Getting Started with Simulink

by Luca Zamboni

Written by an experienced engineer, this book will help you utilize the great user-friendly features of Simulink to advance your modeling, testing, and interfacing skills. Packed with illustrations and step-by-step walkthroughs. Overview In Detail Simulink is an engineer's Swiss army instead of spending the day typing out complex formulas, Simulink enables you to both draw and execute them. Block after block, you can develop your ideas without struggling with obscure programming languages and you don't have to wait to debug your algorithm - just launch a simulation! Getting Started with Simulink will give you comprehensive knowledge of Simulink's capabilities. From the humble constant block to the S-function block, you will have a clear understanding of what modelling really means, without feeling that something has been left out. By the time you close the book, you'll be able to further extend your modelling skills without any help. We''ll start with a brief introduction, and immediately start placing the first blocks. Little by little, you'll build a car cruise controller model, followed by the mathematical model of a sports car in order to calibrate it. Then you'll learn how to interface your Simulink model with the external world. This book will give you an easy understanding of the tools Simulink offers you, guiding you through a complex exercise split into the three main phases of Simulink modelling, testing, and interfacing. What you will learn from this book Approach This practical and easy-to-understand learning tutorial is one big exciting exercise for students and engineers that are always short on their schedules and want to regain some lost time with the help of Simulink. Who this book is written for This book is aimed at students and engineers who need a quick start with Simulink. Though it's not required in order to understand how Simulink works, knowledge of physics will help the reader to understand the exercises described.

115 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Mario Medina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fast read, it introduces Simulink through an example simulation of an Alfa Romeo 147GTA. The explanations and instructions are incomplete, though. Could be much better.

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is quite short, which may be a good or bad thing depending on your point of view. In relatively few pages it takes you through quite a lot of Simulink's features. Certainly at the end of it, you will be able to make an informed decision as to whether Simulink is right for your project.

Any book on Matlab & Simulink is always going to be up against Mathworks' extensive documentation which is freely available in PDF form. However, this book is nicely concise, and may be useful for managers suddenly put in charge of an existing team of Simulink users and need to quickly understand what is going on.

Pros
* The book is up to date, using R2013a for its examples. (The Simulink GUI went through a huge overhaul in the previous version.)
* The book has a good example developed throughout the book, which serves as an excellent introduction to vehicle modelling.

Cons
* Some of the diagrams are a little small, and I struggled to read them on my electronic version at full screen, so you may struggle with the printed version.
* If vehicle modelling isn't your area of interest, then you may get less from this book.
* Arguably tries to cover too much and misses some intermediate usage in the process.

If you are a beginner/student with an interest in vehicle modelling, then this is a must read.