SCILAB FAMILIARIZATION

1. Objective(s):
This activity aims to familiar with the various basic features of Scilab.
2. Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs):
At the end of this activity, the student shall be able to
1. Explore the basic features of Scilab
2. Define a function and plot it
3. Discussion
Scilab is an open source, cross-platform numerical computational package and ahigh-level, numerically
oriented programming language. It can be used for signal processing,statistical analysis, image
enhancement, fluid dynamics simulations, numerical optimization, andmodelling, simulation of explicit
and implicit dynamical systems and (if the corresponding toolboxis installed) symbolic manipulations.

Scilab is one of the two major open-source alternatives to MATLAB, the other one being GNUOctave.
Scilab is similar enough to MATLAB that some book authors (who use it) argue that it is easy to transfer
skills between the two systems. Scilab however puts less emphasis on(bidirectional) syntactic
compatibility with MATLAB than Octave does.

4. Resources:
To perform this activity, a computer workstation with Scilab is required. The control systems toolbox is
needed.
5. Procedure:
NOTE: Install Scilab. Scilab is numerical computation software that anybody can freely download.
Available under Windows, Linux and Mac OS X, Scilab can be downloaded at the following address:
http://www.scilab.org/

PART 1: Become Familiar with Scilab

The useful workspace in Scilab consists of several windows:
• The console for making calculations
• The editor for writing programs
• The graphics windows for displaying graphics
• The embedded help

The general environment and the console

After double-clicking the icon to launch Scilab, Scilab environment by default consists of the following
docked windows – console, files and variables browsers, command history (see “Windows management
and workspace customization”
In the console after the prompt “ --> “, just type a command and press the Enter key (Windows and
Linux) or Return key (Mac OS X) on the keyboard to obtain the corresponding result.

It is possible to come back at any moment with the keyboard's arrow keys ← ↑ → ↓ or with the mouse.
The left and right keys are used to change the instructions and the up and down keys are used to come
back on a previously executed command.

The menu bar

The menus listed below are particularly useful.
Applications
• The command history allows you to find all the commands from previous sessions to the current
session.
• The variables browser allows you to find all variables previously used during the current session.

Edit
Preferences (in Scilab menu under Mac OS X) allows you to set and customize colors, fonts and font
size in the console and in the editor, which is very useful for screen projection.
Clicking on Clear Console clears the entire content of the console. In this case, the command history is
still available and calculations made during the session remain in memory. Commands that have been
erased are still available through the keyboard’s arrow keys.
Control
To interrupt a running program, you can:
• Type pause in the program or click on Control> Interrupt in the menu bar (Ctrl X under Windows and
Linux or Command X under Mac OS X), if the program is already running. In all cases, the prompt “ --> “
will turn into “ -1-> “, then into “ -2-> “…, if the operation is repeated.
• To return to the time prior to the program interruption, type resume in the console or click on Control >
Resume.
• To quit for good a calculation without any possibility of return, type abort in the console or click on
Control > Abort in the menu bar.

The editor
Typing directly into the console has two disadvantages: it is not possible to save the commands and it is
not easy to edit multiple lines of instruction. The editor is the appropriate tool to run multiple instructions.

Opening the editor

To open the editor from the console, click on the first icon in the toolbar or on Applications > SciNotes in
the menu bar.
The editor opens with a default file named “ Untitled 1 “.

Writing in the editor

Typing in the editor is like as in any word processor. In the text editor, opening and closing parentheses,
end loops, function and test commands are added automatically. However, these features can be
disabled in Options > Auto-completion on menu, in clicking on the two below entries enabled by default:
• (,[,…
• if,function,…

Saving
Any file can be saved by clicking on File > Save as.
The extension “ .sce “ at the end of a file name will launch automatically Scilab when opening it (except
under Linux and Mac OS X).

The graphics window

Opening a graphics window
A graphics window opens automatically when making any plot. It is possible to plot curves, surfaces,
sequences of points.
To obtain an example of curve, type in the console:
-->plot
Modifying a plot
The magnifying glass allows zooming. To zoom in two dimensions, click on the tool and with the mouse
create a rectangle which will constitute the new enlarged view. To zoom in three dimensions, click on the
tool and create a parallelepiped which will constitute the new enlarged view. It is also possible to zoom in
using the mouse wheel. To return to the initial screen, click on the other magnifying glass.
The icon enables rotation of the figure (particularly useful in 3-D) with right click actions which are guided
by messages in the bottom of the graphics window.
For more precise modifications, click on Edit > Figure properties or Axes properties and let yourselves be
guided (this option is not yet available under Mac OS X).

Online help
To access the online help, click on ? > Scilab Help in the menu bar, or type in the console:
-->help
PART 2 Solving Differential equations
Course: ECE 006 Experiment No.: 1
Group No.: Section: EC51FB1
Group Members: Date Performed: 05/13/20
Monville, Christian B. Date Submitted: 05/13/20
Parilla, James Karl G. Instructor:
Tavares, Karl Andrei A. Engr. Sheila Valondo
6. Data and Results:
7. Conclusion:

Monville: Based on the experiment made, Scilab can be used as a substitution to the MATLAB software.
It being a freeware, it is more accessible to everyone who doesn’t have the means to buy a license for
use. Scilab is useful for anyone who needs a software for calculations, and who needs a graphical
interpretation or the plot of a given equation. Using this software, our group were able define a function,
execute ODE and plot the integral of the given function.

Parilla: While familiarizing the Scilab simulator, it was hard for me because it is a new environment.
There is a lot of setting, features and command to be used and i am not familiar yet in its programming
language. It was a challenge because while I'm trying the example there's some error but in the end it
works. Also I was able to explore the various basic features of Scilab and define a function then plot it.

I can therefore conclude that Scilab could help us in a lot of areas like signal
processing,statistical analysis, image enhancement, fluid dynamics simulations, numerical optimization,
andmodelling, simulation of explicit and implicit dynamical systems.
Tavares: In conclusion it was quite complicated to identify the each tools but using Scilab displays a new
way to represent the practice of manipulation of vectors, matrixes, functions, graphs and etc. It promotes
user friendly numerical computations to elaborate data computations and programming graphics. It gives
a lot strong possibilities and utilization for some problems.

Assessment rubric for the activity’s intended learning outcomes

INTENDED
LEARNING 1 2 3 4 Points
OUTCOMES
The program returns
Create a A program for The program works
The program works, results that are
program that will electrical system was but the results are
the results are expected and with
simulate the created but does not doubtful or are
credible but the little or no variation
performance of work or results vary inconsistent when
interface is difficult to from reality and with
electrical system significantly from trials are repeatedly
use user friendly
(MP 1) reality done
interface.
Determine the
effect of
component The data gathered
An investigation was A sufficient amount The data gathered
values of was analyzed very
made but contains of data were was analyzed but
electrical system well and valid
insufficient data or gathered but was not does not support the
to the conclusions were
limited trials. synthesized properly. conclusions made.
performance of drawn.
the system
(MP 1)
Total Score
Mean Score = (Total Score /2)

Percentage Score = (Total Score / 8) x 100%

Assessment rubric for the conduct of laboratory experiments

Performance Indicators 1 2 3 Points

Members do not follow Members follow good Members follow good
Conduct experiments in good and safe and safe laboratory and safe laboratory
accordance with good and laboratory practice in practice most of the practice at all times in
safe laboratory practice. the conduct of time in the conduct of the conduct of
experiments. experiments. experiments.
Members are able to
Members are able to
Members are unable to operate the equipment
Operate equipment and operate equipment and
operate the equipment and instruments with
instruments with ease instrument with
and instruments. ease and with minimum
supervision.
supervision.
The group has
Analyze data, validate complete data,
The group has
experimental values against validates experimental
The group has complete data but has
theoretical values to determine values against
incomplete data. no analysis and valid
possible experimental errors, theoretical values, and
conclusion.
and provide valid conclusions. provides valid
conclusion.
Total Score
Mean Score = (Total Score /3)

Percentage Score = (Total Score / 9) x 100%