S-function does not exist error!

I am trying to test this Matlab model which uses a random signal generator and both a Matlab based S-function block (a dot m file) and a C code based S-function block ( dot c file).When I run this model, I get the following error:

I tried to find solutions for a while and realised that the MEX file in that folder is probably what the s-function block uses to utilise the C-code. I also found out that the MEX file in that folder may not be compatible with my version of Matlab. As a result, I tried to use the "mex" command:

mex secondOrder_c.c)

That gave me the following error:

Error using mex
No supported compiler or SDK was found. You can install the freely available MinGW-w64 C/C++ compiler;
see Install MinGW-w64 Compiler. For more options, visit
http://www.mathworks.com/support/compilers/R2017a/.

I'd appreciate some help with this process. Is this happening to me because my computer has no C/C++ compilers installed? I have Visual Studio 2017 installed on the same computer. Doesn't that count for anything? Does the fact that Matlab didn't detect that software imply that it's useless?

I'd really like some help with this so that I can resume learning from the book where I came across this s-function thing.

Answer 1

[Mahmud Khan]

This is me answering my own question:

What went wrong is that my installation of Matlab 2017a didn't come with the correct files needed for this job. As a result, I downloaded the patch from here:

https://uk.mathworks.com/support/bugreports/1487958

There were two useful files inside the tiny zip file within a folder called bin. I just had to find the same folder under my Matlab installation folder and copy-paste these two files in there. Just follow the instructions on that page to fix this problem.

I had no previous copies of these two files in my Matlab directory so I didn't have to back anything up. I only had to add these two files to the directory under the Matlab folder bin/Win64/mexopts

This patch helped me fix the problem I was facing in generating MEX files and now my model runs just fine. :)

For other similar patches, please visit https://uk.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/335092-can-i-use-microsoft-visual-studio-2017-with-matlab#answer_262813

Hope this helps someone else too.

[MAYOWA OLADELE]

Hello, I'm currently having this issue. I've tried your answer but it keeps giving me the same error. I don't know what else to do. Please can you help me?!

[Joel Davis]

it may be because the attachments are configured with Matlab 2017, if your using the latest release. I'm using 2022a release and not sure what to do now

Answer 2

[Fangjun Jiang]

run "mex -setup" to select VC2017 as the compiler and then run mex.

[Mahmud Khan]

I tried both:

mex -setup

and

mex -setup c

I get the same error message:

Error using mex
No supported compiler or SDK was found. You can install the freely available MinGW-w64 C/C++ compiler;
see Install MinGW-w64 Compiler. For more options, visit
http://www.mathworks.com/support/compilers/R2017a/.

[Fangjun Jiang]

That is strange. VC 2017 is supposed to be supported by MATLAB R2017a. Follow that link and try installing the free MinGW.

[Mahmud Khan]

I found a patch for this problem. will post the solution as an answer to my own question.

Thanks for trying to help :)

[sreedevi]

could you please tell me how you solved it, i am also facing the same issue

[Mahmud Khan]

@sreedevi

Please check this answer:

https://uk.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/419788-s-function-does-not-exist-error#answer_337486

[MAYOWA OLADELE]

I also used that answer but I'm still getting the same error