Release 13 of the MathWorks family of software brings togetherMATLAB 6.5 and Simulink 5. The latest version of MATLAB includes JIT Acceleration, which provides faster execution, making it an alternative to manual coding in C for technical computing applications. Simulink 5 provides support for multi-domain modelling and simulation coupled with embedded target support, creating an environment for the end-to-end process of embedded system design.

Release 13 includes 10 new products and upgrades of more than 33 other products.

MATLAB provides an environment for exploring technical ideas and developing algorithms that solve complex problems. The JIT-Accelerator technology, enables programs to run faster, in some cases, hundreds of times faster than before.

It enables a single environment throughout projects, with the option to automatically deploy algorithms and applications as C/C++ code, Excel add-ins, and COM objects.

MATLAB 6.5 also adds support for 64bit file handles which provides the ability to work ondata files greater than 2Gbytes. There is s improved automation client (ActiveX/COM controls) interface with a new user interface provided for viewing and modifying properties with enhanced event and exception handling and new support for passing arguments by reference.

With Release 13, Simulink addresses the end-to-end development process from system-level modelling to embedded-software code generation.

Simulink 5 provides enhancements including multi-domain modelling for mechanical, electrical power, and wireless systems; production code generation for microcontrollers; and, major improvements in DSP code generation.

Screen showing the steps in the design of a power window for an automotive application including the ability to show design in action.

These enhancements address the key steps in embedded-system development, including modelling the physical behaviours of real systems, designing software algorithms, and generating code that is as efficient and compact as hand-written code for target processors.

The MathWorks has increased its coverage of processors with an embedded target for the Texas Instruments C6000 DSP platform being added to that for the Motorola MPC555 (see Embedded Systems, June 2002 page 26).

The TI embedded target simplifies software design and analysis by enabling efficient code to be generated directly from The MathWorks environment.

Blocks can be used in Simulink, DSP Blockset and Communications Blockset to develop a hierarchical block diagram of a DSP algorithm, and then Real-Time Workshop can be used to create unambiguous, executable specifications of the algorithm that can be optimised by DSP software engineers. It produces documented C code in Code Composer Studio project format.

Aerospace Blockset has been introduced in release 13 and builds on the foundation of Simulink to provide specialised tools for modelling, integrating and simulating aircraft, space craft, missile and propulsion systems or subsystems.

SimMechanics has been enhanced to enable engineers to model and simulate mechanical systems in the Simulink environment.