Quarc Library Simulink [updated] Jun 2026
Mark Thompson is a control systems engineer with over a decade of experience in real-time simulation and hardware-in-the-loop testing. This article was reviewed by Quanser Inc. for technical accuracy as of 2025.
What are you building (e.g., robotics, motor control, academic teaching)?
Double-click the block and select your board type from the dropdown menu (e.g., q8_usb ).
Click and Run . The model executes in real-time on the hardware. You can view live data on Simulink Scopes and change controller gains on the fly without stopping the code. 4. Key Advantages of QUARC in Control Engineering Standard Simulink / Custom C Code Simulink + QUARC Library Hardware Abstraction
Set the System Target File to a QUARC target, such as quarc_win64.tlc for Windows real-time execution. Step 4: Build, Connect, and Run quarc library simulink
: Specialized display blocks like Time Figure , XY Figure , and Display Image offer higher performance than standard Simulink scopes and can be integrated into custom MATLAB GUIs.
QUARC changes the standard Simulink "Run" button behavior when operating in External Mode.
Real-time systems rarely operate in isolation. The Communications blockset allows Simulink models to stream data to other applications, computers, or devices.
Beyond standard Simulink scopes, QUARC provides improved tools like the , which outperforms standard Simulink graphs, allowing for complex plotting of multiple curves simultaneously. How to Get Started with QUARC in Simulink Using QUARC involves a straightforward workflow: Mark Thompson is a control systems engineer with
Allows one computer to control and monitor code executing on a remote target. 3. Multimedia Blocks
With QUARC, you can use Simulink’s "external mode" to tune controller parameters (e.g., PID gains) and monitor signals in real-time. This means you can see your system response and make changes to the controller on-the-fly, without having to stop and recompile the model. 3. Asynchronous Thread Handling
QuArc is a model-based design library for Simulink focused on control systems and embedded software development. It provides reusable blocks, templates, and verification/scalability features aimed at improving development speed, code quality, and traceability for embedded control applications.
For applications involving a high-speed control loop and a separate graphical user interface (GUI), run two distinct QUARC models. Connect them using the Shared Memory protocol in the Communications library to isolate critical control code from UI rendering delays. Conclusion What are you building (e
In traditional control systems engineering, moving from a simulation to a physical prototype is a multi-step, error-prone process. Engineers typically design a controller in Simulink, hand-write or auto-generate C code, and then manually configure hardware drivers.
Build your feedback control loop (such as a PID or State-Space controller) using standard Simulink blocks.
Use QUARC's simulation mode to toggle between pure virtual simulation and physical hardware testing with a single switch.
If you have a specific Quanser workstation or controller architecture in mind (e.g., balancing an inverted pendulum or servo control), I can provide more tailored information. Let me know:
Go to the tab. Set the system target file to quarc_win64.tlc (or the respective target for Linux/QNX). Step 2: Initialize Hardware
Handles real-time sound processing and acoustic feedback. Continuous and Discrete Blocks