How can I troubleshoot UDP communication issues between Simulink and a Zynq SoC (Zedboard) in MATLAB R2024b?

I am following the Programming Xilinx Zynq SoCs with MATLAB and Simulink training and working through Chapter 7, which covers using UDP blocks for communication between a top-level Simulink model and a Software Interface Model deployed on the Zedboard. After setting up the UDP Send/Receive blocks with the correct IP addresses and deploying the Software Interface Model, I do not see any audio output or activity on the Spectrum Analyzer when running the top-level Simulink model. I am unsure if the issue is with UDP communication or another configuration. How can I troubleshoot this?

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

This issue is commonly related to UDP communication between the host computer (running MATLAB/Simulink) and the Zynq SoC (Zedboard). If the UDP ports are blocked by the host computer's firewall, data packets may not be transmitted or received, resulting in no output in Simulink (such as missing audio or Spectrum Analyzer activity).

To address this, ensure that the appropriate UDP ports are open on your host system. The following steps describe how to unblock a UDP port on Windows:

1. Open Windows Firewall:
   1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.
   2. Type firewall.cpl and press Enter to open Windows Firewall settings.
2. Go to Advanced Settings:
   1. In the left pane, click on Advanced settings to open Windows Firewall with Advanced Security.
3. Inbound Rules:
   1. In the left pane, select Inbound Rules.
   2. In the right pane, click New Rule... to create a new rule.
4. Rule Type:
   1. Select Port and click Next.
5. Protocol and Ports:
   1. Select UDP.
   2. Specify the port number you want to unblock (e.g., 12345) in the Specific local ports field.
   3. Click Next.
6. Action:
   1. Select Allow the connection and click Next.
7. Profile:
   1. Choose the network profiles for which you want to apply this rule (Domain, Private, Public), then click Next.
8. Name:
   1. Provide a name for the rule, such as "Unblock UDP Port 12345".
   2. Optionally, add a description.
   3. Click Finish.

Additional Recommendations

• Ensure both Simulink models (host and Zynq) are using matching UDP port numbers and correct IP addresses.
• Verify that the Zedboard and host computer are on the same network and can communicate (e.g., by pinging the Zedboard from the host).
• Temporarily disable any third-party security software that might block network traffic.