
Many users who analyze data, develop and verify algorithms, or create software applications leave the MATLAB environment to import data from external hardware. This extra step creates inefficiencies by forcing the user to manually transfer data from one environment to another and to learn and maintain multiple software tools.Using a Garmin handheld Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver with an RS-232 serial interface as an example, this article demonstrates how you can use MATLAB and to work with diverse external devices without leaving the MATLAB environment. It explains how to communicate with a serial device, interact with the device in MATLAB, and automatically generate a MATLAB script that can be shared, reused, or incorporated into a MATLAB application.The MATLAB scripts used in this article are available for. RS-232 serial devices, such as GPS receivers, and instruments, such as oscilloscopes and signal generators, can be configured and controlled in MATLAB with Instrument Control Toolbox (Figure 1). Our example uses a consumer-grade Garmin ETrex 12-channel GPS device, typically used while hiking and boating.