Target Language Compiler

Using the TLC Debugger

This section provides a tutorial that illustrates the steps for invoking and using the TLC debugger with Simulink and Real-Time Workshop generated code. The files and models for this example are in

• matlabroot/toolbox/rtw/rtwdemos/tlctutorial/tlcdebug/
  

This tutorial uses the simple_log model and the gain.tlc TLC file located in this directory.

Note    For TLC to use this local modified version of gain.tlc, which is not the one used by the actual Real-Time Workshop code-generation process, you must make sure the TLC file is in the same directory as the model.

For the purpose of this tutorial, the TLC file contains a bug, so this function cannot be used in actual practice.

Tutorial

Generate the Results

1. Make sure that you are in the proper directory as given above. This tutorial uses the simple_log model, which contains a Gain block. Note that the gain.tlc used here will be the one in the current directory as the model. This is the simple_log model.

   

2. Simulate the model. This model saves tout and yout to the workspace, which you can view by selecting View -> Workspace from the MATLAB Desktop.
3. Build the model and run the executable. This creates the file simple_log.mat. (For more information about the build process, see the Real-Time Workshop documentation.)
4. To compare the results from Simulink and Real-Time Workshop, load the simple_log.mat file. The result from Simulink, yout, does not match the Real-Time Workshop result, rt_yout, because the TLC code contains a bug. You must debug the TLC code to identify the problem.

Invoke the Debugger

1. To debug the code, bring up the Real-Time Workshop options page by selecting Tools -> Real-Time Workshop -> Options from the model's menu. This brings up the Real-Time Workshop pane of the Simulation Parameters dialog box.
2. Select TLC debugging from the Category pull-down menu. From this screen you can select options that are specific to TLC debugging.
3. Select Retain .rtw file. This ensures that the model.rtw file is not deleted after code generation.
4. Select Start TLC debugger when generating code to invoke the TLC debugger when starting the code generation process. The dialog box should look like this.
   
   

1. Selecting Start TLC debugger when generating code is equivalent to adding -dc to the System target file field in the Real-Time Workshop pane of the Simulation Parameters dialog box.

5. Apply your changes and click Build to start code generation. This stops at the first line of executed TLC code, breaks into the TLC command line debugger, and displays the following prompt.

1. TLC_DEBUG>

   You can now set breakpoints, explore the contents of Real-Time Workshop files, and explore variables in your TLC file using print, which, or whos.

An alternate way to invoke the TLC debugger is from the MATLAB prompt. (This assumes you retained the model.rtw file in the project directory.) To avoid making mistakes, we recommend copying the tlc command output by Real-Time Workshop to the MATLAB command window, and issue it after appending -dc to that command line.

A complete list of command line switches for the TLC debugger is found in Table 6-8, Target Language Compiler Switches,.

About the TLC Debugger

TLC Debugger Command Summary