Model Base Design of Digital Filters using MatLab/Simulink

Engineering processes have long been the cornerstone of research and development.  Technology in engineering tools has been the foundation of innovation supporting continued reduction in cost and schedule when applying engineering processes.  An emerging process, Model Based Design (MBD), coupled with Hardware Description Language (HDL), auto-coding is transforming the way engineers and scientists work by moving tasks from the lab and field to the desktop. Adoption of Model Based Design has shown to improve product quality and reduce development time by as much as 50% and more. This research supports the defining of a MBD process, methodologies and guidelines from requirements to auto-code generation and subsequent verification.  A Direct Digital Synthesizer (DDS) design serves as the target for MBD process development using the MathWorks MatLab/Simulink tool paradigm.  DDS is a type of frequency synthesizer used for creating arbitrary waveforms from a single, fixed-frequency reference clock.  MathWork’s MatLab/Simulink tools provide for design and development of the DDS with easy transition to a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) using their HDL auto-coder.  Validation and verification of a truth model against fixed point and HDL model’s function and performance are achieved through MathWork’s Engineering Design Co-Simulation environment.  This allows operation of both Simulink and Mentor Graphics Modelsim analog/digital simulation environments at the same time. Results of the modeling, coding and validation will assist in defining the MBD process, methodologies and guidelines for Honeywell’s ASIC/FPGA Center of Excellence (COE) engineering department for years to come.