MATLAB Frequently Asked Questions

Synopsis

General

) What is MATLAB?
) What is the charter for the comp.soft-sys.matlab group?
) What commercially available MATLAB-type environments are sold?
) What non-commercial MATLAB-type environments exist?
) Are there any standards for MATLAB-type tools?
) How can I join a MATLAB user group?
) Are there any software archives?
) Are there any publications related to MATLAB?
MATLAB/SIMULINK Product Information

) What's new in MATLAB 4.0?

) How does MATLAB perform on machine X?
) What is SIMULINK (alias Simulab)?
) What toolboxes are currently available from The MathWorks?
) Can I use C and Fortran programs with MATLAB?
) How do I contact The MathWorks about MATLAB via email?
MATLAB User Questions

) How can I change the default window size, colors, etc. in MATLAB 4?
) How can I import MATLAB graphics into my Framemaker, TeX, etc. document?
) Is there a topical help function, like `apropos'?
) Why am I finding all these undocumented functions (like COMET) in MATLAB?
) Has anybody any information about the matlab function `system_dependent'?
) How can I get the parser to accept a dummy reference without an error?
) How do I get the plot command to cycle through line-types?
) Can I use `dbup' and `dbdown' within a function?
) Is there a GNU emacs editing mode for MATLAB?
) What is the sign convention used in MATLAB's FFT routines?
) Is there any MATLAB software for wavelets?
) Is there any MATLAB software for fuzzy logic?
) Is there any MATLAB software for communications?
) Is there a MATLAB interface to Mathematica?
) Why was `fsolve' removed from MATLAB Version 4?
) Are there any published books on, or relating to, MATLAB?
Quick Little MATLAB Hacks

) How can I initialize a this low rank matrix easily?

) How can I load-from or save-to a file whose name is in a string variable?
) How can I store the result of `!ls *.dat' in a variable?
) How can I make a variable global from within a function?
MATLAB on the PC
) What can I do when MATLAB tells me there is not enough environment space?
Xmath / MatrixX Product Information.

) What is Xmath?
) Are there any publications related to MatrixX?
) Are there any e-mail addresses related to MatrixX/Xmath?
) What other modules are available from ISI?
Xmath User Questions

) Is it possible to derive new classes in XMath?

General

1) What is MATLAB?
MATLAB is the name used to refer to the class of matrix calculator environments derived from
the first, called MATLAB. MATLAB was developed by Cleve Moler in the late 1970s at the
University of New Mexico and other locations with support from the National Science
Foundation. Since then, many work-a-likes have been developed or are in development
commercially, in government and university labs, and so forth.

The name of the product available from MathWorks is "MATLAB", not Matlab, Pro-MatLab, etc.
Note that MathWorks holds a registered trademark on the uppercase version of MATLAB.

In this document, Matlab may refer to the collective set of MATLAB-based environments or it
may refer to the current implementation developed by MathWorks, Inc. In general, these
MATLAB-based environments are not source-language compatible.

2) What is the charter for the comp.soft-sys.matlab group?

The newsgroup 'comp.soft-sys.matlab' is a forum for discussing issues related to the use of
MATLAB, the scientific calculation and visualization package from MathWorks Inc. This includes
discussion of similar software packages which are also derived from the original `Classic
MATLAB', such as Xmath from Integrated Systems Inc.

Appropriate discussion in the group will include both general Matlab issues and platform-
specific questions, and discussion comparing MATLAB to other systems.

3) What commercially available MATLAB-type environments are sold?

In alphabetical order:

`CLAM' from Scientific Computing Associates, Inc.

246 Church Street, Suite 307 New Haven, CT 06510 Tel: 203-777-7442 Fax: 203-776-4074
`Ctrl-C' from Systems Control Technology, Inc.

CAE Systems Department 2300 Geng Road Palo Alto, CA 94303 Tel: 800-227-1910 Tel: 415-494-
2233 Fax: 415-496-6595
`MATLAB' from The MathWorks, Inc.
Cochituate Place 24 Prime Park Way Natick, MA 01760 Tel: 508-653-1415 Fax: 508-653-2997.
Email: info@mathworks.com
`O-MATRIX' from Harmonic Software, Inc.

12223 Dayton Avenue North Seattle, WA 98133 Tel: 206-367-8742 Fax: 206-367-1067 Email:
harmonic@world.std.com
`Xmath' from Integrated Systems, Inc.

3260 Jay St. Santa Clara, CA 95054-3309 Tel: (408) 980-1500 Fax: (408) 980-0400 Email: xmath-
info@isi.com
4) What non-commercial MATLAB-type environments exist?

In alphabetical order:

`Caesy' is being developed by Matt Wette (mwette@csi.jpl.nasa.gov) at the Jet Propulsion

Laboratory. This will be released to COSMIC soon. It will provide data structures, conversion to
C-code, and many other features. See

M.Wette, "Caesy: A Computer-Aided Engineering System" Proc. 1992 Symp. on Computer-Aided

Control System Design Napa, CA, March 1992
`Mat/C' developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories by Don Gavel. This is not
publically available.

`Matcalc', by M.Gerberg and E.J. Moore, University of New South Wales, Australia. It is available
via anonymous ftp from

draci.cs.uow.edu.au in /netlib/matcalc/ csi.jpl.nasa.gov in /pub/matlab/matcalc/

`MaTX', an interpreter and compiler, developed at Tokyo Institute of Technology. See

M. Koga and K. Furuta, "MaTX: A High-Performance Programming Language (Interpreter and

Compiler) for Scientific and Engineering Computation," Proc. 1992 Symp. on Computer-Aided
Control System Design, Napa, CA, March 1992
`MEDAL' developed at the University of Waterloo by Grantham Pang
(pang@excel2.uwaterloo.ca). This has the same command language as MATLAB, but includes a
knowledge-based expert system development facility. It is available for academic and research
users via anonymous. You'll need to get a program password from the author to operate it (no
sources included). It's available via anonymous ftp from

excel2.uwaterloo.ca [129.97.86.13] in /pub/

See

Pang, G.K.H.,"Knowledge-based Control System Design", in Recent Advances in Computer-Aided

Control Systems Engineering, Jamshidi, M and Herget, C.J. (ed.), Elsevier Science Publishers,
1992.
Pang, G.K.H., "A Knowledge Environment for an Interactive Control System Design Package",
Automatica, Vol. 28. No. 3, pp. 473-491, May 1992.
`Octave', written at the University of Texas (jwe@che.utexas.edu), is available via anonymous
ftp from

ftp.che.utexas.edu as /pub/octave/octave-?.?.tar.Z
`RLaB', written by Ian Searle (ians@eskimo.com), is free software (in the GNU copyleft sense). It
is currently available via anonymous ftp from

csi.jpl.nasa.gov in /pub/matlab/RLaB evans.ee.adfa.oz.au in /pub/RLaB5) Are there any

standards for MATLAB-type tools?

There is an IFAC/IEEE-CSS Working Group developing standards and guidelines for these tools. A
proposed standard command language was developed, is described in the document
"Command Language Standard for CACSD Software" and is available from

Magnus Rimvall Control Systems Laboratory, GE-CRD Schenectady, NY 12301

6) How can I join a MATLAB user group?

To join the user group, send your name, affiliation and address to:

matlab-users-request@mcs.anl.gov
For European user groups, contact:

France: Alain Baron phone: 33/1 45 34 23 91 fax: 33/1 45 07 08 06 Germany: Dr. Ingrid Bausch-
Gall phone: 49/89 323 2625 fax: 49/89 323 1063 Sweden: Svante Littmarck phone: 46/8 15 30
22 fax: 48/8 15 76 35 email: info@comsol.se
Switzerland: Carl Bergstrom phone: 031/961 70 11 fax: 031/961 12 82 email:
comsol@clients.switch.ch

UK: Peter Campbell phone: +44-223-421920 fax: +44-223-421921

7) Are there any software archives?

Yes. MATLAB User Group software archive contains more than 1MB of user-contributed code.
This archive is located on NETLIB server of Oak Ridge National Laboratories. To learn more, send
following message:

send index send index from matlab

to:
netlib@ornl.gov
For access from Europe, try the duplicate collection in Oslo:

Internet: netlib@nac.no EARN/BITNET: netlib%nac.no@norunix.bitnet X.400: s=netlib; o=nac;

c=no; EUNET/uucp: nac!netlib
For the Pacific, try netlib@draci.cs.uow.edu.au located at the University of Wollongong, NSW,
Australia.
The MathWorks maintains the archive on the anonymous ftp server ftp.mathworks.com
[144.212.100.10]. This site contains a "best of" copy of the NETLIB archive as well as other user-
contributed, and MathWorks contributed software and documentation. If you are interested in
submitting software to the archive pick up the file README.incoming from the archive or send
e-mail to drea@mathworks.com

There is a renegade archive at csi.jpl.nasa.gov [128.149.29.4], in /pub/matlab. This is stocked

with a mish-mash of stuff you may not find on the other archives (e.g., free MATLAB-look-a-
likes).

8) Are there any publications related to MATLAB?

Yes, Math Works Inc. publishes a quarterly magazine called MathWorks Newsletter, giving info.
on products (new versions, releases, toolboxes), matlab user group, matlab short courses,
related texts etc. To subscribe to the newsletter, send email with your snail mail address to
subscribe@mathworks.com.

MATLAB/SIMULINK Product Information

9) What's new in MATLAB 4.0?

from John Little ...

Here's the "high-level" summary of the major new additions:

* Object-based graphics facility * 3-D color scientific visualization abilities * Animation * Sound
output capability * M-file debugging facilities * Low-level file I/O functions * Graphical user
interface controls (GUI widget set) * Sparse matrix support * An improved help system *
Interpreter and graphics speed improvements * A new External Interface library (MEX-files,
engine, MAT-files) * Better documentation (in the eyes of the beholder, I imagine :-) ) * Lots of
other smaller improvements..
10) How does MATLAB perform on machine X?

LINPACK benchmarks in MATLAB (reported by The MathWorks):

machine KFLOPS (LINPACK) ======= ================ Macintosh (8MHz 68000) 3 PC/AT

(6.0MHz/80286/EGA) 15 PC/XT (4.7MHz/8088/CGA) 17 AT&T 6300 (8MHz/8086) 29 Macintosh II
(68020/68881) 85 MicroVAX II (VMS/D_floating) 140 Macintosh IIcx (68030/68882) 168 HP
9000/Series 350 190 80386/80387 (20MHz, 386-MATLAB) 232 Macintosh IIci (25MHz
68030/68882) 239 VAXstation 3100 (VMS/D_floating) 365 HP 9000/400 (68030) 500 80486-
based PC (33M Hz) 1300 HP 9000/425 (68040 chip) 1400 Macintosh Quadra 700 1500 Sun
SPARCstation 1 1500 DECstation 3100 1600 SGI Indigo 2400 Sun SPARCstation 2 2900 Convex C1
3700 IBM RS/6000 7000 HP 9000/700 7400 Cray X-MP 71000 Cray X-MP on a 500-by-500 matrix
135000
Other numbers (reported by users):

80486-DX2 PC @66MHz 3121 (k.hari@ieee.org)11) What is SIMULINK (alias Simulab)?

SIMULINK is an interactive system for the nonlinear simulation of dynamical systems. It is a

graphical, mouse-driven program that allows systems to be modelled by drawing a block
diagram on the screen. It can handle linear, nonlinear, continuous-time, discrete-time,
multivariable, and multirate systems. SIMULINK runs on workstations using X-windows, under
MicroSoft Windows on the PC, and on the Macintosh. It takes full advantage of windowing
technology, including pull-down windows and mouse interactions. SIMULINK is fully integrated
with MATLAB, and, together with MATLAB and the Control System Toolbox, forms a complete
control system design and analysis environment.

12) What toolboxes are currently available from The MathWorks?

The following list includes toolboxes currently offered by The MathWorks. For more info check

ftp.mathworks.com in /pub/product-info
Signal Processing Toolbox.

This is a toolbox for digital signal processing (time series analysis). It includes functions for the
design and analysis of digital filters, like Butterworth, Elliptic, and Parks-McClellan, and for FFT
analysis (power spectrum estimation). It also includes some 2-dimensional signal processing
capabilities.

Control System Toolbox.

This is a toolbox for control system design and analysis. It supports transfer function and state-
space forms (continuous/discrete time, frequency domain). Function for step, impulse, arbitrary
input responses, as well as Bode, Nyquist, and Nichols plots. Design with root-locus, pole-
placement, and LQR optimal control.

System Identification Toolbox.

This is a toolbox for parametric modelling. Identified models are in transfer function form (either
z-transform or Laplace transform) and state-space form (e.g., ARMA models or Box-Jenkins
models).

Optimization Toolbox.

This is a toolbox for linear and nonlinear optimization and supports unconstrained and
constrained minimization, minimax, nonlinear least squares, multi-objective, and semi-infinite
optimization, linear programming, quadratic programming and the solution of non-linear
equations.

Spline Toolbox.

This is a toolbox for working with splines and is typically used for curve fitting, solution of
function equations and functional approximation.

Robust-Control Toolbox.

This is a toolbox for robust control system design and supports LQG/loop transfer recovery, H2,
H0, and mu- control synthesis, singular value frequency response, and model reduction.
Neural Net Toolbox.

This is a toolbox for designing and simulating neural networks and supports implementation of
the perceptron learning rule, the Widrow-Hoff rule, and several variations of the
backpropagation rule. Transfer functions included are hard limit, linear, logistic & hypertangent
sigmoid.

Delta Toolbox.

This is a toolbox for analysis using the delta transform, an approach to unifying continuous and
discrete systems theory without use of the Z-transform. It is available free to purchasers of
"Digital Control and Estimation: A Unified Approach," by Graham Goodwin and Rick Middleton.

Image Processing Toolbox.

The Image Processing Toolbox provides an environment for image processing and analysis.
Images are matrices (surprised?). Functions include linear and nonlinear filtering; image
restoration; image enhancement; image analysis and statistics; color, geometric, and
morphological operations 2-D transforms; and 2D FIR filter design and frequency response.

Symbolic Math Toolbox.

The Symbolic Math Toolbox contains functions for symbolic algebra, exact linear algebra,
variable precision arithmetic, equation solving, and special mathematical functions. Its
underlying computational engine is the kernel of Maple. The Extended Symbolic Math Toolbox
augments the functionality to include Maple programming features and specialized libraries.

Statistics Toolbox.

The Statistics Toolbox provides statistical data analysis, modeling, and Monte Carlo simulation;
building-blocks for creating your own special-purpose statistical tools; and GUI tools for
exploring fundamental concepts in statistics and probability. Functionality covers descriptive,
inferential, and graphical statistics, and linear models as well as interactive graphics for dynamic
visualization of functions, data, and probability distributions.

13) Can I use C and Fortran programs with MATLAB?

MATLAB's MEX-file facility allows user to use C and Fortran subroutines as MATLAB m-files. It is
also possible to use MATLAB as a computational engine for C/Fortran subroutines.

14) How do I contact The MathWorks about MATLAB via email?

Here you go ...

* support@mathworks.com technical support * suggest@mathworks.com product

enhancement suggestions * bugs@mathworks.com bug reports * doc@mathworks.com
documentation error reports * register@mathworks.com user and product registration *
subscribe@mathworks.com subscribing user registration * info@mathworks.com sales, pricing,
general info. * netlib@ornl.gov software archive contact * digest@mcs.anl.gov user group
MATLAB User Questions

15) How can I change the default window size, colors, etc. in MATLAB 4?
from serr15@liverpool.ac.uk ...

Try something like the following in your `startup.m' file:

set(0,'DefaultFigurePosition',[5 5 505 405]) set(0,'DefaultFigureColor',[0,0,0]) %% N.B this has

side effects. set(0,'DefaultAxesFontName','times') set(0,'DefaultTextFontName','times')
set(0,'DefaultAxesFontSize',12) set(0,'DefaultTextFontSize',12)set(0,'DefaultTextFontSize',12)
16) How can I import MATLAB graphics into my Framemaker, TeX, etc. document?

The MATLAB (version 4) print command provides a "-deps" argument which provides a
Encapsulated PostScript file of your plot. Some people have reported various problems getting
this stuff to work. Some suggestions:

Removing the last line "%%EOF" from the eps-file.

Use the the pstoepsi filter from Doug Crabill (dgc@cs.purdue.edu).

Use "bbps" and ghostscript. "bbps.shar" is available via anonymous ftp on "csi.jpl.nasa.gov".
You'll need to get GhostScript from your nearest GNU ftp site.

[This area needs more work :). ed.]

17) Is there a topical help function, like `apropos'?

Yes. The function you're looking for is `lookfor' (in MATLAB 4).

>> lookfor fourier

FFT Discrete Fourier transform. FFT2 Two-dimensional Fast Fourier Transform. IFFT Inverse
discrete Fourier transform. IFFT2 Two-dimensional inverse discrete Fourier transform. FOURIER
Graphics demo of Fourier series expansion. DFTMTX Discrete Fourier transform matrix.

>>

18) Why am I finding all these undocumented functions (like COMET) in MATLAB?

from Cleve Moler ...

Almost everything in the "demos" directory is not described in the User's Guide. There are lots
of goodies there. In 4.0, the demos are best place to see examples of Handle Graphics.
There are other undocumented functions in directories other than demos. Some of them are
"worker" functions that are unlikely to be used directly; they are simply called by other
functions. A few, like COMET and COMET3, were actually written after the User's Guide had
been sent to the printer.19) Has anybody any information about the matlab function
`system_dependent'?

from John Little (w/editing) ...

`system_dependent' is an unpublished function that is used for a variety of crufty things. It will
most certainly change from time to time and possible even go away completely. For anybody
curious about it, here is what it does in MATLAB 4.0 on SPARCstations:

system_dependent(1) deals with the MATLAB-ACSL interface. ACSL is a simulation language that
MATLAB can talk to. See ACSL.M for more information.
system_dependent(2,0) turns off command-line editing. system_dependent(2,1) turns it back
on.

system_dependent(3) is unused.

system_dependent(4,i,j) is used to program the command-line editing keys. See CEDIT.M for
more information.

system_dependent(5) enables core dumps in the event of seg faults. Normally MATLAB tries to
catch seg faults and "continue".

system_dependent does different things in MATLAB 3.5 and other platforms.

20) How can I get the parser to accept a dummy reference without an error?

Adopted from post by Jim Tung ...

MATLAB parses code to look for syntax errors. When the parser encounters a name with 2 or
fewer arguments, it lets them pass since they might be a variable with indices. If it encounters a
name with 3 or more arguments, MATLAB knows it cannot be a variable, so the error message is
returned. If you don't want the parser to snag the function, specify one with 2 or fewer
arguments.

21) How do I get the plot command to cycle through line-types?

From Chuck Packard ...

MATLAB v4.1 has a an axis property LineStyleOrder for this. Monochrome users can tell MATLAB
to always use white lines and cycle through their favorite line styles with the commands:

set( 0, 'DefaultAxesColorOrder', [1 1 1] ) set( 0, 'DefaultAxesLineStyleOrder', '-|:|--' )

These commands can be put in your startup.m to always give you styled lines.
22) Can I use `dbup' and `dbdown' within a function?

Derived from post's of lara@mrisun.med.yale.edu and jlittle@mathworks.com ...

MATLAB wasn't designed to be used this way. But, if you don't reference any variables between
your calls to `dbup' and `dbdown' (i.e., you just use `save', `who', `dir', etc), it should work.
Otherwise, you may well run into problems. If you `dbup' while in a function, you change the
workspace context while continuing execution of the original function. This means that
subsequent references to variables will be bound to variables in a different workspace. Since the
internal p-code uses integers as variable identifiers, you will get a random attachment to these
different variables. At best, you'll get random results. At worst you might seg fault if you exceed
the number of available identifiers.

23) Is there a GNU emacs editing mode for MATLAB?

A GNU emacs `matlab-mode' is available via anonymous ftp from

csi.jpl.nasa.gov as pub/matlab/util/matlab-mode.el
24) What is the sign convention used in MATLAB's FFT routines?

The FFT in MATLAB is defined as sum(x(i)*exp(-j*i*k/N)) and not sum(x(i)*exp(j*i*k/N)). The first
version is traditionally used by engineers, the second version by mathematicians. Since MATLAB
was written by an engineer (John Little), the engineering approach was used.

25) Is there any MATLAB software for wavelets?

Contact Carl Taswell is working on a wavelet toolbox. The toolbox and associated papers are
available via anonymous ftp from

simplicity.stanford.edu in /pub/taswell
A newer version should be available soon.

Also, Jeff Kantor is distributing a wavelet toolbox. It is available via anonymous ftp from

control.cheg.nd.edu in /pub/wavelets/wavetools1_1.tar
The toolbox, rice-wlet-tools-1.1, a collection of MATLAB "mfiles" and "mex" files for twoband
and M-band filter bank/wavelet analysis, is available via anonymous ftp from

cml.rice.edu in /pub/dsp/{software,papers}
Contact Ramesh Gopinath .

26) Is there any MATLAB software for fuzzy logic?

A.Lotfi has developed a Fuzzy Inference Systems Toolbox. It is available via anonymous ftp from

ftp.mathworks.com as /pub/contrib/misc/fuzzy_inference_systems.sh or
/pub/contrib/misc/pc_fuzzy_inference_systems.sh
A Fuzzy-Control Toolbox has been developed by Bernhard Kaemmpf . Send him email if you are
interested in obtaining the software. (Sounds like he is willing to give it away.)

Jyh-Shing Roger Jang has provided a few routines for demonstrating parameterizing
membership functions (MF) and learning in fuzzy inference systems (FIS). The file fuzzdemo.tar.Z
is available via anonymous ftp from

csi.jpl.nasa.gov in /pub/matlab/contrib/
27) Is there any MATLAB software for communications?

Mehmet Zeytinoglu has written a MATLAB toolbox for communications. It is available via
anonymous ftp from

ftp.mathworks.com as /pub/contrib/misc/comm_tbx.tar
28) Is there a MATLAB interface to Mathematica?

Yes. WRI has developed a free MATLAB-Mathematica interface. It is available via anonymous ftp
from

mathsource.wri.com as /pub/WhatsNew/matlab2math.tar.Z (Unix) or

/pub/WhatsNew/matlab2math.sea.hqx (Mac) or /pub/WhatsNew/matlab2math.zip (Windows)
?
or via email via "send 0205-951" to mathsource@wri.com.
29) Why was `fsolve' removed from MATLAB Version 4?

The algorithms used by fsolve were not numerically well behaved. MathWorks did not feel that
it met the standards require for approved software. The version of FSOLVE in the Optimization
Toolbox is recommended. If your site doesn't still have the 3.5 version, you can get it via
anonymous ftp from

ftp.mathworks.com as /pub/contrib/optim/fsolve35.tar
30) Are there any published books on, or relating to, MATLAB?

There is a list of published book available via anonymous ftp from

csi.jpl.nasa.gov as /pub/matlab/matlab-books
Quick Little MATLAB Hacks

31) How can I initialize a this low rank matrix easily?

Here's "Tony's trick", attributed to Tony Booer of Schlumberger:

To initialize a matrix with values "a" in the first row and values "b" in the second row, do the
following:

[a(1,ones(1,m)) ; b(1,ones(1,m))]
32) How can I load-from or save-to a file whose name is in a string variable?

name = 'xyz.mat'; eval(['save ', name]); eval(['load ', name]);

33) How can I store the result of `!ls *.dat' in a variable?

[stat, list] = unix('ls *.dat');

The variable `stat' contains the return status, the variable `list' contains the output.
34) How can I make a variable global from within a function?

You can in MATLAB 4. The following hack is from Laura Needles and Mike Kantner . Define the
script file `mkglobal.m', containing

function [] = mkglobal(var) % MKGLOBAL mkglobal(var) - make var a global variable if

~exist('mkglobal_var'), mkglobal_1; end; mkglobal_var = var; mkglobal_2
Define the script file `mkglobal_1.m' as

global mkglobal_var
Define the script file `mkglobal_2.m' as

eval(['global ', mkglobal_var]);

MATLAB on the PC

35) What can I do when MATLAB tells me there is not enough environment space?
This usually happens if in the matlab path you include greater that 4 or 5 paths. One solution is
to increase your environment space by adding the following command in your config.sys file:

shell=c:\\dos\\command.com /e:nnnnn /p
where nnnnn is the number of bytes you use for environment memory. It varies from 256 bytes
to 32768 bytes(32Kbytes). Usually, 5000 bytes can solve your problem. (The /p command is used
so that the autoexec.bat file runs when you boot your computer.)

Xmath / MatrixX Product Information.

36) What is Xmath?

from mesaros@isi.com ...

Xmath is an interactive mathematics, scripting, and graphics environment for X Window

workstations. It has features which represent a significant improvement on matlab-type
software tools, including:

* Object-oriented scripting language. * "Point-and-click" color graphics. * Visual debugging tool.

* LNX and C-callable libraries. * Programmable MOTIF GUI layer.
Xmath from Integrated Systems Inc. is available on the Internet via FTP from isi.com. If you
would like to down-load Xmath to view the Xmath Interactive demo, do the following:

From the UNIX/Shell environment, type: ftp isi.com (if the host is unknown, try ftp 192.73.222.1)
When asked for name/user, type: anonymous When asked for the password, simply type your e-
mail address.
Once your e-mail address is accepted, and if the maximum number of ftp clients has not been
exceeded, the connection will be made and a list of instructions will appear. Simply follow that
list of instructions to transfer a copy of Xmath to your system.

37) Are there any publications related to MatrixX?

Yes, ISI publishes a quarterly magazine called Response Times that gives information on
products (new ver- sions, releases, modules), user conference, classes, and a Technical Support
Corner where they answer user questions.

Also, ISI has an annual Users Conference. The viewgraph presentations from this conference are
available. The next conference in March 15-17, 1993.

38) Are there any e-mail addresses related to MatrixX/Xmath?

Yes. Some are:

* support@isi.com tech support for ISI MatrixX products (408)980-1590 ext. 321 * info@isi.com
product literature requests * kate@isi.com contributions to Response Times Mag
39) What other modules are available from ISI?

* MatrixX/XMath * Robust Control Module * Optimization Module * Model Reduction Module *

Digital Signal Processing Module * System Identification Module
* System_Build * RT/Expert System Block * RT/Fuzzy Logic Block * Interactive Animation *
AutoCode (C,FORTRAN, Ada) * Automatic Documentation Generation

3rd Party Packages

* ADAPTx Automated System Identification Software

Real Time Execution

* AC-100 Product for Hardware in the Loop Simulations

ISI recently merge with the Software Component Group that makes and sells the PSOS+ real
time operating system and development tools.

Xmath User Questions

40) Is it possible to derive new classes in XMath?

From Alexandra Schmidt ...

Xmath does not currently allow you to 'derive' new subclasses from the built-in ones (dynamic
systems, parameter-dependent matrices, strings and string matrices, polynomials, "special
matrices", etc.) However, a number of our users have used the list object to create compound
objects containing different kinds of built-in objects, then used the resulting list-based object for
more complex data modeling. Your question echoes a request we've heard a number of times
and is a high priority for our future development, so keep an eye out. . .

$Id: FAQ.in,v 1.2 1993/11/23 17:24:16 mwette Exp $