Communicate Between a TCP/IP Client and Server in MATLAB

Open Live Script

This example shows how to use the tcpserver and tcpclient functions to create a TCP/IP client and TCP/IP server in MATLAB® and then send data between them over the TCP/IP protcol. You can run this example three different ways:

Within a single MATLAB session.
Between two MATLAB sessions on the same computer.
Between two MATLAB sessions on different computers that are part of the same subnet.

To run this example in a single MATLAB session, you do not have to make any modifications. Create both the server and client in the same MATLAB session.

To run this example in two different MATLAB sessions either on the same computer or on two different computers, you have to run the specified sections in each MATLAB session. Copy the Server Session and Callback Functions sections to one MATLAB script in the first MATLAB session. Copy the Client Session section to another MATLAB script in the second MATLAB session. Run the Server Session script first and then run the Client Session script, since you must create the server before a client can attempt a connection to the server.

When using two MATLAB sessions, copy the values of server.ServerAddress and server.ServerPort from Server Session and use them as the Address and Port values for creating the tcpclient object in the Client Session.

Server Session

In this session, create a tcpserver object that listens for client connection requests. It sends data after a client connects to it. It also uses the callback functionality enabled by the configureCallback method to read data sent by the client.

Find Host Name and Address

Find the host name and address of the machine where the server is created. The client uses this address to connect to the server.

[~,hostname] = system('hostname');
hostname = string(strtrim(hostname));
address = resolvehost(hostname,"address");

Create Server

Create the tcpserver object using the address of the machine and port 5000. Create a callback function called connectionFcn to write data when a TCP/IP client connects to the server. Set the ConnectionChangedFcn property to the callback function connectionFcn. You can find the connectionFcn function at the end of this example.

server = tcpserver(address,5000,"ConnectionChangedFcn",@connectionFcn)

server = 
  TCPServer with properties:

        ServerAddress: "172.28.200.248"
           ServerPort: 5000
            Connected: 0
        ClientAddress: ""
           ClientPort: []
    NumBytesAvailable: 0

  Show all properties, functions

Read Binary Data Using Byte Callback Mode

Create a callback function called readDataFcn to read data each time the specified bytes of data are available. Store the read data in the UserData property of tcpserver object. You can find the readDataFcn function at the end of this example.

Set the callback function to trigger each time 7688 bytes of data are received.

configureCallback(server,"byte",7688,@readDataFcn);

Client Session

In this session, create a tcpclient object to connect to the server. The client reads data sent from the server. It then sends the data it read back to the server.

Create Client

Create a tcpclient instance and set the timeout to five seconds.

client = tcpclient(server.ServerAddress,server.ServerPort,"Timeout",5)

client = 
  tcpclient with properties:

              Address: '172.28.200.248'
                 Port: 5000
    NumBytesAvailable: 0

  Show all properties, functions

pause(1);

Read Data and Display

Read data sent by the server. Reshape the data array and plot it.

rawData = read(client,961,"double");
reshapedData = reshape(rawData,31,31);
surf(reshapedData);

Write Data

Write data to the server.

write(client,rawData,"double");

Clear the Client

Clear the tcpclient instance.

clear client

Callback Functions

Connection Callback Function to Write Binary Data

This function calls write to write data to the connected TCP/IP client.

function connectionFcn(src, ~)
if src.Connected
    disp("Client connection accepted by server.")
    data = membrane(1);
    write(src,data(:),"double");
end
end

Data Available Callback Function to Read Binary Data

This function calls read to read BytesAvailableFcnCount number of bytes of data.

function readDataFcn(src, ~)
disp("Data was received from the client.")
src.UserData = read(src,src.BytesAvailableFcnCount/8,"double");
reshapedServerData = reshape(src.UserData,31,31);
surf(reshapedServerData);
end