R12 Release Notes

General Themes of Release 12

Release 12 includes many new features and products, as well as a number of bug fixes. Much of what's new for Release 12 was driven by our desire to:

• Make the software easier to use
• Extend connections to and from the software to other environments
• Improve MathWorks code generation tools

Easier to Use Products

Probably the most immediately noticeable change aimed at making MATLAB an easier to use development environment is the new desktop, an integrated set of development tools.

In addition to the new visual interface (graphical user interface (GUI)) for MATLAB, a number of other products have new or improved interfaces. Usability testing was performed as an integral part of the development process for many of the products. Some of the products with major interface enhancements include:

• Simulink
• Real-Time Workshop®
• Control System Toolbox
• Fixed-Point Blockset
• Signal Processing Toolbox
• Filter Design Toolbox
• Power System Blockset
• Neural Network Toolbox
• Spline Toolbox

Release 12 also includes new HTML-based online help that is integrated into the desktop environment, and is accessible from throughout the product via Help menus, Help buttons, and some context-sensitive help (for example, right-clicking on a block brings up a context-menu from which you can get help on the block). The documentation for several products provides more material to help new users get started using the products more quickly and effectively. For example, you can perform several types of searches, access examples via indices of examples, and take advantage of numerous links to related sections.

Extended Connections to and from the MathWorks Products

Release 12 provides more ways for you to connect between the MathWorks products and other products, software environments, or hardware environments. For example:

• MATLAB provides a Java interface, which allows you to use MATLAB functions to bring Java classes into the MATLAB environment, construct objects from those classes, call methods on the Java objects, and save Java objects for later reloading.
• MATLAB also provides a serial port feature, which supports direct access to peripheral devices such as modems, printers, and scientific instruments that you connect to your computer's serial port.
• MATLAB, Simulink, and Stateflow® provide a revision control interface for connecting to an external configuration management system.
• The new Requirements Management Interface supports tools such as QSS's DOORS.
• The Data Acquisition Toolbox adds ComputerBoards support.
• The new Instrument Control Toolbox adds GPIB and VISA support.
• The Real-Time Windows Target supports additional device drivers.
• The xPC Target supports remote Web access and additional device drivers.

Improved Code Generation

Release 12 improves the code generation capabilities and performance of several products used for design automation, including:

• The Simulink Accelerator uses code generation technology to improve simulation speed.
• The Real-Time Workshop has added matrix code generation, faster code generation, and code optimizations.
• The Real-Time Workshop Ada Coder provides Ada83 code generation and full logging support.
• The Stateflow Coder has dramatically improved code efficiency.
• The Fixed-Point Blockset added code generation performance optimizations and enhanced code generation for difficult slope and bias cases.

Introducing Release 12

Products with Major Upgrades