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Getting Started with Embed 2

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Getting Started with Embed 3

Contents
What is Embed .................................................................................................................................................... 5
Supported hardware ........................................................................................................................................... 5
Getting started with Embed ............................................................................................................................... 6
Embed window ............................................................................................................................................... 7
Block libraries .................................................................................................................................................. 8
Exploring, executing, and debugging the Chip Temp sample diagram............................................................... 9
Compiling the source diagram ...................................................................................................................... 11
Downloading and debugging ........................................................................................................................ 15
Setting diagram parameters ......................................................................................................................... 17
Running the diagram and viewing results .................................................................................................... 17
Where to go from here ..................................................................................................................................... 18
Videos ........................................................................................................................................................... 18
Sample diagrams ........................................................................................................................................... 18

Getting Started with Embed 4

What is Embed
Altair Embed™, commonly referred to as Embed, is a visual environment for Model-Based Firmware
Development of embedded control systems. It combines an intuitive graphical interface with a content-rich
environment to help you design real-time applications targeting a broad variety of platforms, including
Arduino®; ARM®-Linux® Raspberry Pi™; Texas Instruments™; and STMicroelectronics® microcontrollers.
Embed is an extension of Embed SE, a visual environment for modeling and simulating dynamic systems,
but without the ability to generate code. Embed Basic is a limited edition of Embed: it contains all the
modeling, simulation, and code generation capabilities of Embed but restricts block diagram size to no more
than 100 blocks. It is tailored to academics, makers, and hobbyist, and embedded developers interested in
building proof-of-concept applications. For the complete family of Altair Embed products and the features
they include, click here.

Supported hardware
Embed supports the following microcontrollers:
• Arduino Leonardo, Mega2560, and Uno
• ARM-Linux Raspberry Pi Zero, Zero W, 1A+, 2B+, 2B, 3A+, 3B, 3B+, and 4B series
• STMicroelectronics STM32 F0x, F3x, F4x, G0x, G4x, and L4x series
• Texas Instruments C2407, Delfino™, F280x, F28xx, F282xx, MSP430™, Piccolo™, and ARM Cortex™
M3 series

Getting Started with Embed 5

The Altair Embed product family
The Altair Embed product family includes the Basic, Professional, and Simulation-Only (SE) Editions.
Feature Embed Basic Embed Professional Embed Simulation-Only (SE)

Block diagram size limited to 

100 blocks

Drag-and-drop block diagram   

construction with 120+
standard blocks
Continuous, discrete, and   
hybrid simulations
Conditional execution of   
subsystems
Interactive, batch, auto-   
restart, and single-step
execution modes
Fixed, adaptive, and stiff   
integration algorithms
Visualization with interactive   
plots and stripCharts, 3D
animation, 3D plots, and polar
plots
Analysis and linearization   
with Bode, root locus, and
frequency domain plots
OpenVision block set   
State Charts block set   
Fixed Point block set  
Digital Motor Control block  
set
Data I/O using National   
Instruments and
Measurement Computing
boards
Data I/O with an OPC server   
Data I/O with an RS 232   
device
Data I/O with UDP   
Data I/O with a PCAN USB   
Controller Area Network
(CAN) device
Code generation  
Arduino Leonardo, Mega  
2560, and Uno target support

Getting Started with Embed 6

Feature Embed Basic Embed Professional Embed Simulation-Only (SE)
ARM-Linux Raspberry Pi Zero,  
Zero W, 1A+, 1B+, 2B, 3A+,
3B, 3B+, 4B target support
STMicroelectronics STM32 F0,  
F3, F4, G0, G4, L4 target
support
Texas Instruments C2000,  
ARM Cortex M3, MSP430
target support
Generic MCU target support  
JTAG communication link  
Serial communication link  

Getting started with Embed

Embed window

Start Embed by clicking on . The Embed window appears.

A: The Title bar includes the name of the currently open diagram. As you develop diagrams with hierarchy
and drill down into the hierarchy, you can look at the title bar to see where you are in the diagram.
B: The Menu bar contains drop down menus for all commands and blocks. You can customize the menu bar
with your own menu items, commands, and blocks using the Edit > Preferences > Menu Directories
command.
Getting Started with Embed 7
Commands and blocks can also be accessed from the block browser, toolbar, pop-up menus, and short-cut
keyboard commands. For example, to open a new diagram, you select File > New from the menu, or you
can click the toolbar button.
C: Customizable Toolbar buttons are shortcuts for commonly used editing, simulation, and debugging
functions.
D: The Block browser mirrors the menu bar and provides a convenient way to insert blocks into a diagram,
manage diagrams, and execute commands.
E: The Status bar keeps track of the number of blocks in your diagram, along with key simulation
information including the simulation range, step size, elapsed simulation time, and currently selected
integration algorithm.
F: The Work area is where you build your models.

Block libraries
In Embed, blocks are your basic design component. You can choose from over 200 mathematical,
engineering, and scientific blocks, allowing you to realize system models of any degree of complexity.
Embed also includes the following blocks specifically for designing embedded controllers.
• Fixed-Point block library
• Arduino Leonardo, Mega 2560, and Uno peripheral block libraries
• Raspberry Pi peripheral block libraries
• STMicroelectronics STM32 peripheral block libraries
• Texas Instruments C2407, Delfino, F280x, F28xx, F282xx, MSP430, Piccolo, and ARM Cortex M3
peripheral block libraries
• Texas Instruments digital motor control (DMC) block libraries
• Blocks for communicating with the target and performing analog and digital I/O operations with the
analog and digital ports on the target device
If your requirements extend beyond the standard block and toolbox libraries, you can create custom blocks
in C, C++, Fortran, and Pascal and add them to the Blocks menu for use in other models.

Getting Started with Embed 8

Exploring, executing, and debugging the Chip
Temp sample diagram
This section gets you started using Embed by stepping you through the Chip Temp on F28069 diagram. This
diagram measures the temperature in centigrade of the Piccolo F28069. The ADC channel 5 is redirected
from an external pin to the on-chip temperature sensor. The compound block Turn On Ch 5 Temp
Conversion performs the redirection.
To access the chip temperature model
1. Click Examples > Embedded > Piccolo > ADC.
2. Select Chip Temp on F28069.
The following diagram appears:

3. Right-click Chip Temperature on F28069 to move down one level of hierarchy.

The above diagram reads ADC channel 5 and applies an offset and gain to convert the reading to
degrees centigrade. It also executes the code contained in Turn on Ch 5 Temp Conversion, which
switches ADC 5 from an external pin to the internal temperature sensor. Note that Turn on Ch 5 Temp
Conversion is triggered by the built-in variable $firstPass. This means that the block and its contents are
Getting Started with Embed 9
 executed once at boot time.
4. Right-click Turn on Ch 5 Temp Conversion to move down one level of hierarchy.

The above diagram enables the internal temperature sensor on ADC A5. The Extern Read
(*(int*)0x3D7E82L) and Extern Write (*(int*)0x3D7E85L) blocks write directly to the hardware registers.
To enforce the order of execution, Embed executes parallel flows in top-down order. The ePWM block
sends Start of Conversion pulses to the ADC A5.

Getting Started with Embed 10

 This code also enables the ePWM block to send Start of Conversion pulses to the ACD A5.

Compiling the source diagram

Before you can compile the source diagram, move back up to the top level of the diagram.
To compile the source diagram
1. At the top level of the diagram, select the compound block Chip Temperature on F28069.
The compound block turns red.

Getting Started with Embed 11

2. Click Tools > Code Gen.
The C Code Generation dialog box appears.

3. Activate Use selected compound edge pins for data exchange. This lets you debug the target
executable.
4. Click Compile to generate C code and compile it with Code Composer.
The following DOS window appears.

Getting Started with Embed 12

 The above window displays the output of the Code Composer compiling and linking the diagram.
5. You can check to make sure the compile (cl2000) and link (link2000) are error free, and then press any
key to continue.

Getting Started with Embed 13

6. Click Browse in the C Code Generation dialog box to examine the generated C-code.

Getting Started with Embed 14

Downloading and debugging
After compiling the source diagram, you can download and debug it using the companion debug diagram
Chip Temp on F28069-d.
To download and debug
1. Click Examples > Embedded > Piccolo > ADC.
2. Select Chip Temp on F28069 –d.
The following diagram appears:

Getting Started with Embed 15

3. Right-click F28x Config.
The F28x Properties dialog box appears.

4. Make sure that the proper JTAG linkage is selected.

Getting Started with Embed 16

Setting diagram parameters
You set the main run rate of the diagram for both simulation and generated code for the target in the
System Properties dialog box. For simulation purposes, you can also set the integration algorithm and
duration of the simulation.
To set parameters
1. Choose System > System Properties.
The System Properties dialog box appears.

2. The above dialog box is for the Chip Temp on F28069-d debug diagram. Notice the options used in the
debug diagram:
• Start: 0; End: 10 provides a 10 second interval on plots.
• Time Step: 0.005 provides a 200 Hz update rate to data and plots.
• Run in Real Time causes the diagram to execute in real time, so that Embed runs in sync with the
target.
• Auto Restart causes Embed to run continuously until you stop it.
• Retain State causes Embed to refrain from initializing blocks on restart and prevents reload of the
OUT file.

Running the diagram and viewing results

When you simulate the diagram, Embed downloads and runs the OUT file you created when you compiled
the source diagram. After it starts running on the target, Embed provides:
• Interactive inputs: In this case, a 1Hz square wave to the GPIOs to blink on-board LEDs on the TI
controlSTICK or controlCARD
• Interactive plots of on-chip outputs: In this case, raw ADC A5 reading and adjusted temperature in
centigrade

Getting Started with Embed 17

To run the diagram
• Choose System > Go, or click Go in the toolbar.
The diagram runs until you click Stop in the toolbar.

Where to go from here

There are dozens of videos and sample diagrams available that demonstrate basic and advanced operations
you can perform on your hardware. There is also an online Forum where you can ask questions, get
answers, and promote conversations among Embed users.

Videos
The online Learning Center includes a series of short videos that introduce key concepts that are useful
when programming your hardware.

Sample diagrams
Your Embed software includes dozens of fully documented sample diagrams. These diagrams illustrate both
simple and complex models spanning a broad range of engineering disciplines.
To access the diagrams, click on Examples > Embedded. The two main subcategories are Digital Motor
Control and Digital Power Systems. If you know the chip you're targeting, you can see target-specific
examples in the target subcategory.

Getting Started with Embed 18