Mathworks upgrades design software

The Mathworks Inc. has developed a new version of its SimDriveline software that will help engineers model and simulate simple and complex mechanical systems in one environment more easily than with signal-based or input/output-based methods. Mathworks' SimDriveline software helps simply the integration of other physical domains into drivetrain models, including thermal losses in geartrains, electrical solenoids and hydraulically-actuated cluthes.

The upgraded software was developed based on MathWorks' Simscape technology, a modeling and simulation tool in Simulink that is used for a variety of automotive, aerospace, defense, and industrial applications. Simulink is a graphical environment for simulation and model-based design of multidomain dynamic and embedded systems.

The enhancements included in the upgraded SimDriveline software include gear loss models that capture meshing and viscous losses for efficiency studies, and more accurate and efficient simulation for systems involving multiple, simultaneous clutch events.

Since SimDriveline is based on Simscape technology, engineers can connect directly to other physical modeling libraries and leverage other simulation capabilities, such as data logging and Simscape local solvers. By using these libraries and capabilities, engineers spend more time refining their designs and less time setting up models and tests.

MathWorks design automation marketing director, Paul Barnard, said it is critical for engineers working toward an optimized design to model their software algorithms and physical system together in a single environment and to detect integration issues as early as possible. "MathWorks' physical modeling tools help support engineers through every stage of model-based design, bringing accuracy and efficiency to the workflow," Barnard said.