAB Toolbox Version 5.2 18-Dec-1997
10- 2
Real-Time Workshop Version 2.2.0 01-Jan-1998
Simulink Version 2.2 21-Nov-1997
Please ensure that you have these versions installed on your system.
10.5 Compilers
We presently support the Visual C++ Version 5.0 (or 5.1)Compiler Professional or Enterprise
Edition. We will keep upgrading WinCon with Visual C++ releases. There are no plans to support other
compilers at the moment. Previous versions of WinCon were using Borland and Watcom. Presently,
Visual C++ is the only compiler which can create Virtual Device Drivers (VxDs) without any additional 3
rd
party tools. This is why we converted to Visual C++.
10.6 Crash!
WinCon is designed as a prototyping software and is not intended for use in applications that may result
in any kind of injury. Although we have thoroughly tested WinCon, occasionally a Server or one of its
windows may stop responding. Windows 95 does not usually crash. If one of the Windows stops
responding, please enter [Alt-Ctrl-Del] and terminate the task that is not responding. This may close
other Windows so it is best to shut down the PC and restart. The controller itself, ie the client almost
never crashes. If you want to stop the controller, you will need to stop it from the client Window. We
recommend you save your work before you start running a controller.
10.7 Builder does not find compiler or its components
Check that all the options under RTW/Build are set as described in section 4
Run the program : c:\WinCon\bin\setenvvar.exe to set the appropriate paths for the environment
variables. You may also need to run mex -setup from the MATLAB command window and enter the
path to the Visual C++ compiler as shown below. Note that long names are truncated and appended with
~1".
10.8 I want to embed my own code into WinCon without SIMULINK and RTW
WinCon-Pro is available for professionals who want to execute their own C programs in realtime
independent of SIMULINK.
For more information, please visit http://www.wincon.quanser.com
10.9 I have been using WinCon 2.0 ... anything I should know?
- All Data acquisition blocks should be replaced with new ones from WinLib
- You do not need to make any scopes! You can plot the output of any block. You can access scopes
more easily via Plot/Open
- You cannot change sampling periods on the fly
- You can save the contents of a plot to the Workspace.
- You can Script from MATLAB
10- 3
10.10 How do I make a discrete block always run at the specified sample frequency?

Consider the discrete transfer function shown. You can make it run at the sample rate specified in
RAW/Options/Solver by including the following line under sample time:
str2num(get_param(bdroot, 'FixedStep'))
10.11 The Controller cannot be started.
Make sure there are no conflicting devices on the PC that is running the client. For example, a sound
card may interfere with the interrupt line for the MultiQ board. Remove the sound card if you do not need
it.
10.12 Cannot establish communications with
client
Install a TCP / IP protocol following the install
instructions

11. 0 Quick Reference to WinCon Windows
11.1 WinCon Server Main window
File Open and close WinCon Projects
New Start a new WinCon project
Open Open an existing WinCon project
Save Save a WinCon project
Save As Save this project under a new name
LIST Quick access list of recent projects.
Client Information about and access to the Client to which the server is presently
connected
Connect Connect to a desired client. Enter the IP number and PORT
Disconnect Disconnect from the client with a check (&) mark (See LIST below)
Recent Clients List of recent clients you were connected to
Close on Exit Closes ALL clients to which you are connect upon exit from the server
Tolerance Set the Tolerance on Tf (Foreground time) for the selected client
Network Runs winipcfg to identify the IP address of the computer
More Cients List of Clients with which you can communicate. A Check mark (&) indicates that
if you attempt a download you will download to the client which has the Check
Mark. A 7 at the end of the name indicates that you are a secondary server to
that client. A secondary server cannot change controller parameters.
Model Open and Close WinCon controllers and SIMULINK models
Open Open a WinCon controller (.wcl) or SIMULINK model (.mdl)
Close Close the active model (&)
Reload Reloads the model you were working with
Build Build the realtime code of the active model. SIMULINK must be up and running
Download Download the model to the client
Start Start the model in the client to which you are actively connected
Stop Stop the active client
Start All Start all clients which you have connected to
Stop All Stop all clients
LIST List controllers which are loaded into the clients you have connected to. Selected
Controller has a Check (&) if you have selected the client in which it is loaded .
This will activate the Plot variables for that client
PLOT Display variables in Realtime
New Open a new display. Types are: Scope, XY, Digital, Thermometer, FFT and
Analog Gauge
Open Opens an existing Scope, Digital Meter or Thermometer defined in the SIMULINK
diagram.
Close All Closes all open realtime plots.
WINDOW Navigate to other Windows and set options.
Always on Top Select whether you want the WinCon Server Toolbar on top of all other windows.
Matlab Go to MATLAB command window
Simulink Go to SIMULINK diagram of selected controller ( if it is on your computer)
Other Navigate to plots that you have opened
Windows
VIEW Control the appearance of the WinCon Server Window
Toolbar Remove or show the toolbar
Use Small Use Small & toolbar
Toolbar
11.2 Client Window
You do not normally interact with this window. This window is used to monitor the progress of the Client.
If the Server stops communicating with the client, then you can control it from this window. The most
commonly used feature is the Network menu which lets you obtain the IP address of the PC.
FILE Open and close WinCon Controllers
Open Open a .wcl file.
Close Close a .wcl file.
THESE
ITEMS ARE
VERY
USEFUL
Network Obtain the network IP address of the computer which is running the client.
Port Set the PORT number. The port default number is 17255. If you are running
other software that interferes with this port you may change this number.
Exit Exit the client. Stops the controller and exits.
CONTROL Control the client: DO NOT NORMALLY USE UNLESS YOU HAVE LOST
CONTACT WITH THE CLIENT THROUGH THE SERVER
Tolerance Set the Tolerance Tf
Start Start the controller
Stop Stop the controller
VIEW Control the display of the window
Toolbar View the toollbar
Status Bar View the status bar
Sampling Period The desired sampling period specified in RTW options.
Min Recommended Minimum recommended sampling period for the running controller based
on observed Tc and specified Threshold Tf. Running the controller faster
than this rate will result in a foreground time that will drop below the
specified threshold and thus stop the controller.
Sample time T, The instantaneous sample time from T = 0 (Start) of the running
controller
Sample number N, The instantaneous sample number for the running controller
Average Period The average period attained in the running controller: Ta = T/N
Max Computation Time The maximum computation time Tc observed for this controller. This
gives you a measure of the worst case computation delay.
Min Foreground Time The minimum foreground time Tf observed when using this controller
running at the specified sampling period. This means that the %CPU
used by the controller is 100(Tc/(Tc+Tf))