The MathWorks introduces MATLAB 6 and Simulink 4 for technical computing and design of controls
"Release 12 introduces the MATLAB desktop, which provides a new visual interface for MATLAB. It is a direct response to our customers' active participation in our product development through their extensive feedback," said Jack Little, president and CEO of The MathWorks
A development group within The MathWorks, focusing exclusively on usability design of The MathWorks products, conducted research with hundreds of customers to understand how they approach complex technical computing tasks. As a result, Release 12 fits the work patterns of technical professionals, significantly lowering the learning curve for those engineers and scientists who are new to the company's product line.
New features in MATLAB 6 improve users' work across all applications. Most significant is the new visual interface; it provides direct, intuitive access to the power of MATLAB. Users gain fast state-of-the-art math functions with LAPACK-based matrix computations and enhanced FFT implementations for signal and image processing. Release 12 includes new test and measurement tools to communicate with external hardware and instruments. Serial port interface is provided from MATLAB, plus, the new Instrument Control Toolbox lets users communicate with instruments through standard GPIB and VISA protocols. MATLAB 6 can now incorporate Java script and read data easily from various file formats. The MathWorks updated application-specific toolboxes, including: Neural Network Toolbox 4, Statistics Toolbox 3, Data Acquisition Toolbox 2, MATLAB Compiler Suite 2.1, and MATLAB Web Server.
The Simulink 4 product family, including Real-Time Workshop 4, builds upon MATLAB 6 and adds a host of features. Among them are frame-based simulation support, faster loading of libraries, a new configurable subsystem block, and efficiencies in speed and memory usage. These features support large-scale modeling for controls, DSP, and communications system design.
Simulink Performance Tools, a new product, provides advanced capabilities for model-based design including tools to model performance, graphically compare two Simulink models, and analyze the test coverage of model simulations. For embedded systems, the new Real-Time Workshop Embedded Coder produces optimized code for embedded control applications, with reduced code size and more efficient memory utilization. Substantial updates are found in Simulink 4, Stateflow 4, Stateflow Coder 4, Real-Time Workshop 4, Control System Toolbox 5, and System Identification Toolbox 5.
Also included in Release 12 are the Filter Design Toolbox and major updates to the Communications Blockset; the DSP Blockset; and the Communications, Signal Processing, and Wavelet Toolboxes. Release 12 also will provide DSP hardware links announced by The MathWorks this year, which include the Xilinx System Generator for Xilinx FPGAs (created and sold by Xilinx) and the Motorola DSP Developer's Kit.
Release 12 from The MathWorks is currently shipping for Microsoft Windows 95, 98, NT, and 2000 operating systems, and UNIX and Linux. Information about pricing can be found on The MathWorks Website at www.mathworks.com. Quantity and education discounts are available.
The MathWorks develops technical computing software for engineers and scientists in industry and education. An extensive family of products, based on MATLAB and Simulink, provides high-productivity tools for solving challenging mathematical, computational, controls, and DSP and communications problems. The MathWorks products serve those in education and automotive, aerospace, telecommunications and datacommunications, government, process industries, electronics, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, finance and economics, earth and planetary sciences, and instrumentation.
The MathWorks, Inc. Tel: 508-647-7417
Edited by Paul O'Shea
Managing Editor, TestandMeasurement.com