Functional Mock-Up Interface Support

The Functional Mock-Up Interface (FMI) is an emerging standard for creating interfaces between different tools.

The FMI standard defines two main interfacing solutions: Model Exchange and Co-Simulation. The export from one tool to another is made through FMU files. Activate can simulate FMU blocks from the FMI-1.0 and FMI-2.0 standards, and supports both the Model-Exchange and Co-Simulation block types.

FMU Import

The FMU Import block lets you import and simulate FMU blocks.

The block is located in the palette Advanced > CoSimulation.

The FMU block automatically detects the FMI version, 1.0 or 2.0, and FMI type, Model Exchange or Co-Simulation, and applies a simulation method accordingly. Double-clicking the FMU Import block displays the block dialog:

The block dialog lets you select and load an FMU block. Once selected, you can enter values in the fields such as the number of inputs, outputs and states, or click Reload to read the FMU block and populate the fields automatically. In the Parameters table, the FMU variables that have an editable start value are displayed. Changes to the values are incorporated before a simulation starts.

Once the dialog is populated, the FMU block can be added to a model diagram. The following example shows an FMU block in a diagram facilitating co-simulation with a hydraulics software product.

FMU Editor

The FMU Editor lets you interact within the hierarchy of an FMU, hide or expose variables and attributes to customize information for a particular audience, and save and export a customized FMU.

  1. On the ribbon, select Tools > FMU Editor
  2. In the FMU Editor, select File > Open and navigate to your FMU.


    The FMU Editor includes FMU Variables and FMU Attributes tabs.
  3. Select the FMU Variables tab to customize variables with multiple options:
    • Navigate inside the FMU with the tree view.
    • Select the variables that you want to display.
    • Deselect the variables that you want to hide.
    • Modify the descriptions of the variables.
    • Use the FMU editor tools to work with the variables: select/deselect all, reverse order, find and search.




  4. Select the FMU Attributes tab to customize the FMU with these options:
    • Modify the FMU attribute descriptions.
    • Modify editable attribute fields. Grayed out fields cannot be modified.


  5. Click the Save FMU As button and name and save your customized version of the FMU.
    A customized version of the FMU is ready for sharing. The source FMU remains unchanged.