EDN Asia: What do you think are the next set of challenges in technical computing?McGarrity: These can be broadly classified under three categories. First, the main challenges for the individual are accessing larger datasets for complex data formats, and performing faster iterations to capture and refine ideas. Second, the main challenges for the workgroup are turning interactive exploration into tools for solving large problems, and deploying fast and robust programs for others to use. Third, the main challenges for the organization are sharing its technical know-how, results, data and methodologies across the organization and its suppliers, and connecting researchers, analysts, product developers, testers, and others with different skill sets, experience and objectives.
EDN Asia: How does MATLAB 7 address these challenges?McGarrity: MATLAB 7 expands the scope of technical computing. It solves larger and more complex problems by enhancing programming productivity and performance by providing rapid interactive program development, fast access to larger data and text files, tools to develop and manage larger programs, and optimizations to speed up computation. The latest version addresses more applications by extending the expressiveness of MATLAB. Its integers/single-precision support preserves data precision throughout the computation.
EDN Asia: With MATLAB 7 how do you look at the competition?McGarrity: MATLAB 7 enhances the MATLAB mission of providing easy and fast tools. Most of our competitors donÕt provide both these qualities simult-aneously. For instance, C, C++ and Fortran are fast, but difficult to use. On the contrary, spreadsheets and other turnkey packages are easy to use, but slow. MATLAB provides high-speed technical computing performance, while at the same time enabling you to capture, implement and test your ideas easily.
EDN Asia: What are the enhancements in MATLAB Compiler?McGarrity: MATLAB Compiler now supports the full MATLAB language, including most MATLAB toolboxes. The enhanced MATLAB Compiler enables engineers to deploy their MATLAB work to others as self-contained applications, or incorporate their algorithms in environments such as Excel, C, C++ and COM. Engineers and scientists can leverage MATLAB Compiler to deploy significantly more MATLAB applications and enable companies to take advantage of MATLAB technical capabilities throughout their organizations.
EDN Asia: What does Simulink 6 bring to model-based design?McGarrity: Simulink 6 takes model-based design to large-scale projects for embedded systems, and brings model-based design to new domains and applications. It continues to drive the evolution and adoption of model-based design.
EDN Asia: Is model-based design making inroads into traditional design methods?McGarrity: Yes. Using Simulink, model-based design is cutting across industries and applications. Software development is responsible for most design delays. Traditional design results in discovery of design and requirements errors too late in the design cycle. With timing becoming critical in product introduction, such delays can become very costly. Besides, designs, especially for avionics and automobiles, have become too complex to develop and coordinate without the creation of a design environment common to all involved developers. Model-based design provides a single design environment enabling developers to use a single model of their system for data analysis, model visualization, testing and validation, and product deployment. This design also enables developers to evaluate multiple options, predict system performance, test system functionality by imposing I/O conditions that might be operationally expected before product deployment.
EDN Asia: What is the impact of the products on EDA?McGarrity: They can interface with EDA tools for design development.
You can reach Kirtimaya Varma at
kirti.varma@rbi-asia.com
