Integerator vs accumulator

[garimella]

In simulink I came across options for integrator and accumulator for modeling a discrete integrator block. Can anyone explain what is accumulator? Googled it bit could not find clear answer

 

[d123]

Hi,

No idea. Maybe the difference is the integrator represents individual repetitive states and the accumulator sums across time? (From Electronics Tutorials on op amp integrators: "The integrator Op-amp produces an output voltage that is both proportional to the amplitude and duration of the input signal")

Op amp accumulators didn't give super results in some senses, analog accumulators seemed possibly to produce more useful results but I may be wrong. This was one definition I found: "Accumulators can be used to store a result of an operation performed on an input signal and produce an output signal corresponding to the result. An accumulator, for example, may sum input signals provided to the accumulator over time and output, at a time, the sum of the input signals received up to that time. More particularly, an accumulator may sum the voltages of input signals over time and output, at a time, a signal having a voltage corresponding to the sum of the voltages received up to that time." Sounds different to an integrator to me, at least.

Analog accumulator

 

[FvM]

Don't know what the MATLAB options for discrete integrator are, but a discrete integrator is generally implemented as accumulator with feedback, y = y(n-1) + x. In so far, accumulator and discrete integrator can be considered as synonymous.

I found MATLAB help straightforward and instructive yet. I'm rather sure that it answers your question.

 

[garimella]

yeh! but why are two options given in matlab if both are synonymous.