This package contains a TCP/IP API for Matlab as well as data serialization helpers. This package doesn't require tcpip function in the Instrument Control Toolbox for Matlab, yet provides an equivalent functionality and a simple-to-use API. This is suitable to communicate between multiple Matlab instances over the TCP/IP network.

There are two high-level functions.

TCPClient - Send a TCP request.
TCPServer - Run a TCP server process.

Compile MEX files and Java helpers by the attached Makefile.

make

Add a path to matlab-tcpip to use the API.

addpath('/path/to/matlab-tcpip');

Plus-1 server

Start a plus-1 server at port 3000, which adds 1 to any given request.

TCPServer(@(x)x+1, 'port', 3000);

Send a request to the server running at localhost on port 3000.

response = TCPClient('localhost', 3000, 1); % Send `1`.
disp(response); % Shows `2` from the plus-1 server.

Custom callback

Serve a custom callback function dispatch at port 5000.

TCPServer(@dispatch, 'port', 5000);

Where, dispatch is a user-defined callback that takes a single input argument of a client request and returns a single output sent back to the client.

function response = dispatch(request)
%DISPATCH Process a TCP/IP request.
...

TCPServer

TCPServer(callback, ...)
TCPServer(callback, 'port', 0, 'serialize', true, ...)

TCPServer starts a TCP server process and respond to a request with a given function callback. Use TCPClient to communicate with this process. The server runs indefinite. Use Ctrl-C to quit the process.

The function accepts the following options.

• port - TCP port to use. When the port number is 0, the function picks up any available port in the system. Default 0.
• serialize - Logical flag to automatically serialize Matlab variables in request and response. When false, a callback function takes raw bytes and must return raw bytes in the output arguments. Default true.
• onetime - If true, terminate the server upon the first request. Default false.
• buffer_size - Size of the internal buffer. Default 4096.
• quiet - Logical flag to suppress display messages. Default false.

TCPClient

response = TCPClient(hostname, port, request, ...)

The function accepts the following option.

• serialize - Logical flag to automatically serialize Matlab variables in request and response. Default true.
• buffer_size - Size of the internal buffer. Default 4096.