Model Code Interfaces

To produce code that can interact with target platform services, the code generator must be aware of target platform interface requirements. The first step for doing that is to represent required interfaces in your top model by including specific model elements. For example, you can model an interface for reading data from a target platform receiver service by using a root-level In Bus Element or Inport block.

This table lists typical code interfaces and ways to represent them in a top model.

Type of Code Interface	Model Element or Pattern
Callable rate-based entry point	Block in a rate-based model that is configured for single-tasking or multitasking execution or that is set up as a partition in the Simulink Schedule Editor
Callable exported-function entry point	Exported-function model that defines functions by using Function-Call Subsystem, function-call Model, Simulink Function, Message Triggered Subsystem, or S-Function blocks
Callable initialize function entry point	Initialize Function block
Callable terminate function entry point	Terminate Function block
Call to target platform receiver service	In Bus Element or Inport block
Call to target platform sender service	Out Bus Element or Outport block
Call to target platform data transfer service	Signal line that connects two blocks that exchange data and result in callable functions in generated code. A callable function is a generated entry-point that target environment software can call.
Access target platform nonvolatile memory	Initialize Function and Terminate Function blocks or Simulink Function and Function Caller blocks
Reuse memory between a state variable and root-level output variable	Function loopback pattern that models state variable as a signal or Delay block that models state variable
Call to target platform timer service to get an absolute or elapsed time value	Scoped Simulink Function block (to represent service) and library block that includes a Function Caller block (to call the service) or, for a model configured with a service interface (requires ), Discrete Time Integrator or Weighted Sample Time block.
Message communication	Send block directly connected to a root-level Outport block and Receive block directly connected to a root-level Inport block
Client-server communication	Simulink Function and Function Caller blocks
Tunable parameters and parameter arguments	Parameter objects stored in the model workspace
Data for measurement	Signals (output port of a block), states (states on a block), and Datastore Memory blocks
Custom service interface	Custom blocks

These topics provide more information for the different types of interfaces:

Modeling guidelines can be helpful depending on your deployment objective and how you configure code interfaces for the code generator. In some cases, you might need to create custom representations that involve creating custom blocks.

For information on modeling guidelines, see Modeling Guidelines and Block Usage, Modeling Guidelines, Modeling Guidelines for Generated Code, and Component Deployment Guidelines for Embedded Coder Support Package.

For information on creating custom blocks, see Code Generation for Custom Blocks.