Reference Component

Link to architectural definition or Simulink behavior

Since R2019a

Description

Use a Reference Component block to link an architectural definition of a System Composer™ component or a Simulink^® behavior.

To add or connect System Composer components:

• Add an architecture Reference Component block from the Modeling tab or the palette. You can also click and drag a box on the canvas, then select the Reference Component block.

• Attach a referenced model to the component by selecting <Enter Model Name>.

• Click and drag any port to create a connection. Connect to another component. You can also create a new component to complete the connection.

• To connect Reference Component blocks to architecture or composition model root ports, drag from the component ports to the containing model boundary. When you release the connection, a root port is created at the boundary.

To manage Reference Component block contents:

• When you create a Reference Component block, you have the option to right-click the component and select Block Parameters. From here, you can specify your reference model name, if it already exists. The reference model can be a System Composer architecture model or a Simulink model.

• With a regular Component block, you can right-click on the block and convert it to a reference component.

  • Select Save As Architecture to save the contents of the component as an architecture model or subsystem that can be referenced in multiple places and kept in sync. The component will become a reference component that links to the referenced architecture model or subsystem.

    Note

    To type ports on architecture subsystems with interfaces, you must link an external interface data dictionary. Architecture subsystems do not contain a model workspace. For more information, see Manage Interfaces with Data Dictionaries.

  • Select Create Simulink Behavior to create a new Simulink reference model or subsystem and link to it.

  • Select Link to Model to link to a known model or subsystem that can be either a System Composer architecture model or a Simulink model.

• To break the reference link for a Reference Component block, you have the option to right-click and select Inline Model, which removes the contents of the architecture model referenced by the specified component and breaks the link to the reference model. The Reference Component block becomes a regular Component block.

Note

Components with physical ports cannot be saved as architecture models, model references, software architectures, or Stateflow^® chart behaviors. Components with physical ports can only be saved as subsystem references or subsystem component behaviors.

Examples

Simulate Mobile Robot with System Composer Workflow

Simulate a mobile robot architecture with a systems engineering workflow.

Open Live Script

Ports

Input

Source — Input connection from another component

interface

If you connect to a source component, the interfaces on the ports are shared.

Output

Destination — Output connection to another component

interface

If you connect to a destination component, the interfaces on the ports are shared.

Physical

Physical — Physical connection to another component

physical interface

If you connect to another component, the physical interfaces on the ports are shared.

More About

Definitions

Term	Definition	Application	More Information
architecture	A System Composer architecture represents a system of components and how they interface with each other structurally and behaviorally.	Different types of architectures describe different aspects of systems. You can use views to visualize a subset of components in an architecture. You can define parameters on the architecture level using the Parameter Editor.	Compose Architectures Visually Author Parameters in System Composer Using Parameter Editor
model	A System Composer model is the file that contains architectural information, including components, ports, connectors, interfaces, and behaviors.	Perform operations on a model: Extract the root-level architecture contained in the model. Apply profiles. Link interface data dictionaries. Generate instances from model architecture. A System Composer model is stored as an SLX file.	Create Architecture Model with Interfaces and Requirement Links
component	A component is a nontrivial, nearly independent, and replaceable part of a system that fulfills a clear function in the context of an architecture. A component defines an architectural element, such as a function, a system, hardware, software, or other conceptual entity. A component can also be a subsystem or subfunction.	Represented as a block, a component is a part of an architecture model that can be separated into reusable artifacts. Transfer information between components with: Port interfaces using the Interface Editor Parameters using the Parameter Editor	Components
port	A port is a node on a component or architecture that represents a point of interaction with its environment. A port permits the flow of information to and from other components or systems.	There are different types of ports: Component ports are interaction points on the component to other components. Architecture ports are ports on the boundary of the system, whether the boundary is within a component or the overall architecture model.	Ports
connector	Connectors are lines that provide connections between ports. Connectors describe how information flows between components or architectures.	A connector allows two components to interact without defining the nature of the interaction. Set an interface on a port to define how the components interact.	Connections

Term	Definition	Application	More Information
physical subsystem	A physical subsystem is a Simulink subsystem with Simscape™ connections.	A physical subsystem with Simscape connections uses a physical network approach suited for simulating systems with real physical components and represents a mathematical model.	Implement Component Behavior Using Simscape
physical port	A physical port represents a Simscape physical modeling connector port called a Connection Port (Simscape).	Use physical ports to connect components in an architecture model or to enable physical systems in a Simulink subsystem.	Define Physical Ports on Component
physical connector	A physical connector can represent a nondirectional conserving connection of a specific physical domain. Connectors can also represent physical signals.	Use physical connectors to connect physical components that represent features of a system to simulate mathematically.	Architecture Model with Simscape Behavior for a DC Motor
physical interface	A physical interface defines the kind of information that flows through a physical port. The same interface can be assigned to multiple ports. A physical interface is a composite interface equivalent to a Simulink.ConnectionBus object that specifies any number of Simulink.ConnectionElement objects.	Use a physical interface to bundle physical elements to describe a physical model using at least one physical domain.	Specify Physical Interfaces on Ports
physical element	A physical element describes the decomposition of a physical interface. A physical element is equivalent to a Simulink.ConnectionElement object.	Define the Type of a physical element as a physical domain to enable use of that domain in a physical model.	Describe Component Behavior Using Simscape

Term	Definition	Application	More Information
reference component	A reference component is a component whose definition is a separate architecture model, Simulink behavior model, or Simulink subsystem behavior. A reference component represents a logical hierarchy of other compositions.	You can reuse compositions in the model using reference components. There are three types of reference components: Model references are Simulink models. Subsystem references are Simulink subsystems. Architecture references are System Composer architecture models or subsystems.	Implement Component Behavior Using Simulink Create Architecture Reference
parameter	A parameter is an instance-specific value of a value type.	Parameters are available for inlined architectures and components. Parameters are also available for components linked to model references or architecture references that specify model arguments. You can specify independent values for a parameter on each component.	Author Parameters in System Composer Using Parameter Editor Access Model Arguments as Parameters on Reference Components Use Parameters to Store Instance Values with Components
subsystem component	A subsystem component is a Simulink subsystem that is part of the parent System Composer architecture model.	Add Simulink subsystem behavior to a component to author a subsystem component in System Composer. You cannot synchronize and reuse subsystem components as Reference Component blocks because the component is part of the parent model.	Create Simulink Subsystem Behavior Using Subsystem Component Create Simulink Subsystem Component
state chart	A state chart diagram demonstrates the state-dependent behavior of a component throughout its state lifecycle and the events that can trigger a transition between states.	Add Stateflow chart behavior to describe a component using state machines. You cannot synchronize and reuse Stateflow chart behaviors as Reference Component blocks because the component is part of the parent model.	Implement Behaviors for Architecture Model Simulation Implement Component Behavior Using Stateflow Charts

Version History

Introduced in R2019a