TIMER PIL Profiling - PIL Timing Profiler - MPLAB Device Blocks for Simulink

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TIMER PIL Profiling - PIL Timing Profiler Timer_PIL_Profiling Block Icon The MCHP_TIMER_PIL_Profiling block enables precise code execution timing measurement during Processor-in-the-Loop (PIL) simulations. It uses hardware timers to measure actual execution time of Simulink subsystems or blocks on target hardware. This block is essential for performance profiling, real-time constraint verification, and optimization of embedded code. It provides microsecond-level timing accuracy using the target’s hardware timer peripheral.

TIMER PIL Profiling - PIL Timing Profiler

Timer_PIL_Profiling Block Icon The MCHP_TIMER_PIL_Profiling block enables precise code execution timing measurement during Processor-in-the-Loop (PIL) simulations. It uses hardware timers to measure actual execution time of Simulink subsystems or blocks on target hardware.

This block is essential for performance profiling, real-time constraint verification, and optimization of embedded code. It provides microsecond-level timing accuracy using the target’s hardware timer peripheral.

Supported Device Families

Family	Timer Used	Resolution
dsPIC30/33F/33E/33C/33A	Timer1 (typically)	Instruction cycle
PIC24F	Timer1	Instruction cycle
PIC32	Core Timer (CP0)	CPU cycle
SAMx (ARM)	SysTick or TC	CPU cycle

Configuration Parameters

Parameter	Description	Default
ProfileMode	Timing measurement mode: Start/Stop markers or continuous	Start/Stop
TimerSource	Hardware timer selection for profiling	Automatic
OutputUnits	Time output format (seconds, milliseconds, microseconds, ticks)	microseconds

Block Inputs/Outputs

Inputs: None (profiling markers inserted automatically)

Outputs:

ExecutionTime - Measured execution time in selected units
OverflowFlag - Indicates timer overflow (measurement invalid)

Implementation Details

Profiling Mechanism

Start Marker: Captures timer value before code execution
Code Execution: Target code runs normally
Stop Marker: Captures timer value after execution
Calculation: Elapsed time = (Stop - Start) / Timer Frequency

Timer Resolution by Family

dsPIC @ 60MHz Fcy: 16.67ns per tick (1:1 prescaler)
PIC32 @ 200MHz: 5ns per CPU cycle
SAMx7 @ 300MHz: 3.33ns per CPU cycle

Usage Examples

Example 1: Measure Subsystem Execution Time

1. Place MCHP_TIMER_PIL_Profiling block in model
2. Configure for Start/Stop mode
3. Build and run PIL simulation
4. Monitor ExecutionTime output signal

Example 2: Verify Real-Time Constraints

% MATLAB verification script
maxAllowedTime = 100; % microseconds
if ExecutionTime > maxAllowedTime
    warning('Real-time constraint violated!');
end

[MCHP_TIMER_Config] - Timer resource configuration
PIL Testing - PIL testing workflow
External Mode - External mode debugging