CodeSimulink: Automatic synthesis of analog circuits
A tool (CodeSimulink) is being developed, based on Simulink, for three different purposes:
- automatic synthesis of analogic circuits (at board level) from high level Simulink specifications. This allows true mixed-signal HW/SW cosimulation and codesign of embedded systems.
- automatic synthesis of asynchronous circuits (FPGAs and ASICs) from high level Simulink specifications. This allows true HW/SW cosimulation and codesign of asynchronous and mixed-asynchronous systems.
- automatic synthesis of truly data-flow HW/SW embedded systems, both data- and control-dominated (CPUs, soft and hard cores, FPGAs and ASICs) from high level Simulink specifications. This allows true cosimulation and codesign of HW/SW systems, keeping into account the different paradigms of CPUs (intrinsically data-flow) and FPGAs (intrinsically register-transfer).
The tool extends another tool previously developed by the group, which aimed at a straightforward and pervasive application of HW/SW codesign methodologies also to non-expert personnel. So far the design framework has been developed and tested and a set of libraries is currently under development.
The CodeSimulink tool is currently used by two courses (Metodi e Strumenti di Coprogettazione di Sistemi Elettronici eOttimizzazione di Sistemi Elettronici) for teaching HW/SW codesign and related subjects. It only requires MATLAB/Simulink running on Windows or Linux computers and some FPGA evaluation board.
As an Academic Training Partner of Visual Paradigm, Politecnico di Torino, Dip. Elettronica is issued software tools for educational use, which cover UML, BPMN, Agile story mapping, etc.
Research topics
- Development of student satellite missions
- High level codesign methods
- Highly parallel architectures
- Innovative control techniques for DC-DC switch-mode conversion systems
- Low-cost space systems and technologies
- Test systems for low-cost space systems
- Zero Robotics competition