Sources

Ramp Block

Generates a linearly increasing signal starting at specified time

# Ramp Block

Description

The Ramp block generates a linearly increasing signal that starts at a specified time and increases at a constant rate (slope). This block is commonly used to create reference signals, test system tracking performance, or simulate gradual changes in control inputs.

The Ramp block has no input ports and produces a single output signal that remains constant at the initial value until the start time, then increases linearly according to the specified slope.

Mathematical Model

The Ramp block implements:

y(t) = initialValue                    for t < startTime
y(t) = initialValue + slope × (t - startTime)    for t ≥ startTime

Where:

t is the current simulation time
initialValue is the output value before the start time
startTime is the time at which the ramp begins
slope is the rate of change per second

Parameters

slope

The rate of change of the ramp signal (units per second).

startTime

The simulation time (in seconds) at which the signal begins to increase.

initialValue

The output value before the start time.

Examples

Unit Ramp

Generate a 1:1 increasing signal starting at t=0:

Ramp (slope: 1, startTime: 0) → Integrator → Scope

Slow Pressure Increase

Simulate a system where pressure increases by 0.5 bar every second starting after 2 seconds:

Ramp (slope: 0.5, startTime: 2, initialValue: 0) → BoilerSystem

Remarks

Continuous Change: Unlike the Step block, Ramp provides a continuous (but non-smooth) transition.
WASM Performance: High-performance implementation ensure accurate tracking in real-time.
Indefinite Increase: Note that the output continues to increase forever unless stopped or saturated by a downstream block.