MATLAB

MATLAB

Version	R2008a
Download	On Unix OIT
Web Page	http://www.mathworks.com
Pundit Updated	6/23/2008

MATLAB is a MATrix LABoratory program that can be used to load, process, generate, present, and analyze numerical data.

FAQ

• MATLAB gives me the splash screen, then just sits there...
  • Go to a terminal window and type "ps -u NETID" with your NET ID. There should be a process called "matlab". Get the number off it, then type "kill -KILL NUMBER" (the adverb really is "-KILL"). Then, go to your root directory, change into the .matlab directory and remove the contents with "rm -ir *" (make SURE you are in the .matlab directory). Go back to where you were and start matlab again.

• MATLAB on Unix just sits there - I think I created an infinite loop! Or I am running a program that will take a significant fraction of forever to complete...
  • Go to a terminal window and type "ps -u NETID" with your NET ID. There should be a process called "matlab". Get the number off it, then type "kill -KILL NUMBER"

• MATLAB on Windows just sits there - I think I created an infinite loop! Or I am running a program that will take a significant fraction of forever to complete...
  • Hit CTRL-C to break out of Matlab.

• How do you even get IN to MATLAB? I have no idea...
  • After logging in to an OIT machine (or using SSH to get there from a PC and using X-Win 32 to get graphics to send over, or using X11R6 on a Mac to log in) just type matlab & at the command prompt.

• How do you type MATLAB code in these pages, and how do you make it pretty?
  • The SyntaxHighlighting extension is installed on this wiki, so all you have to do is use the appropriate source and lang tags. The code:

<source lang="matlab">
%% Post-processing
% take data from AI
[data, time] = getdata(AI);
%% plot data 
c1 = data(:,1); c2 = data(:,2); c3 = data(:,3); c4 = data(:,4);
plot(time, c1, 'b-', time, c2, 'g--', time, c3, 'r-.', time, c4, 'c:')
legend('0', '1', '2', '3', 0)
xlabel('Time (s)'); ylabel('Voltage (V)');
</source>

produces

%% Post-processing
% take data from AI
[data, time] = getdata(AI);
%% plot data 
c1 = data(:,1); c2 = data(:,2); c3 = data(:,3); c4 = data(:,4);
plot(time, c1, 'b-', time, c2, 'g--', time, c3, 'r-.', time, c4, 'c:')
legend('0', '1', '2', '3', 0)
xlabel('Time (s)'); ylabel('Voltage (V)');

See the page linked above for other languages that are parsed.

• How do logical masks work?
  • See the Logical Masks page in the MATLAB name space.
• What do the line number mean on the CB-68LP card?
  • See the CB-68LP_Pinout page in the MATLAB name space.
• How can I use inline functions?
  • See the Inline Function page in the MATLAB name space.
• How can I use anonymous functions?
  • See the Anonymous Function page in the MATLAB name space.
• How do I define a function in a text file?
  • See the User-defined Function page in the MATLAB name space.

Questions

Post your questions by editing the discussion page of this article. Edit the page, then scroll to the bottom and add a question by putting in the characters *{{Q}}, followed by your question and finally your signature (with four tildes, i.e. ~~~~). Using the {{Q}} will automatically put the page in the category of pages with questions - other editors hoping to help out can then go to that category page to see where the questions are. See the page for Template:Q for details and examples.

External Links

• The MathWorks: Main Page, Support Site, Student Center, Faculty Center (Includes Biomedial Engineering Course Exchange, Civil Engineering Course Exchange, Electrical Engineering Course Exchange, Mechanical Engineering Course Exchange)
• softscope help page at The MathWorks
• Paper on Introducing Computational Methods to First-Year Students with Diverse Skills and Interests, Michael Gustafson, August, 2007