The Development Cycle

The Fixed-Point Blockset provides tools that aid in the development and testing of fixed-point dynamic systems. You directly design dynamic system models in Simulink, which are ready for implementation on fixed-point hardware. The development cycle is illustrated below.

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Using MATLAB, Simulink, and the Fixed-Point Blockset, the development cycle follows these steps:

1. Model the system (plant or signal source) within Simulink using the built-in blocks and double precision numbers. Typically, the model will contain nonlinear elements. 

2. Design and simulate a fixed-point dynamic system (for example, a control system or digital filter) with the Fixed-Point Blockset that meets the design, performance, and other constraints.

3. Analyze the results and go back to 1 if needed.

When the design requirements have been met, you can use the model as a specification for creating production code using the Real-Time Workshop.

The above steps interact strongly. In steps 1 and 2, there is a significant amount of freedom to select different solutions. Generally, the model is fine-tuned based upon feedback from the results of the current implementation (step 3). There is no specific modeling approach. For example, models may be obtained from first principles such as equations of motion, or from a frequency response such as a sine sweep. There are many controllers that meet the same frequency-domain or time-domain specifications. Additionally, for each controller there are an infinite number of realizations.

The Fixed-Point Blockset helps expedite the design cycle by allowing you to simulate the effects of various fixed-point controller/digital filter structures.