Rotary Switch

Change parameter or variable value using rotary switch with customizable appearance

Since R2021b

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Libraries:
Simulink / Dashboard / Customizable Blocks

Description

Use the Rotary Switch block to change the value of the connected variable or parameter before or during simulation. When you use the Rotary Switch block in the Customizable Blocks library, you can customize the appearance of the block to look like a real rotary switch in your system. Use the Rotary Switch block with other dashboard blocks to create an interactive dashboard for your model.

A real rotary switch has multiple settings. The Rotary Switch block treats these settings as different states. A state pairs a state value with a handle orientation, a click area, and a state label that is displayed on the click area.

To activate a state during simulation, click the click area of the state or drag the handle to point to the click area. To activate a state when the simulation is not running, select the Rotary Switch block, and then click the click area or drag the handle to point to the click area. When you activate the state, the state value is assigned to the Simulink^® block diagram element to which the Rotary Switch block connects.

Collectively, the state click areas cover the area of the block within the angular range that the handle traverses when it moves from the first state to the last state. The state labels are evenly spaced over the range, with the first label at the start of the range and the last label at the end of the range. The range is subdivided into click areas such that the borders of adjacent click areas bisect the angular distance between labels.

Note

Double-clicking a connected Rotary Switch block during simulation does not open its dialog box. Clicking a connected Rotary Switch block to select the block, and then double-clicking the block also does not open its dialog box. To edit the block parameters in these cases, use the Property Inspector or right-click the block and select Block Parameters from the context menu.

Customize Rotary Switch Blocks

When you add a Rotary Switch block to your model, the block is preconfigured with a default design. You can use the block with the default design or customize the appearance of the block.

To customize the appearance of the block, use design mode. After selecting the block, you can enter design mode in one of three ways:

• In the Simulink Toolstrip, on the block-specific tab, under Design, click Edit.

• In the Property Inspector, on the Design tab, click Edit.

• Pause on the ellipsis that appears over the block and click the Edit Custom Block button .

In design mode, you can use the toolbar above the block to customize the rotary switch. To access additional customization options or to enter exact values for design settings, use the Design tab in the Property Inspector.

When you customize a Rotary Switch block, you configure the block appearance for each state. To select a state to customize, use the drop-down list in the toolbar. Alternatively, on the Design tab, select the States component and then select from the Select State list. To add a state, in the toolbar, click the Add State button . To delete a state, click the Remove State button .

Design Mode Actions that Customize the Selected State

Action	Available in Toolbar	Available in Design Tab
Specify the state value.	No	Yes
Specify the state label text.	No	Yes
Upload a handle image.	Yes	Yes
Change the size of the handle.	No	Yes
Change the position the handle.	No	Yes

In addition to customizing the block design using the toolbar and Design tab, you can also resize and reposition components interactively in the canvas. The movement of the handle is limited to the line that passes through the center of the block at the Start Angle.

To change the color of the state labels, on the Format tab, under Style, click the arrow on the Foreground button and select a color. You can select from a palette of standard colors or click the Custom Colors button to specify a custom color.

Design Mode Actions that Apply to All States

Action	Available in Toolbar	Available in Design Tab
Change the arc length spanned by the state labels.	No	Yes, in the Rotary Switch component
Change the start angle of the arc.	No	Yes, in the Rotary Switch component
Change the label radius.	No	Yes, in the Rotary Switch component
Upload a background image.	Yes	Yes
Set a solid background color.	No	Yes
Upload a foreground image.	No	Yes

When you finish editing the design, to exit design mode, click the X in the upper right of the canvas.

Connect Dashboard Blocks

Dashboard blocks do not use ports to connect to model elements. To connect a dashboard block, use connect mode. To enter connect mode on an unconnected block, pause on the block you want to connect and click the Connect button . To enter connect mode on a connected block, select the block, pause on the ellipsis that appears (…), and in the action menu that expands, click the Connect button.

To connect a control block to a parameter in your model or to change the connection of a control block, enter connect mode. Select the block to whose parameter you want to connect. From the list that appears, select the parameter to which you want to connect. Then, pause on the dashboard block and click the Done Connecting button .

The control block cannot connect to a parameter defined by a variable until you update the model diagram. To connect to a parameter defined by a variable or to modify the value of a variable that defines the value of a connected parameter when the simulation is not running, update the model diagram by pressing Ctrl+D.

You can connect to a parameter with a scalar value or to an element of a matrix or structure. For more information, see Connect Dashboard Blocks to Simulink Model.

You can also connect dashboard blocks to a Stateflow^® chart. For more information, see Connect Dashboard Blocks to Stateflow (Stateflow).

This animation shows how to connect the Rotary Switch block to your model.

Parameter Logging

Tunable parameters connected to dashboard blocks are logged to the Simulation Data Inspector, where you can view the parameter values along with logged signal data. You can access logged parameter data in the MATLAB^® workspace by exporting the parameter data from the Simulation Data Inspector by using the UI or the Simulink.sdi.exportRun function. For more information about exporting data using the Simulation Data Inspector UI, see Export Data to Workspace or File. The parameter data is stored in a Simulink.SimulationData.Parameter object, accessible as an element in the exported Simulink.SimulationData.Dataset.

Examples

Design Custom Rotary Switches

Design rotary switches using the customizable Rotary Switch block.

• Open Model

Limitations

• Except for the Dashboard Scope block and the Display block, dashboard blocks can only connect to real scalar signals.

• You cannot use the Connection table in the Block Parameters dialog box to connect a dashboard block to a block that is commented out. When you connect a dashboard block to a commented block using connect mode, the dashboard block does not display the connected value until the you uncomment the block.

• Dashboard blocks cannot connect to model elements inside referenced models.

• When you simulate a model hierarchy, dashboard blocks inside referenced models do not update.

• Dashboard blocks do not support rapid accelerator simulation.

• When you connect a dashboard block to a variable or parameter during simulation, the data for that variable or parameter is not logged to the Simulation Data Inspector. To log variable and parameter data to the Simulation Data Inspector, connect the dashboard block to the variable or parameter prior to simulation.

• When you simulate a model in external mode with the Default parameter behavior set to Inlined, dashboard blocks can appear to change parameter and variable values. However, the change does not propagate to the simulation. For example, Gain blocks display changes made to the Gain parameter using the dashboard blocks, but the Gain value used in the simulation does not change.

Parameters

Use the Property Inspector and the Block Parameters dialog box to specify the values of the block parameters. To set the core parameters of the dashboard block, use the Block Parameters dialog box or the Parameters tab in the Property Inspector. To customize the block, use the Design tab in the Property Inspector. To open the Block Parameters dialog box for a block, double-click the block. To open the Property Inspector, on the Modeling tab, under Design, select Property Inspector.

Parameters

To set the core parameters of the dashboard block, open the Property Inspector and click the Parameters tab.

Connection

Connection — Block parameter value to connect

parameter value connection options

Dashboard blocks do not use ports to connect to model elements. To connect dashboard blocks to parameter values in your model, use connect mode, the Simulink Toolstrip, or the Connection table in the Block Parameters dialog box. You can connect to a parameter with a scalar value, or to an element of a matrix. For information about connect mode and how to connect using the toolstrip, see Connect Dashboard Blocks to Simulink Model.

To connect a control block to a parameter with a scalar value or change the connection of a control block to a parameter with a scalar value using the Connection table:

1. Select the block.

2. To connect the block, in the Property Inspector, on the Parameters tab, click Connect. To change the connection of the block, click Change instead.

3. Select the block to whose parameter value you want to connect.

4. In the table, select the parameter to which you want to connect.

5. Click Apply.

The control block cannot connect to a parameter defined by a variable until you update the model diagram. To connect to a parameter defined by a variable or to modify the value of a variable that defines the value of a connected parameter when the simulation is not running, update the model diagram by pressing Ctrl+D.

You can also connect dashboard blocks to a Stateflow chart. For more information, see Connect Dashboard Blocks to Stateflow (Stateflow).

Programmatic Use

To programmatically connect a dashboard block to a tunable parameter, use a Simulink.HMI.ParamSourceInfo object. The Simulink.HMI.ParamSourceInfo object contains four properties. Some properties apply to connecting dashboard blocks to parameters defined by values, and some apply to connecting dashboard blocks to parameters defined by variables. Not all fields have a value for a connection because a given dashboard block connects to either to a parameter defined by a value or to a parameter defined by a variable.

Block Parameter: Binding

Type: Simulink.HMI.ParamSourceInfo

Default: []

Main

Label — Position of label displaying name of connected element

Hide (default) | Bottom | Top

You can display the name of the element to which the dashboard block connects in a label positioned at the top or bottom of the block, or you can hide the label. If you want the label to be visible, specify the position. If you do not want the label to be visible, select Hide.

Note

When the dashboard block is not connected to an element, the label is blank.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: LabelPosition

Type: character vector

Values: 'Hide' | 'Bottom' | 'Top'

Default: 'Hide'

Lock Aspect Ratio — Option to maintain block aspect ratio

on (default) | off

Select this parameter to maintain the aspect ratio when resizing the block in the Simulink canvas.

When the aspect ratio is locked, adding a new background image changes the aspect ratio of the block to match the aspect ratio of the background image. When the aspect ratio is unlocked, adding a new background image does not change the aspect ratio of the block, but instead changes the aspect ratio of the background image to fit the size of the block.

When the aspect ratio is locked, pressing the Shift key while resizing a block temporarily unlocks the aspect ratio. When you release the Shift key, the aspect ratio locks. When the aspect ratio is unlocked, pressing the Shift key while resizing a block temporarily locks the aspect ratio. When you release the Shift key, the aspect ratio unlocks.

Enumerated Data Type — Specify state values and labels using enumerated data type

off (default) | on

You can use an enumerated data type that pairs a numeric value with each enumeration to configure the state values and labels for the block. First, select Enumerated Data Type. Then, specify the name of the enumerated data type in the text box. The definition for the specified enumerated data type must be saved on the MATLAB path or in the base workspace.

Note

You can define an enumerated data type using the Simulink.defineIntEnumType function. For example, to define the enumerated data type myEnumType for a set of Roman numerals from one to five, use this command.

Simulink.defineIntEnumType('myEnumType',...
    {'I','II','III','IV','V'}, [1 2 3 4 5]);

Then, in the Property Inspector, on the Parameters tab, in the Enumerated Data Type field, enter myEnumType.

States — Pairings of value with label

scalar and character vector

Each state pairs a State Value with a State Label. When the block is in a given state, it assigns the State Value for that state to the connected variable or parameter. You can use the State Label to display the value assigned to the connected variable or parameter on the block or to provide a descriptive text label.

By default, the switch has five states, one corresponding to each switch position.

State Value	State Label
0	Off
1	Low
2	Medium
3	High
4	On

You can use a customizable switch block to design a switch with any number of states greater than or equal to 1. To add a new state, click the + button. To delete the current state, click the - button.

Note

When Enumerated Data Type is enabled, you cannot add or delete states.

Tip

You can also configure the parameters for a state in design mode:

1. Enter design mode. In the Property Inspector, on the Design tab, click Edit.

2. On the Design tab, open the States component, expand the Select State section, and select the state that you want to configure from the drop-down menu.

3. Configure the parameter values for the selected state either using the toolbar above the block or in the Property Inspector.

Programmatic Use

To configure the States for the block programmatically, specify the value of the States parameter as a structure array containing two elements with these fields:

• Value — Scalar double value for the state

• Label — String or character array to use as the label for the switch position

firstState.Value = 0;
firstState.Label = 'Off';
secondState.Value = 1;
secondState.Label = 'On';
switchStates = [firstState secondState];

Block Parameter: States

Type: two element array of structures

Design

To customize the dashboard block, open the Property Inspector, click the Design tab, and click Edit.

Rotary Switch

Lock Aspect Ratio — Option to maintain block aspect ratio

on (default) | off

Select this parameter to maintain the aspect ratio when resizing the block in the Simulink canvas.

When the aspect ratio is locked, adding a new background image changes the aspect ratio of the block to match that of the background image. When the aspect ratio is unlocked, adding a new background image does not change the proportions of the block but instead stretches or scales the background image to fit the size of the block.

When the aspect ratio is locked, pressing the Shift key while resizing a block unlocks the aspect ratio. When you release the Shift key, the aspect ratio locks. When the aspect ratio is unlocked, pressing the Shift key while resizing a block locks the aspect ratio. When you release the Shift key, the aspect ratio unlocks.

Arc — Arc length spanned by state labels

300 (default) | scalar

Specify the arc length spanned by the center points of the state labels as a scalar value, measured in degrees.

Example: 90

Start Angle — Angular location of State 1

120 (default) | scalar

Specify the angular location of the first state as a scalar value, measured in degrees clockwise from the horizontal axis pointing right.

Example: 0

Label Radius — Distance of labels from block center

scalar

Specify the distance of the labels from the center of the block as a ratio of the smaller of the two block dimensions, width or height.

Example: 0.5

States

Select State — Management and configuration of states

scalar and character vector

Each state pairs a State Value with a State Label. When the block is in a given state, it assigns the State Value for that state to the connected variable or parameter. You can use the State Label to display the value assigned to the connected variable or parameter on the block or to provide a descriptive text label.

By default, the switch has five states, one corresponding to each switch position.

State Value	State Label
0	Off
1	Low
2	Medium
3	High
4	On

You can use a customizable Lamp block to design a lamp with any number of states greater than or equal to 1. To add a new state, click the + button. To delete the current state, click the X button.

Note

When Enumerated Data Type is enabled, you cannot add or delete states. You can disable this option in the Parameters tab of the Property Inspector.

To configure a state, in the States component, expand the Select State section and select the state.

Configure the value and the label text for the selected state in the States component on the Design tab of the Property Inspector.

All changes that you make to parameter values in the States component are applied only to the selected state. To configure a different state, expand the Select State section and select the state. Then, configure the parameter values of that state in the States component.

Tip

You can also configure the states for the block using the Parameters tab in the Property Inspector.

Programmatic Use

To configure the States for the block programmatically, specify the value of the States parameter as a structure array containing two elements with two fields:

• Value — Scalar double value for the state

• Label — String or character array to use as the label for the switch position

firstState.Value = 0;
firstState.Label = 'Off';
secondState.Value = 1;
secondState.Label = 'On';
switchStates = [firstState secondState];

Block Parameter: States

Type: two element array of structures

Value — State value

scalar

Each state pairs a State Value with a State Label. Specify the State Value that activates the state selected in the Design tab.

Note

When Enumerated Data Type is enabled, you cannot change the value.

Text — State label text

string | character array

Each state pairs a State Value with a State Label. Specify the text for the State Label of the state selected in the Design tab.

Note

When Enumerated Data Type is enabled, you cannot change the text.

Handle

Width — Handle image width

scalar

Specify the width of the handle image as a ratio of the smaller of the two block dimensions, width or height.

Example: 1

Height — Handle image height

scalar

Specify the height of the handle image as a ratio of the smaller of the two block dimensions, width or height.

Example: 1

Lock Aspect Ratio — Option to maintain image aspect ratio

on (default) | off

Select this parameter to maintain the aspect ratio when resizing the image using the Property Inspector.

Rotate Image — Rotation of handle image

0 (default) | scalar

Rotate the handle image about its center in 90 degree increments.

Example: 90

Offset from Center — Offset of handle image center from block center

0 (default) | scalar

Specify the distance from the center of the handle image to the center of the block as a ratio of the smaller of the two block dimensions, width or height.

Example: 1

Background Image

Use Background Color — Option to specify solid block background color

off (default) | on

For the block background, you can provide a background image or select a solid color. To select a solid background color, select this parameter. To provide a background image, clear this parameter.

Note

Changing the background color using the Format tab of the Simulink Toolstrip removes the background image and enables the Use Background Color parameter.

Example: on

Color — Block background color

[r g b] vector

To select a solid background color, select the Use Background Color parameter. Then, choose a background color from the palette of standard colors, or specify a custom color.

Tip

You can also specify the Background Color in the Format tab of the Simulink Toolstrip.

To specify the color of the block text, in the Format tab of the Simulink Toolstrip, specify the Foreground Color.

Programmatic Use

Specify the BackgroundColor parameter for the block as a string or a character vector that defines a 1-by-3 [r g b] vector with values between 0 and 1.

Block Parameter: BackgroundColor

Type: character vector | string

Values: [r g b] vector

Opacity — Block background opacity

1 (default) | scalar

Specify the block background opacity as a scalar value from 0 to 1.

Example: 0.5

Corner Radius — Offset of outer edge of area with block background color from label radius

scalar

Set the offset of the outer edge of the area covered by the block background color from the label radius, specified as a scalar value from 0 to 1.

Example: 0.1

Foreground Image

X Offset — Horizontal offset of left edge of foreground image from left edge of block

scalar

Specify the horizontal offset of the left edge of the image from the left edge of the block as a ratio of the block width. Relative to the position of the image when the offset is 0, an offset with a negative value moves the image left, and an offset with a positive value moves the image right.

Example: 1

Y Offset — Vertical offset of top edge of foreground image from top edge of block

scalar

Specify the vertical offset of the top edge of the image from the top edge of the block as a ratio of the block height. Relative to the position of the image when the offset is 0, an offset with a negative value moves the image up, and a positive value moves the image down.

Example: 1

Width — Foreground image width

scalar

Specify the width of the foreground image as a ratio of the block width.

Example: 0.5

Height — Foreground image height

scalar

Specify the height of the foreground image as a ratio of the block height.

Example: 0.5

Lock Aspect Ratio — Option to maintain foreground image aspect ratio

on (default) | off

Select this parameter to maintain the aspect ratio when resizing the image using the Property Inspector.

Block Characteristics

Data Types	double | half | integer | single
Direct Feedthrough	no
Multidimensional Signals	no
Variable-Size Signals	no
Zero-Crossing Detection	no

Tips

• The Rotary Switch block allows you to design a circular control, with the state labels and the click areas that cause state transitions distributed along an arc. For more flexibility in the design of a control block with several states, use one of the customizable switch blocks. Each block is preconfigured with two states, but you can add and configure any number of states as required by your design.

  • Rocker Switch

  • Slider Switch

  • Toggle Switch

• To design a control that applies values to a connected variable or parameter from a continuous range, use the Knob, Horizontal Slider, or Vertical Slider blocks.

Extended Capabilities

C/C++ Code Generation

Generate C and C++ code using Simulink® Coder™.

Dashboard blocks are ignored for code generation.

Version History

Introduced in R2021b

R2024b: Unlock dashboard block aspect ratio with keyboard

If the aspect ratio of a block from the Dashboard library is locked, you can temporarily unlock the aspect ratio by pressing Shift. When you release the Shift key, the aspect ratio locks.

If the aspect ratio is unlocked, pressing Shift temporarily locks the aspect ratio. When you release the Shift key, the aspect ratio unlocks.

R2024a: Deploy dashboard panel as web app or standalone desktop app

With a Simulink Compiler™ license, you can now deploy a dashboard panel, packaged with the model to which the panel connects, as a standalone desktop app or as a web app. You can use the app to operate the controls and monitor the displays on the panel independent of Simulink.

To learn how to deploy panels, see Deploy Dashboard Panel as App.

R2024a: Dock dashboard panels

You can now dock dashboard panels to the Simulink Editor window. You can use the docked panel to monitor signals and control parameters during simulation without covering the model diagram in the canvas.

For more information, see Dock Panels.

R2023b: Open panel in new window

Starting in R2023b, you can open a dashboard panel in a new window. To do so, select the panel and pause on the ellipsis that appears. In the action menu that expands, click Open In New Window .

You can minimize and restore the new window containing the panel separately from the model window. From the panel window, you can run, pause, stop, and step through the simulation. In the panel window, you can edit the panel and the blocks it contains.

To return the panel to the model canvas, in the panel window toolstrip, click Open in canvas .

For more information about opening a panel in a new window, see Open Panels in New Window.

R2023a: Persistent panels tab in Simulink Toolstrip

When you add a dashboard panel to a model, the Panels tab appears in the Simulink Toolstrip and shows options for managing and editing panels.

Previously, the Panels tab was only visible when a panel was selected. Starting in R2023a, the Panels tab stays visible when no panel is selected.

The Panels tab also contains these new options:

• You can add an empty panel.

• You can rename the selected panel.

• You can hide the selected panel.

R2022b: Undo and redo support for customizable dashboard blocks in panel

Starting in R2022b, you can undo and redo the changes you make to customizable dashboard blocks that are in a panel.

To undo or redo a change:

1. Click the panel or a block in the panel.

2. Press Ctrl+Z to undo the change, or press Ctrl+Y to redo the change.

Note

The keyboard shortcuts are based on Windows^®. On a Mac, press command (⌘) instead of Ctrl.

R2022b: Toolstrip support for panels

Starting in R2022b, you can use the Simulink Toolstrip to manage and edit panels and the dashboard blocks that they contain.

When you click a dashboard block in a panel, the toolstrip tab for the block appears. For example, when you click a Circular Gauge block, the Gauge tab appears in the toolstrip.

When you click a panel, the Panel tab appears in the toolstrip. The tab provides these options:

• Manage the visibility of panels in the model.

• Fit all unhidden panels within the current view.

• Collapse the selected panel.

• Customize the size and the contents of the panel.

• Set a custom background image for the selected panel.

• Add a new tab to the selected panel.

R2022b: Extended support for customizable Dashboard blocks on Raspberry Pi boards

Starting in R2022b, the Simulink Support Package for Raspberry Pi^® Hardware supports deploying these blocks from the Customizable Blocks library on your Raspberry Pi boards:

• Horizontal Gauge

• Horizontal Slider

• Lamp

• Push Button

• Rocker Switch

• Rotary Switch

• Slider Switch

• Toggle Switch

• Vertical Gauge

• Vertical Slider

You can customize the visual aspects of the blocks in a Simulink model and obtain the what you see is what you get (WYSIWYG) visualization on a web browser you launch from a Raspberry Pi terminal.

R2022b: Extended support for customizable Dashboard blocks on Android devices

Starting in R2022b, the Simulink Support Package for Android^® Devices supports deploying these blocks from the Customizable Blocks library on your Android devices:

• Horizontal Gauge

• Horizontal Slider

• Lamp

• Push Button

• Rocker Switch

• Rotary Switch

• Slider Switch

• Toggle Switch

• Vertical Gauge

• Vertical Slider

You can customize the visual aspects of the blocks in a Simulink model and obtain the what you see is what you get (WYSIWYG) visualization on your Android device as well as on your web browser.

R2022a: Resize and reposition foreground image

The blocks in the Customizable Blocks library have an option to add a foreground image as part of the design for a block. Starting in R2022a, you can rotate, resize, and reposition the foreground image within the block design.