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I wish I knew more about the intended evolution of the capabilities of the function arguments block. I love implementing function syntaxes using this relatively new form, but it doesn't yet handle some function syntax design patterns that I think are valuable and worth keeping.
For example, some functions take an input quantity that can something numeric, or it can be an option string that descriptively names a particular value of that quantity. One example is dateshift(t,"dayofweek",dow), where dow can be an integer from 1 to 7, or it can be one of the option strings "weekday" or "weekend".
Another example is Image Processing Toolbox that take a connectivity specifier as input. The function bwconncomp is one particular case. Connectivity can be specified using certain scalars, certain arrays, or the option string "maximal".
I think this is a worthwhile function design pattern, but I don't think the arguments block validation functionality supports it well (unless you use a lot of extra code that duplicates standard MATLAB behavior, which undermines the value of the arguments block).
MathWorkers - believe me, I know that it is not in your DNA to discuss future features. But would anyone care to offer a hint about directions for the arguments block functionality?
Hi! My name is Mike McLernon, and I’m a product marketing engineer with MathWorks. In my role, I look at the trends ongoing in the wireless industry, across lots of different standards (think 5G, WLAN, SatCom, Bluetooth, etc.), and I seek to shape and guide the software that MathWorks builds to respond to these trends. That’s all about communicating within the Mathworks organization, but every so often it’s worth communicating these trends to our audience in the world at large. Many of the people reading this are engineers (or engineers at heart), and we all want to know what’s happening in the geek world around us. I think that now is one of these times to communicate an important milestone. So, without further ado . . .
Bluetooth 6.0 is here! Announced in September by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), it’s making more advances in its quest to create a “world without wires”. A few of the salient features in Bluetooth 6.0 are:
- Channel sounding (for accurate distance measurements)
- Decision-based advertising filtering (for more efficient channel scanning)
- Monitoring advertisers (for improved energy efficiency when devices come into and go out of range)
- Frame space updates (for both higher throughput and better coexistence management)
Bluetooth 6.0 includes other features as well, but the SIG has put special promotional emphasis on channel sounding (CS), which once upon a time was called High Accuracy Distance Measurement (HADM). The SIG has said that CS is a step towards true distance awareness, and 10 cm ranging accuracy. I think their emphasis is in exactly the right place, so let’s learn more about this technology and how it is used.
CS can be used for the following use cases:
- Keyless vehicle entry, performed by communication between a key fob or phone and the car’s anchor points
- Smart locks, to permit access only when an authorized device is within a designated proximity to the locks
- Geofencing, to limit access to designated areas
- Warehouse management, to monitor inventory and manage logistics
- Asset tracking for virtually any object of interest
In the past, Bluetooth devices would use a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) measurement to infer the distance between two of them. They would assume a free space path loss on the link, and use a straightforward equation to estimate distance:
where
received power in dBm,
transmitted power in dBm,
propagation loss in dB,
distance between the two devices, in m,
Bluetooth signal wavelength, in m,
Bluetooth signal frequency, in Hz,
speed of light (3 x 1e8 m/s).So in this method, 
. But if the signal suffers more loss from multipath or shadowing, then the distance would be overestimated. Something better needed to be found.
. But if the signal suffers more loss from multipath or shadowing, then the distance would be overestimated. Something better needed to be found.Bluetooth 6.0 introduces not one, but two ways to accurately measure distance:
- Round-trip time (RTT) measurement
- Phase-based ranging (PBR) measurement
The RTT measurement method uses the fact that the Bluetooth signal time of flight (TOF) between two devices is half the RTT. It can then accurately compute the distance d as
, where c is again the speed of light. This method requires accurate measurements of the time of departure (TOD) of the outbound signal from device 1 (the Initiator), time of arrival (TOA) of the outbound signal to device 2 (the Reflector), TOD of the return signal from device 2, and TOA of the return signal to device 1. The diagram below shows the signal paths and the times.
If you want to see how you can use MATLAB to simulate the RTT method, take a look at Estimate Distance Between Bluetooth LE Devices by Using Channel Sounding and Round-Trip Timing.
The PBR method uses two Bluetooth signals of different frequencies to measure distance. These signals are simply tones – sine waves. Without going through the derivation, PBR calculates distance d as
, where
distance between the two devices, in m,
speed of light (3 x 1e8 m/s),
phase measured at the Initiator after the tone at 
completes a round trip, in radians,
phase measured at the Initiator after the tone at 
completes a round trip, in radians,
frequency of the first tone, in Hz,
frequency of the second tone, in Hz.The mod() operation is needed to eliminate ambiguities in the distance calculation and the final division by two is to convert a round trip distance to a one-way distance. Because a given phase difference value can hold true for an infinite number of distance values, the mod() operation chooses the smallest distance that satisfies the equation. Also, these tones can be as close as 1 MHz apart. In that case, the maximum resolvable distance measurement is about 150 m. The plot below shows that ambiguity and repetition in distance measurement.
If you want to see how you can use MATLAB to simulate the PBR method, take a look at Estimate Distance Between Bluetooth LE Devices by Using Channel Sounding and Phase-Based Ranging.
Bluetooth 6.0 outlines RTT and PBR distance measurement methods, but CS does not mandate a specific algorithm for calculating distance estimates. This flexibility allows device manufacturers to tailor solutions to various use cases, balancing computational complexity with required accuracy and adapting to different radio environments. Examples include simple phase difference calculations and FFT-based methods.
Although Bluetooth 6.0 is now out, it is far from a finished version. The SIG is actively working through the ratification process for two major extensions:
- High Data Throughput, up to 8 Mbps
- 5 and 6 GHz operation
See the last few minutes of this video from the SIG to learn more about these exciting future developments. And if you want to see more Bluetooth blogs, give a review of this one! Finally, if you have specific Bluetooth questions, give me a shout and let’s start a discussion!
Christmas season is underway at my house:
(Sorry - the ornament is not available at the MathWorks Merch Shop -- I made it with a 3-D printer.)
So I made this.
clear
close all
clc
% inspired from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CuUmy7jX6k
%% user parameters
h = 768;
w = 1024;
N_snowflakes = 50;
%% set figure window
figure(NumberTitle="off", ...
name='Mat-snowfalling-lab (right click to stop)', ...
MenuBar="none")
ax = gca;
ax.XAxisLocation = 'origin';
ax.YAxisLocation = 'origin';
axis equal
axis([0, w, 0, h])
ax.Color = 'k';
ax.XAxis.Visible = 'off';
ax.YAxis.Visible = 'off';
ax.Position = [0, 0, 1, 1];
%% first snowflake
ht = gobjects(1, 1);
for i=1:length(ht)
ht(i) = hgtransform();
ht(i).UserData = snowflake_factory(h, w);
ht(i).Matrix(2, 4) = ht(i).UserData.y;
ht(i).Matrix(1, 4) = ht(i).UserData.x;
im = imagesc(ht(i), ht(i).UserData.img);
im.AlphaData = ht(i).UserData.alpha;
colormap gray
end
%% falling snowflake
tic;
while true
% add a snowflake every 0.3 seconds
if toc > 0.3
if length(ht) < N_snowflakes
ht = [ht; hgtransform()];
ht(end).UserData = snowflake_factory(h, w);
ht(end).Matrix(2, 4) = ht(end).UserData.y;
ht(end).Matrix(1, 4) = ht(end).UserData.x;
im = imagesc(ht(end), ht(end).UserData.img);
im.AlphaData = ht(end).UserData.alpha;
colormap gray
end
tic;
end
ax.CLim = [0, 0.0005]; % prevent from auto clim
% move snowflakes
for i = 1:length(ht)
ht(i).Matrix(2, 4) = ht(i).Matrix(2, 4) + ht(i).UserData.velocity;
end
if strcmp(get(gcf, 'SelectionType'), 'alt')
set(gcf, 'SelectionType', 'normal')
break
end
drawnow
% delete the snowflakes outside the window
for i = length(ht):-1:1
if ht(i).Matrix(2, 4) < -length(ht(i).Children.CData)
delete(ht(i))
ht(i) = [];
end
end
end
%% snowflake factory
function snowflake = snowflake_factory(h, w)
radius = round(rand*h/3 + 10);
sigma = radius/6;
snowflake.velocity = -rand*0.5 - 0.1;
snowflake.x = rand*w;
snowflake.y = h - radius/3;
snowflake.img = fspecial('gaussian', [radius, radius], sigma);
snowflake.alpha = snowflake.img/max(max(snowflake.img));
end
At the present time, the following problems are known in MATLAB Answers itself:
- @doc is presenting messed up text until something is selected
- Symbolic output is not displaying. The work-around is to disp(char(EXPRESSION))
- Near the top of each Question is displayed a link of the most recent activity on the question. The link is normally clickable and takes you directly to the relevant contribution. But at the moment the link does not take you anywhere
Hello, MATLAB fans!
For years, many of you have expressed interest in getting your hands on some cool MathWorks merchandise. I'm thrilled to announce that the wait is over—the MathWorks Merch Shop is officially open!
In our shop, you'll find a variety of exciting items, including baseball caps, mugs, T-shirts, and YETI bottles.
Visit the shop today and explore all the fantastic merchandise we have to offer. Happy shopping!
Just shared an amazing YouTube video that demonstrates a real-time PID position control system using MATLAB and Arduino.
I don't like the change
16%
I really don't like the change
29%
I'm okay with the change
24%
I love the change
11%
I'm indifferent
11%
I want both the web & help browser
11%
38 votes
We are thrilled to announce the grand prize winners of our MATLAB Shorts Mini Hack contest! This year, we invited the MATLAB Graphics and Charting team, the authors of the MATLAB functions used in every entry, to be our judges. After careful consideration, they have selected the top three winners:
Judge comments: Realism & detailed comments; wowed us with Manta Ray
2nd place – Jenny Bosten
Judge comments: Topical hacks : Auroras & Wind turbine; beautiful landscapes & nightscapes
3rd place - Vasilis Bellos
Judge comments: Nice algorithms & extra comments; can’t go wrong with Pumpkins
Judge comments: Impressive spring & cubes!
In addition, after validating the votes, we are pleased to announce the top 10 participants on the leaderboard:
Congratulations to all! Your creativity and skills have inspired many of us to explore and learn new skills, and make this contest a big success!
You can make a lot of interesting objects with matlab primitive shapes (e.g. "cylinder," "sphere," "ellipsoid") by beginning with some of the built-in Matlab primitives and simply applying deformations. The gif above demonstrates how the Manta animation was created using a cylinder as the primitive and successively applying deformations: (https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/communitycontests/contests/8/entries/16252);
Similarly, last year a sphere was deformed to create a face in two of my submissions, for example, the profile in "waking":
You can piece-wise assemble images, but one of the advantages of creating objects with deformations is that you have a parametric representation of the surface. Creating a higher or lower polygon rendering of the surface is as simple as declaring the number of faces in the orignal primitive. For example here is the scene in "snowfall" using sphere with different numbers of input faces:
sphere(100)
sphere(500)
High poly models aren't always better. Low-polygon shapes can sometimes add a little distance from that low point in the uncanny valley.
Next week is MATLAB EXPO week and it will be the first one that I'm presenting at! I'll be giving two presentations, both of which are related to the intersection of MATLAB and open source software.
- Open Source Software and MATLAB: Principles, Practices, and Python Along with MathWorks' Heather Gorr. We we discuss three different types of open source software with repsect to their relationship to MATLAB
- The CLASSIX Story: Developing the Same Algorithm in MATLAB and Python Simultaneously A collaboration with Prof. Stefan Guettel from University of Manchester. Developing his clustering algorithm, CLASSIX, in both Python and MATLAB simulatenously helped provide insights that made the final code better than if just one language was used.
There are a ton of other great talks too. Come join us! (It's free!) MATLAB EXPO 2024
Hi MATLAB Central community! 👋
I’m currently working on a project where I’m integrating MATLAB analytics into a mobile app, mainly to handle data-heavy tasks like processing sensor data and running predictive models. The app is built for Android, and while it’s not entirely MATLAB-based, I use MATLAB for a lot of data preprocessing and model training.
I wanted to reach out and see if anyone else here has experience with using MATLAB for similar mobile or embedded applications. Here are a few areas I’m focusing on:1. Optimizing MATLAB Code for Mobile Compatibility
I’ve found that some MATLAB functions work perfectly on desktop but may run slower or encounter limitations on mobile. I’ve tried using code generation and reducing function calls where possible, but I’m curious if anyone has other tips for optimizing MATLAB code for mobile environments?
2. Using MATLAB for Sensor Data Processing
I’m working with accelerometer and GPS data, and MATLAB has been great for preprocessing. However, I wonder if anyone has suggestions for handling large sensor datasets efficiently in MATLAB, especially if you've managed data in mobile contexts?
3. Integrating MATLAB Models into Mobile Apps
I’ve heard about using MATLAB Compiler SDK to integrate MATLAB algorithms into other environments. For those who have done this, what’s the best way to maintain performance without excessive computational strain on the device?
4. Data Visualization Tips
Has anyone had experience with mobile-friendly data visualizations using MATLAB? I’ve been using basic plots, but I’d love to know if there are any resources or toolboxes that make it easier to create lightweight, interactive visuals for mobile.
If anyone here has tips, tools, or experiences with MATLAB in mobile development, I’d love to hear them! Thanks in advance for any advice you can share!
Dear MATLAB contest enthusiasts,
Welcome to the third installment of our interview series with top contest participants! This time we had the pleasure of talking to our all-time rock star – @Jenny Bosten. Every one of her entries is a masterpiece, demonstrating a deep understanding of the relationship between mathematics and aesthetics. Even Cleve Moler, the original author of MATLAB, is impressed and wrote in his blog: "Her code for Time Lapse of Lake View to the West shows she is also a wizard of coordinate systems and color maps."
you to read it to learn more about Jenny’s journey, her creative process, and her favorite entries.
Question: Who would you like to see featured in our next interview? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
It would be nice to have a function to shade between two curves. This is a common question asked on Answers and there are some File Exchange entries on it but it's such a common thing to want to do I think there should be a built in function for it. I'm thinking of something like
plotsWithShading(x1, y1, 'r-', x2, y2, 'b-', 'ShadingColor', [.7, .5, .3], 'Opacity', 0.5);
So we can specify the coordinates of the two curves, and the shading color to be used, and its opacity, and it would shade the region between the two curves where the x ranges overlap. Other options should also be accepted, like line with, line style, markers or not, etc. Perhaps all those options could be put into a structure as fields, like
plotsWithShading(x1, y1, options1, x2, y2, options2, 'ShadingColor', [.7, .5, .3], 'Opacity', 0.5);
the shading options could also (optionally) be a structure. I know it can be done with a series of other functions like patch or fill, but it's kind of tricky and not obvious as we can see from the number of questions about how to do it.
Does anyone else think this would be a convenient function to add?
Over the past 4 weeks, 250+ creative short movies have been crafted. We had a lot of fun and, more importantly, learned new skills from each other! Now it’s time to announce week 4 winners.
Nature:
3D:
Seamless loop:
Holiday:
Fractal:
Congratulations! Each of you won your choice of a T-shirt, a hat, or a coffee mug. We will contact you after the contest ends.
Weekly Special Prizes
Thank you for sharing your tips & tricks with the community. These great technical articles will benefit community users for many years. You won a limited-edition pair of MATLAB Shorts!
In week 5, let’s take a moment to sit back, explore all of the interesting entries, and cast your votes. Reflect what you have learned or which entries you like most. Share anything in our Discussions area! There is still time to win our limited-edition MATLAB Shorts.
Go to this page, scroll down to the middle of the long page where you see "Coding Photo editing STEM Business ...." and select "STEM". Voilà!
In the past two years, large language models have brought us significant changes, leading to the emergence of programming tools such as GitHub Copilot, Tabnine, Kite, CodeGPT, Replit, Cursor, and many others. Most of these tools support code writing by providing auto-completion, prompts, and suggestions, and they can be easily integrated with various IDEs.
As far as I know, aside from the MATLAB-VSCode/MatGPT plugin, MATLAB lacks such AI assistant plugins for its native MATLAB-Desktop, although it can leverage other third-party plugins for intelligent programming assistance. There is hope for a native tool of this kind to be built-in.
Mini Hack is brilliant！Let's use MATLAB to create the future!
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