Generates a curve of data over time from a table of values and acts as a lookup table. This block is the same as the Conversion Table block except that the variable is always the current time of the simulation.
This block contains a table of values (Time and Y Output) which are used to calculate what the y output value would be for the current simulation time. The table defines a curve; the output is calculated based on where current simulation time occurs on the curve. The table may be typed into the dialog, imported from a file, or pasted from the Clipboard using the commands in the Edit menu. The values in the table do not need to be in sorted order. The calculations may also be a repeated series with the time units between repeats set in the dialog. You can specify that the simulation should stop or that a 0 be output if the simulation start time or end time is out of the range of the values in the table.
It is important that the time range specified in the table at least cover the time range specified in the Simulation Setup dialog. For example, if you enter 0 through 20 as the Time values in the table, and the end time of the simulation is 40, the block will not be able to calculate values for times 21-40. In this case, depending on the choices made for "simulation time is outside of table range", Extend will stop the simulation and give you an error message or will output zeroes.
This table may have as many rows of values as required (up to 500) to define the function, but it must have at least two rows. The output may be interpolated from the data or given a stepped distribution.
You can use this block to represent items which change over time, such as traffic volume, sales volume, production, and so on.
Dialog Choices
interpolated: Calculate the output based on straight-line interpolation (see Conversion Table block) between the data points in the table. The output value changes whenever simulation time changes.
Plot Data: Plots the data in the table.
Repeat every: Causes the table to act as if time is reset to 0. For example, if the table lists time from 1 to 5, and you enter 5 in Repeat every, an input of 6 would give the same output as an input of 1.
Sort Data: Causes the data in the table to be sorted by time.
stepped: The output value does not change until the simulation time becomes greater than or equal to the next Time value in the table (the next threshold value).
stop simulation: Stops the simulation when simulation time is not within the range of Time in the data table.
zero output: Sets the output to 0 when simulation time is not within the range of Time in the data table.
Connectors
The output is the value calculated from the table, based on the time of the simulation.
