Matlab Programming for Engineers

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Matlab Programming for Engineers
Introduction to Matlab Matlab Basics
Branching Statements Loops User Defined
Functions Additional Data Types Input/Output
Functions Simulink Toolbox Important
Toolboxes (if time is available)
Dr. Nidal Farhat
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Objectives

• The Advantages of Matlab
• Disadvantages of Matlab
• The Matlab Environment
• Using Matlab as a scratch Pad

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Matlab

• Matlab MATrix LABoratory
• Advantages
• Ease of Use
• Platform Independent (All versions of Windows,
  Linux, Unix, Mac.)
• Predefined Functions and Toolboxes
• Device-Independent Plotting
• Graphical User Interface
• Matlab compiler
• Disadvantages
• Interpreted programming language, slower than
  C and V. Fortran.

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The Matlab Environment
Matlab Command Window User input area Also
results appear in this window
Current directory browser
Command history
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The Matlab Environment
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The Matlab Environment
Script files / M-files
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The Matlab Environment

• The Edit/Debug Window

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The Matlab Environment
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The Matlab Environment (Figure Windows)
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The Matlab Environment (Figure Windows)
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The Matlab Environment (Workspace)

• whos
• Display the value of any variable in the WS
• clear var1 var2
• Double-click any var in the WS browser

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The Matlab Environment (Workspace)
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The Matlab Environment (Getting Help)
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The Matlab Environment (Getting Help)
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The Matlab Environment (Getting Help)
lookfor Search the quick summery information in
each file
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The Matlab Environment (Getting Help)
help Search function name
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The Matlab Environment (Getting Help)
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The Matlab Environment

• A few important commands
• clc clears command window
• clf clears current figure
• clear clear variables in the WS
• Ctrlc aborts the execution of the program
• exit exits Matlab
• !(command) runs the command in the operating
  system (ex. dir, copy )
• save/load (WS) saves and loads the WS

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The Matlab Search Path

• If a command (name) is executed Matlab seeks for
• A variable with the same name in the current WS.
• M-file in the same directory
• M-file in the any directory in the search path

Sequence is important
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MATLAB Math Assignment Operators 

• Power () or (.)  ab or   a.b
• Multiplication () or (.)  ab  or  a.b
• Division (/)  or  (./)  a/b  or  a./b   
• or  (\)  or (.\)  b\a  or  b.\a
• NOTE         56/8 8\56
• Addition ()      a b
• Subtraction  (-)        a b
• Assignment  ()    a b     (assign b to a)

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HW1

• The distance traveled by a ball falling in the
  air is given by the equation
• Use the Matlab to plot the path of the ball (y)
  as a function of time from t0s to t5s, if