Working with Cockpit projects

When testing various control algorithms or migrating across different converter topologies, the Cockpit interface can quickly become cluttered. Effective project management is essential to maintain an organized workspace, ensure configuration data is safely backed up, and streamline the transition between different hardware setups. This article explains the role of the project file (.ixproj) and details how to effectively handle, store, and transfer complete project environments within the software.

Before reading this guide, it is recommended to consult Programming and operating imperix controllers to understand how projects are initially created after the code generation process, and the Cockpit – User guide for the fundamental concepts of the imperix monitoring software

Project management basics

Cockpit relies on a dedicated project file (.ixproj) to safely store all essential data required to restore a specific working environment. The file is continuously autosaved in the background and contains:

• Module configurations: The position and settings of every module in the workspace. For example, it saves the arrangement of the modules on the screen, which user variables are plotted in the Scope module, and the design of the GUI Builder module.
• Project settings: The project name, the link to the specific imperix controller where the code is executed, the path to the generated user code (.elf), the path to the snapshot folder, and any offline user variables.

Opening and closing projects

To maintain an organized workspace and manage multiple projects, Cockpit allows existing projects to be easily loaded, or those not currently in use to be closed.

Opening an existing project

If an existing project needs to be accessed (such as one that was recently closed or developed for a different application), it can be loaded into the Projects perspective using one of the following methods:

• Using the file browser: The Open button located at the top left of the left bar can be clicked. This launches a file dialog window where the appropriate folder and corresponding .ixproj file can be selected to load the configuration into Cockpit.

• Using the recent files list: For quicker access to recently closed items, the dropdown arrow immediately to the right of the Open button can be expanded. Hovering over Open recent displays a list of recently closed files, allowing them to be reloaded with a single click.

Closing a project

When testing various algorithms or working with multiple setups, the left bar can quickly become crowded with unused project panes. To keep the interface clean and focused, projects that are not actively running can be closed.

To close a project, the three-dot menu (⋮) located in the top right corner of the project pane must be clicked, and Close project selected from the dropdown list.

 It is important to distinguish between closing and deleting a project within Cockpit:

• Closing simply removes the project pane from the left bar. The entire configuration is safely preserved within the .ixproj file, and it can be reopened at any time without losing any settings.
• Deleting permanently erases the .ixproj file, meaning the specific Cockpit configuration for that project is lost forever.

Exporting and importing projects

Moving configurations between different computers, backing them up, or sharing them typically requires more than just the .ixproj file. It is usually necessary to also export the user models (Simulink or PLECS), additional scripts, and possibly test results or snapshots. The export and import features allow complete project packages to be easily bundled and transferred, ensuring all necessary dependencies are included.

Exporting projects

The export feature allows one or more projects, along with their associated user models and assets, to be bundled into a single .zip archive.

To export a project package:

1. Click on the Export button located in the Projects tab of the left bar. This opens the Export project window.
2. In the Source section, under Projects to export, the box next to the project(s) to be included should be checked. Expanding a project item will display its configuration details, such as the linked target and user code path. Choose whether to maintain the original link to the target by checking the Target box.
3. Once an item is selected, the Files to export section automatically populates. Cockpit detects and selects essential files by default (such as the .ixproj file, the _build folder, and linked Simulink/PLECS models). Individual folders, such as MATLAB scripts (.m), Vivado projects, or snapshots, can be manually checked or unchecked to customize the export.
4. In the Destination section, clicking the folder icon next to Archive file allows the location and name of the resulting .zip file to be chosen.
5. Finally, clicking Export generates the zip package.

Importing projects

The import projects feature allows a previously exported .zip archive to be loaded, seamlessly unpacking the files and restoring the full project configuration into Cockpit.

To import a project package:

1. The Import button located in the Projects tab of the left bar must be clicked. This opens the Import project window.
2. In the Source section, clicking the folder icon next to Archive file allows the exported .zip package to be selected.
3. The Destination section will populate with the contents of the archive. Under Project to import, the projects to be loaded from the archive should be selected. The project item can be expanded to review its details and choose whether to maintain the original link to the target by checking the Target box.
4. The folder icon next to Extract to allows the extraction directory to be chosen.
5. Under Files to import, the folders and files that will be extracted can be verified.
   Individual folders, such as MATLAB scripts (.m), Vivado projects, or snapshots, can be manually unchecked to customize the import.
6. Clicking Import extracts the files and loads the project(s) in the left bar of Cockpit.