The Mathworks has released of Fixed-Point Toolbox 2, which provides enhanced floating-to-fixed-point conversion capabilities and accelerated fixed-point Matlab algorithms that execute at compiled C-code speed. As a result, design engineers now have a cohesive workflow for optimising and verifying embedded algorithms entirely within Matlab, which speeds up design iterations and eliminates translation errors.
Most embedded signal processing and control systems require fixed-point algorithms for implementation on digital signal processors (DSPs), microcontrollers, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). A major challenge that embedded system designers face is maintaining the correct behaviour of an algorithm when converting it from floating-point to fixed-point representation. Fixed-Point Toolbox provides tools for data logging and data-type override that streamline the conversion process and ensure consistent algorithm behaviour in both representations. A new accelerated simulation mode in the toolbox increases the execution speed of fixed-point Matlab algorithms by factors of up to a thousand.
Fixed-Point Toolbox also facilitates the use of fixed-point Matlab algorithms within Simulink for system simulation, system verification and automatic generation of embeddable C code. Because the algorithms have the same fixed-point representation across Matlab and Simulink, design engineers can complete their designs in a single environment.
