Run Polyspace Analysis on Code Generated with Embedded Coder

If you generate code from a Simulink^® model by using Embedded Coder^® or TargetLink^®, you can analyze the generated code for bugs or run-time errors with Polyspace^® from within the Simulink environment. You do not have to manually set up a Polyspace project.

This topic uses Embedded Coder for code generation. For analysis of TargetLink-generated code, see Run Polyspace Analysis on Code Generated with TargetLink.

For a tutorial with a specific model, see Run Polyspace Analysis on Code Generated from Simulink Model.

You might want to analyze the generated code outside Simulink with other handwritten code. In this workflow, extract the Polyspace options and run the analysis , for instance, from the Windows Command Line. See Run Polyspace Analysis on Generated Code by Using Packaged Options Files. For older releases, Polyspace supports navigating from the generated code back to model. See Navigate Back to Model.

Prerequisites

Before you run Polyspace from Simulink, you must link your Polyspace and MATLAB^® installations. See Integrate Polyspace with MATLAB and Simulink.

Generate and Analyze Code

Flow diagram showing steps for code analysis: configure code generation, generate code, configure code analysis, and finally analyze code.

Configure Code Generation and Generate Code

To configure code generation and generate code from a model, do one of the following:

On the Apps tab, select Embedded Coder. Then, on the C Code tab, select Quick Start. Follow the on-screen instructions.
On the C Code tab, click Settings and configure code generation through Simulink configuration parameters. The chief parameters to set are:
- Type (Simulink): Select Fixed-step.
- Solver (Simulink): Select auto (Automatic solver selection) or Discrete (no continuous states).
- System target file (Simulink Coder): Enter ert.tlc or autosar.tlc. If you derive target files from ert.tlc, you can also specify them.
- Code-to-model (Embedded Coder): Select this option to enable links from code to model.
For the full list of parameters to set, see Recommended Model Configuration Parameters for Polyspace Analysis.
Alternatively, run the Code Generation Advisor with the objective Polyspace and see if the required parameters are already set. See Configure Model for Code Generation Objectives by Using Code Generation Advisor (Embedded Coder).
To generate code from the model, on the C Code tab, select Generate Code. You can follow the progress of code generation in the Diagnostic Viewer.

Configure Code Analysis

On the Apps tab, select Polyspace Code Verifier. On the Polyspace tab:

Select the product to run: Bug Finder or Code Prover. A Code Prover analysis detects run-time errors while a Bug Finder analysis detects coding defects and coding rule violations.
Select Settings. If needed, change default values of these options.
- Settings from (C)/Settings from (C++): Enable checking of MISRA™ coding rules in addition to the default checks specified in the project configuration. The default Bug Finder checks look for coding defects. The default Code Prover checks look for run-time errors.
- Input, Tunable parameters, and Output: Constrain inputs, tunable parameters, or outputs for a more precise Code Prover analysis.
- Output folder: Specify a dedicated folder for results. The default analysis saves the results in a folder results_modelName in the current working folder.
- Open results automatically after verification
For the full list of options to set, see Bug Finder Analysis in Simulink.

Analyze Code

To analyze the code generated from the model, click anywhere on the canvas. The Analyze Code from field on the Simulink toolstrip shows the model name. Select Run Analysis.

A section of the Polyspace tab on the Simulink toolstrip.

When using Embedded Coder, Polyspace checks for generated code when you click Run Analysis. If no generated code is present or if the model has changed since the last Polyspace analysis, Polyspace first launches the code generation process and then starts the analysis.

If the current model is referenced in another model and you want to verify the generated code in the context where the model is referenced, instead of Code Generated as Top Model, use Code Generated as Model Reference. In the latter case, Polyspace does not launch code generation automatically if there's no generated code. When analyzing Code Generated as Model Reference, generate code before running the Polyspace analysis.

You can follow the progress of the analysis in the MATLAB Command Window.

The results open automatically unless explicitly disabled. By default, the results are saved in a folder results_ModelName in the current folder. Each new run overwrites previous results. You can change the default folders or save the results to a Simulink project. To make these changes, on the Polyspace tab, select Settings.

If you have closed the results and want to open them later, on the Polyspace tab, select Analysis Results. To open a result prior to the last run, select Open Earlier Results and navigate to the folder containing the previous results.

Review Analysis Results

Flow diagram showing navigation from model to code. If you navigate from a code element back to the model, the relevant block from which the code is generated appears highlighted.

Review Results in Code

The results appear in the Polyspace user interface on the Results List pane. Click each result to see the source code on the Source pane and details on the Result Details pane. See also:

Navigate from Code to Model

Links in code comments show blocks that generate the subsequent lines of code. To see the blocks in the model, click the block names in the links. If you encounter issues, see Troubleshoot Navigation from Code to Model.

Alternatively, you can right-click a variable name and select Go to Model. This option is available for a subset of source code variables that can be directly traced to a Simulink block. For more details on which variables in generated code can be traced to Simulink blocks, see Trace Simulink Model Elements in Generated Code (Embedded Coder).

Fix Issue

Investigate whether the issues in your code are related to design flaws in the model.

Design flaws in the model can lead to issues in the generated code. For instance:

The generated code might be free of specific run-time errors only for a certain range of a block parameter. To fix this issue, you can change the storage class of that block parameter or use calibration data for the analysis by using the configuration parameter Tunable parameters.
The generated code might be free of specific run-time errors only for a certain range of inputs. To determine this range, you can specify a minimum and maximum value for the Inport block signals. The Polyspace analysis uses this constrained range. See Work with Signal Ranges in Blocks (Simulink).
Certain transitions in Stateflow^® charts can be unreachable.

You might integrate the generated code with handwritten code. A Polyspace analysis can detect coding defects and coding rule violations stemming from the integration. If you include any handwritten code in your Simulink model, you can analyze the included handwritten code in isolation. See:

Annotate Blocks to Justify Issues

You might want to justify some Polyspace results without modifying the code or the model. Annotate Simulink blocks either from the Polyspace user interface or the Simulink editor. See Address Polyspace Results by Annotating Simulink Blocks.