User`s guide

1 Introduction to the Real-Time Workshop
1-6
The Rapid Prototyping Process
The Real Time Workshop allows you to do rapid prototyping, a process that
allows you to conceptualize solutions using a block diagram modeling
environment and take an early look at system performance prior to laying out
hardware, writing any production software, or committing to a fixed design.
By using rapid prototyping, you can refine your real-time system by
continuously iterating your model. Further, you can tune parameters on the fly
by using Simulink as the front-end of your real-time model. This is known as
using Simulink in external mode.
Key Aspects of Rapid Prototyping
The key to rapid prototyping is automatic code generation. It reduces algorithm
coding to an automated process; this includes coding, compiling, linking, and
downloading to target hardware. This automation allows design changes to be
made directly to the block diagram. This figure show the rapid prototyping
development process:
Figure 1-1: Comparison of Traditional and Rapid Prototyping
Development Processes
Traditional Approach Rapid Prototyping Process
Rapid Iteration Manual Iteration
Algorithm
development
Algorithm design
and prototyping
Hardware and
software design
Implementation of
production system
Implementation of
production system