Add-Ons

Add-ons extend the capabilities of MATLAB® by providing additional functionality for specific tasks and applications, such as:

  • connecting to hardware devices
  • additional algorithms
  • interactive apps

Encompass a wide variety of resources

  • products
  • apps
  • toolboxes
  • support packages

Available from:

  • MathWorks®
  • the global MATLAB user community

For more information about Add-Ons, Mathworks.

Objectives

  • Navigate to toolboxes and Add-Ons
  • View Add-Ons and toolboxes
  • Install and use Add-Ons

Before going into installing Add-Ons, let’s have a background to the MATLAB environments and ecosystem!

Want a video?

See Matlab add-ons (Oct 2024)

MATLAB Add-Ons manager

Toolbar add-ons
Toolbar of Add-Ons.

In the GUI, the Add-Ons manager can be selected from the menu at the top. The drop-down menu options allow users to:

  • Browse a library of Add-Ons to download. Note that some Add-Ons require a separate license.
What does that look like?

Add-on explorer

  • Manage Add-Ons already downloaded.
What does that look like?

Add-on manager

  • Package user-generated code as a Toolbox or App

  • Get hardware-related support packages

Here we will only focus on the first two options.

Important

Note that very many packages are already included in the Academic installation and license. You can go to the Add-On explorer and select “View My Products” to see what is available.

View my products

See also

Some typical toolboxes include:

  • Parallel Computing
  • Simulink
  • Symbolic Math
  • Signal Processing
  • Machine Learning

Some toolboxes provide a GUI for their tools/Apps

We won’t cover the usage of most toolboxes here!

Tip

Check which toolboxes are installed by the MATLAB command ver at a MATLAB prompt.

Example output from Pelle 
>> ver
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MATLAB Version: 24.1.0.2689473 (R2024a) Update 6
MATLAB License Number: 863987
Operating System: Linux 5.14.0-570.42.2.el9_6.x86_64 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Sun Sep 14 13:59:34 UTC 2025 x86_64
Java Version: Java 1.8.0_202-b08 with Oracle Corporation Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM mixed mode
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MATLAB                                                Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Simulink                                              Version 24.1        (R2024a)
5G Toolbox                                            Version 24.1        (R2024a)
AUTOSAR Blockset                                      Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Aerospace Blockset                                    Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Aerospace Toolbox                                     Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Antenna Toolbox                                       Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Audio Toolbox                                         Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Automated Driving Toolbox                             Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Bioinformatics Toolbox                                Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Bluetooth Toolbox                                     Version 24.1        (R2024a)
C2000 Microcontroller Blockset                        Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Communications Toolbox                                Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Computer Vision Toolbox                               Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Control System Toolbox                                Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Curve Fitting Toolbox                                 Version 24.1        (R2024a)
DDS Blockset                                          Version 24.1        (R2024a)
DSP HDL Toolbox                                       Version 24.1        (R2024a)
DSP System Toolbox                                    Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Database Toolbox                                      Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Datafeed Toolbox                                      Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Deep Learning Toolbox                                 Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Econometrics Toolbox                                  Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Embedded Coder                                        Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Filter Design HDL Coder                               Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Financial Instruments Toolbox                         Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Financial Toolbox                                     Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Fixed-Point Designer                                  Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Fuzzy Logic Toolbox                                   Version 24.1        (R2024a)
GPU Coder                                             Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Global Optimization Toolbox                           Version 24.1        (R2024a)
HDL Coder                                             Version 24.1        (R2024a)
HDL Verifier                                          Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Image Acquisition Toolbox                             Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Image Processing Toolbox                              Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Industrial Communication Toolbox                      Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Instrument Control Toolbox                            Version 24.1        (R2024a)
LTE Toolbox                                           Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Lidar Toolbox                                         Version 24.1        (R2024a)
MATLAB Coder                                          Version 24.1        (R2024a)
MATLAB Parallel Server                                Version 24.1        (R2024a)
MATLAB Report Generator                               Version 24.1        (R2024a)
MATLAB Test                                           Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Mapping Toolbox                                       Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Medical Imaging Toolbox                               Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Mixed-Signal Blockset                                 Version 24.1        (R2024a)
Model Predictive Control Toolbox                      Version 24.1        (R2024a)
...

Install Add-Ons

  • Search in Add-Ons explorer and install.

Search for Add-ons

  • Installation goes in local folder, ~/MATLAB Add-Ons, and should be accessible wherever you are in the file tree.
  • It’s in the path so it should be possible to run directly if you don’t need to run an installation file.
  • For more information about a specific support package install location, see the documentation for the package.

Warning

To be able to install you need to use the email for a personal mathworks account.

You can install some Add-Ons manually using an installation file. This is useful in several situations:

  • The add-on is not available for installation through the Add-On Explorer, for example, if you create a custom add-on yourself or receive one from someone else.
  • You downloaded the add-on from the Add-On Explorer without installing it.
  • You downloaded the add-on from the File Exchange at MATLAB Central™.
Bianca
  • One way to get a MATLAB package to Bianca is to download it on your working computer without installing it.
  • Then you use the wharf to get the (tared) file(s) on Bianca.
  • Then move it to the ~/MATLAB Add-Ons folder on Bianca.

See also

MathWorks page on getting Add-Ons

Demo

  • Search for kalmanf
  • Click “Learning the Kalman Filter”
  • Look at the documentation
  • Test if the command works today:
>> kalmanf
Unrecognized function or variable 'kalmanf'.
  • OK, it is not there
  • Click “Add”, and “Download and Add to path”
  • Type email address connected to your MathWorks account (not needed for some versions at Dardel)
  • Installation starts
  • It will end up in the ~/MATLAB\ Add-Ons/ folder
  • This is how the file tree looked for me (tree command is available at some centres)
$ tree MATLAB\ Add-Ons/
MATLAB\ Add-Ons/
└── Collections
|   └── Efficient\ GRIB1\ data\ reader
|       ├── core.28328
|       ├── license.txt
|       ├── readGRIB1.c
|       ├── readGRIB1.mexa64
|       └── resources
|           ├── addons_core.xml
|           ├── matlab_path_entries.xml
|           ├── metadata.xml
|           ├── previewImage.png
|           ├── readGRIB1.zip
|           └── screenshot.png
└── Functions
    └── Learning\ the\ Kalman\ Filter
        ├── kalmanf.m
        └── resources
            ├── addons_core.xml
            ├── kalmanf.zip
            ├── matlab_path_entries.xml
            ├── metadata.xml
            ├── previewImage.png
            └── screenshot.png
  • Evidently it is a function. Note that I already have something classified as collections
  • Now test:
>> kalmanf()
'kalmanf' requires Learning the Kalman Filter version 1.0.0.0 to be enabled.
  • OK. It is installed but may need some other things. Just an example!

Exercises

Exercise

Find what Toolboxes are available in MATLAB at your place.

Exercise

Find the kalmanf add-on, install it, and run a test command. Use the Demo as instruction.

Exercise

Browse the add-ons and get inspired for your own work. Use the Demo as inspiration.

Summary

  • Many Add-Ons, like toolboxes and packages are available at the Clusters
  • You can view Add-Ons and toolboxes with the Add-on manager
  • It is all more or less graphical
  • Use Add-Ons explorer to find and install add-ons/toolboxes.
  • Add-ons installed by you can be found in ~/MATLAB\ Add-Ons/, and folder is automatically added to the MATLAB PATH, so it should be found no matter which working directory you are working in.