MathWorks now supports FPGA with its xPC Target 5.0 prototyping workflow.

The xPC Target tool can be used to execute Simulink and Stateflow models on a target computer for control prototyping, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation, and other real-time testing applications.

It provides a library of I/O device drivers, a real-time kernel, and an interface for real-time monitoring, parameter tuning, and data logging.

This can now be used to automatically generate HDL to program FPGA boards from Simulink models for execution on turnkey systems.

According to the supplier, control systems engineers can program FPGA boards for xPC Target Turnkey systems using code generated by Simulink HDL Coder.

The new capability offers the ability to reconfigure digital input/output (I/O) modules and to implement high speed algorithms for controls or signal processing within real-time testing and prototyping environments.

There is also task-level profiling of execution times to help with load balancing, and support for cameras based on the Camera Link interface standard.