What do the simscape plugins have that simscape itself doesn't have?

This diagram [coppied below from simscape tutorials] seems to imply that simscape already can do electrical circuits and fluids.

Yet the same diagram also indicates that electrical and fluids are plugins as well. What additional functionality do they provide?

[Orion Smedley]

https://www.mathworks.com/videos/simscape-add-on-libraries-73285.html this seems to have some answers.

Answer 1

[Yifeng Tang]

Simscape Electrical, Driveline, and Fluids use the same physical domains in the Simscape foundation library, but with many more sophisticated, pre-built modules to make the modeling of larger systems easier. Simscape Multibody is a simulation environment for 3D mechanical systems, and you can integrate it with Simscape mechanical domains to do more realistic, multi-domain simulations.

The intro page in the Documentation for each add-on library has more info:

https://www.mathworks.com/help/physmod/sps/index.html

Simscape™ Electrical™ (formerly SimPowerSystems™ and SimElectronics®) provides component libraries for modeling and simulating electronic, mechatronic, and electrical power systems. It includes models of semiconductors, motors, and components for applications such as electromechanical actuation, smart grids, and renewable energy systems. You can use these components to evaluate analog circuit architectures, develop mechatronic systems with electric drives, and analyze the generation, conversion, transmission, and consumption of electrical power at the grid level.

Simscape Electrical helps you develop control systems and test system-level performance. You can parameterize your models using MATLAB® variables and expressions, and design control systems for electrical systems in Simulink®. You can integrate mechanical, hydraulic, thermal, and other physical systems into your model using components from the Simscape family of products. To deploy models to other simulation environments, including hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) systems, Simscape Electrical supports C-code generation.

Simscape Electrical was developed in collaboration with Hydro-Québec of Montreal.

https://www.mathworks.com/help/physmod/sdl/index.html

Simscape™ Driveline™ provides component libraries for modeling and simulating rotational and translational mechanical systems. It includes models of worm gears, lead screws, and vehicle components such as engines, tires, transmissions, and torque converters. You can use these components to model the transmission of mechanical power in helicopter drivetrains, industrial machinery, automotive powertrains, and other applications. You can integrate electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and other physical systems into your model using components from the Simscape family of products.

Simscape Driveline helps you develop control systems and test system-level performance. You can create custom component models with the MATLAB® based Simscape language, which enables text-based authoring of physical modeling components, domains, and libraries. You can parameterize your models using MATLAB variables and expressions, and design control systems for your physical system in Simulink®. To deploy your models to other simulation environments, including hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) systems, Simscape Driveline supports C-code generation.

https://www.mathworks.com/help/physmod/hydro/index.html

Simscape™ Fluids™ provides component libraries for modeling and simulating fluid systems. It includes models of hydraulic pumps, valves, actuators, pipelines, and heat exchangers. You can use these components to develop fluid power systems such as front-loader, power steering, and landing gear actuation systems. Simscape Fluids also enables you to develop engine cooling, gearbox lubrication, and fuel supply systems. You can integrate mechanical, electrical, thermal, and other physical systems into your model using components from the Simscape family of products.

Simscape Fluids helps you develop control systems and test system-level performance. You can create custom component models with the MATLAB® based Simscape language, which enables text-based authoring of physical modeling components, domains, and libraries. You can parameterize your models using MATLAB variables and expressions, and design control systems for your hydraulic system in Simulink®. To deploy models to other simulation environments, including hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) systems, Simscape Fluids supports C-code generation.

https://www.mathworks.com/help/physmod/sm/index.html

Simscape™ Multibody™ provides a multibody simulation environment for 3D mechanical systems, such as robots, vehicle suspensions, construction equipment, and aircraft landing gear. You can model multibody systems using blocks representing bodies, joints, constraints, force elements, and sensors. Simscape Multibody formulates and solves the equations of motion for the complete mechanical system. You can import complete CAD assemblies, including all masses, inertias, joints, constraints, and 3D geometry, into your model. An automatically generated 3D animation lets you visualize the system dynamics.

Simscape Multibody helps you develop control systems and test system-level performance. You can parameterize your models using MATLAB® variables and expressions, and design control systems for your multibody system in Simulink®. You can integrate hydraulic, electrical, pneumatic, and other physical systems into your model using components from the Simscape family of products. To deploy your models to other simulation environments, including hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) systems, Simscape Multibody supports C-code generation.