Robert Anderson
Xilinx

This paper is the first in a three-part series describing techniques and methods for using MATLAB as an executable specification for hardware development. Why use MATLAB as an executable specification for hardware when other options exist such as Simulink, C, or RTL? The answer is verification. Because when the application is signal processing, MATLAB offers a vastly superior environment for input vector generation and output waveform analysis.

Using MATLAB allows the algorithm developer to create a model that more accurately describes the characteristics of the final hardware implementation. This flow enables the algorithm developer to reduce design iterations, shorten development cycles, and assert more control over the hardware development process.