# MATLAB

Run MATLAB code on the test machine

- Category: Tools
- Capabilities: Engine, Operations
- Runs on: Linux x64, macOS Apple silicon, macOS Intel, Windows x64

Run MATLAB code from Phloem. The agent and Computer can evaluate expressions,
run scripts and read variables back.

## What you get

- **Operations** — `eval` (run an expression), `run_script`, and
  `get_variable` (run code and read one variable back), plus a connection test.
- Each call runs MATLAB headless (`matlab -batch`) on its own. Nothing carries
  over between calls.

## Setup

1. Install the connector from the **Connectors** tab and open its page.
2. Point it at your MATLAB installation, then press **Test** to confirm.

## Computed channels

A computed channel runs your function over a window of a signal and publishes
the result as a new channel. Your function gets one window struct:

```matlab
function result = my_metric(win)
  % win.t_us  — sample times, microseconds since 1970-01-01 UTC
  % win.value — the sample values, same order
  result = max(win.value) - min(win.value);
end
```

Return one number, or a struct of names to numbers for several outputs. Times
are **microseconds**; divide by 1e6 for seconds.

## Notes

- Put everything a computation needs in one eval. `get_variable` takes the
  code that sets the variable and its name, and runs both in one call.
- A call that runs too long is stopped, along with anything MATLAB started.
- A sample with no reading arrives in `win.value` as `NaN`.

## Connection fields

| Field | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| MATLAB binary path | Text | No |  |