Software upgrades
The MathWorks Release 13, introduced in August, includes new enhanced versions of MAT-LAB and Sim-ulink. MATLAB 6.5 features new JIT Acceleration for faster execution, making it a powerful alternative to manual coding in C for technical computing applications. When combined with the intuitive MATLAB programming language, the accelerated performance enables users to skip the additional step of recoding their work in C; they can use a single environment throughout their projects, with the option to automatically deploy algorithms and applications as C/C++ code, Excel add-ins, and COM objects. Simulink 5 addresses the end-to-end development process from system-level modeling to embedded-software code generation. It provides new capabilities such as multi-domain modeling for mechanical, electrical power, and wireless systems; production code generation for microcontrollers; and improvements in DSP code generation. These enhancements address the key steps in embedded-system development, including modeling the physical behaviors of real systems, designing software algorithms, and generating code that is as efficient and compact as hand-written code for target processors.
Design-space exploration
Version 3.1 of LMS OPTIMUS has enhanced features to capture, optimize, and automate computer-aided design and engineering processes. OPTIMUS works with all major mechanical CAE software programs (structural, dynamics, CFD, crash, acoustics, and fatigue). New analysis methods enable the user to understand how changes affect their designs and to automatically identify the design's sensitivity to a range of parameters. Enhanced graphical interactivity optimizes its capabilities for design-space exploration. New graphics include 3DScatter Plots to display the cloud of points rather than just the fitted RSM (Response Surface Methodology); Correlation Scatter Plots to show all of the input/output relationships in one shot; and Interactive Section Plots to display n-dimensional response surfaces in one window, so users can perform optimizations by scrolling along one design parameter and see the effect on all others.
PDM evaluation tool
The MATRA Product Data Management (PDM) ROI Calculator enables engineers to estimate return-on-investment (ROI). PDM solutions streamline change orders and enable companies to find, reuse, or modify designs easily; prototypes can be avoided, and design review time can be reduced. With the ROI calculator, users can project savings over a five-year period from productivity improvements in engineering, improved collaboration with customers and vendors, and estimated gains from shorter times to market. Specifically, savings from contract labor, raw materials, testing costs, decreased travel and on-site meetings, and other quantifiable elements that comprise ROI from PDM solutions can be calculated.
Visualization technology
Virtual Vantage 3.0 visualization software from Fuel-Tech uses virtual reality technology to help provide a deeper and faster understanding of complex data sets, such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results, than can be obtained with conventional post-processing tools. The software allows users to maneuver through the solution domain—using a joystick, SpaceBall or SpaceMouse from 3Dconnexion, or keypad—from a first-person perspective in 3-D while viewing critical dependent variables as color contours. The addition of an emitter and a pair of stereoscopic glasses can enhance the sense of depth and realism of the simulation. The virtual environment can be projected onto a wall for collaboration with designers, customers, and managers; wall-display projectors can be for mono or stereovision and use LCD or DLP technology.
PC-card drive
The SCSI-connected PC-card drive from Ad-tron Corp. uses hot-swappable flash or disk PC-card media, offering the same SCSI read/write removable media functionality as the discontinued Jaz drive. Internal 3.5-in floppy drive bay-mounted versions and external desktop versions are available. Compatible PC cards include ATA flash cards up to 2 Gb from SanDisk, Hitachi, SimpleTech, and others; hard disk cards up to 5 Gb from Toshiba; and IBM microdrives with a CompactFlash-to-PC-card adapter.
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