MathWorks adds VLSI design and RF features
to its MATLAB and Simulink
MathWorks has introduced new tools for the design of advanced
signal processing and communications systems with MATLAB
and Simulink.
The latest innovations for signal processing design include:
1) Introduction of SimRF, which brings circuit-envelope
and harmonic balance simulation techniques to the Simulink
environment, and provides a large component library for
modeling RF system architectures. SimRF supports multifrequency
RF signals for interference simulations, and multiport architectures
for RF transceiver representations.
2) Major update to Simulink HDL Coder, which automatically
generates VHDL and Verilog from Simulink models. Simulink
HDL Coder supports design iterations by highlighting critical
paths in the model and estimating hardware resource utilization.
It also supports optimizations such as serialization, resource
sharing, and pipelining. An FPGA Workflow Advisor automates
synthesis and implementation on Xilinx and Altera FPGAs.
New verification features include code traceability support
for the DO-254 standard.
3) Enhancements to Communications Blockset, Signal Processing
Blockset, and Video and Image Processing Blockset, now with
more than 250 algorithms with a standardized interface to
efficiently process audio, video, and other streaming data
in MATLAB. The resulting MATLAB programs can be used directly
in Simulink models for system design, simulation, and analysis.
These algorithms are available as System objects, a new
class of MATLAB objects that facilitate algorithm design
and re-use.
4) New support for Eclipse IDE, Embedded Linux, and ARM.
MathWorks code generation products now automate targeting,
real-time performance analysis, and verification of C code
for the Eclipse integrated development environment (IDE),
Embedded Linux, and the ARM Cortex-A8 processor. EDA Simulator
Link now supports the generation of SystemC TLM-2.0 components
for verification in virtual platform environments.
"Wireless, sensor processing, and streaming media
capabilities are integral to today's embedded systems, and
engineers need design tools that can simulate digital, analog
and software components simultaneously" said Ken Karnofsky,
senior strategist at MathWorks. "These new capabilities
for signal processing systems in MATLAB and Simulink unify
and automate critical tasks in the design workflow. This
is a major advance that accelerates algorithm IP development,
system design and verification, and collaboration between
engineering teams."
<Author: Srinivasa Reddy N
