Category Archives: Simulation

MathWorks Unveils MATLAB, Simulink Release 2023a

NATICK, MA, Mar 21, 2023 – MathWorks unveiled Release 2023a (R2023a) of the MATLAB and Simulink product families today. R2023a introduces two new products and enhanced features that allow engineers and researchers to develop, execute, manage, test, verify, and document their MATLAB code projects.

MATLAB Test enables engineers and researchers to develop, execute, measure, and manage dynamic tests of MATLAB code at scale. The new product helps organize and manage projects’ tests and results by enabling organizations to group, save, and run custom test suites. To optimize productivity, engineers and researchers can identify untested code paths using industry-standard code coverage metrics, such as condition, decision, and modified condition/decision coverage (MC/DC). MATLAB Test users can also use the product’s project-based quality dashboard to create an interactive, graphical summary of code quality metrics and clickable details for code analysis, code coverage, test results, and requirements to raise the visibility of code readiness to an intuitive summary level.

R2023a also features the new C2000 Microcontroller Blockset that designs, simulates, and implements applications for Texas Instruments C2000 microcontrollers. The blockset enables engineers and researchers to model digital power conversion and motor control applications. The product also includes peripheral blocks, such as digital IO, ADC, and ePWM, to perform simulations of control algorithms that require ADC-PWM synchronization in industrial and automotive applications using C2000 motor control units (MCUs).

“R2023a’s new products are designed for engineers and researchers who must build safety critical systems efficiently,” said MathWorks director of product marketing David Rich. “Our customers will experience increased quality and automation within their DevOps workflows using these new products and enhanced features.”

R2023a also includes major updates to popular MATLAB and Simulink tools, including:

  • Aerospace Blockset provides Simulink reference examples and blocks for modeling, simulating, and analyzing high-fidelity aircraft, rotorcraft, and spacecraft platforms. The blockset includes vehicle dynamics, validated models of the flight environment, and blocks for pilot behavior, actuator dynamics, and propulsion.
  • Communications Toolbox provides algorithms and apps for the analysis, design, end-to-end simulation, and verification of communications systems. Toolbox algorithms include channel coding, modulation, multi-input multi-output (MIMO), and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), enabling engineers and researchers to compose and simulate a physical layer model of their standard-based or custom-designed wireless communications system.
  • Powertrain Blockset provides preassembled automotive vehicle reference applications for engineers and researchers using Model-Based Design for gasoline, diesel, hybrid, fuel cell, and battery electric propulsion systems. The product includes a component library for engines, traction motors, batteries, transmissions, tires, driver models, and component and supervisory controllers.
  • Vehicle Dynamics Blockset provides preassembled automotive vehicle dynamics reference applications for passenger cars, trucks, and two-wheelers. The blockset includes a component library for propulsion, steering, suspension, vehicle body, brakes, tires, driver models, and component and supervisory controllers.

For information on all the new products, enhancements, and bug fixes to the MATLAB and Simulink product families, visit mathworks.com/products/new_products/latest_features.html.

About MathWorks

MathWorks is the leading developer of mathematical computing software. MATLAB, the language of engineers and scientists, is a programming environment for algorithm development, data analysis, visualization, and numeric computation. Simulink is a block diagram environment for simulation and Model-Based Design of multidomain and embedded engineering systems. Engineers and scientists worldwide rely on these products to accelerate the pace of discovery, innovation, and development in automotive, aerospace, communications, electronics, industrial automation, and other industries. MATLAB and Simulink are fundamental teaching and research tools in the world’s top universities and learning institutions. Founded in 1984, MathWorks employs more than 6,000 people in 34 offices around the world, with headquarters in Natick, MA, USA.

For additional information, visit mathworks.com.

CoreTech Announces Moldex3D 2023

HSINCHU, Taiwan, Mar 15, 2023 – Plastic injection has been occupying a core position in numerous industries. In response to the transformational needs of the high-tech era, CoreTech announced Moldex3D 2023, the latest version of molding analysis software, to seize opportunities with its global customers in the continuously advancing industry. The new generation of Moldex3D focuses on four main concepts: reliability, efficiency, augmentation and liberation. It not only strengthens simulation performance but also provides user-friendly interfaces and various cloud services. The API function can streamline workflow, enhance software and hardware capabilities, achieve digital twins, and seamlessly connect the virtual and the real.

The important updates and highlights of Moldex3D 2023 are as follows:

Continuously expanding software capabilities to enhance analysis accuracy

Moldex3D 2023 continues to improve simulation performance. The most critical factor that affects plastic forming is material properties. The Moldex3D Forming Technology R&D Center has conducted real injection experiments using nearly 400 different materials to optimize parameters in the material library, enhance reliability, and make the results of molding analysis closer to reality.

In terms of molding analysis, Moldex3D 2023 upgrades venting analysis, including compressibility and air temperature calculation. It accurately simulates the temperature and pressure changes of air in the mold cavity during the filling process, allowing users to plan and compare various venting designs, avoiding defects such as short shots and burn marks.

For cooling channel, users can directly set parameters to automatically build baffle and cooling channel mesh, supporting the establishment and simulation of manifold, which can add cooling tube outside the mold to consider the actual influence of the mold temperature controller in simulation, accelerating the efficiency and calculation accuracy of the overall molding analysis.

Faster and more flexible computing, more powerful virtual and real integration

In the era of increasingly popular multi-core computers, using parallel computing to reduce the calculation time of molding analysis can bring great advantages to enterprises. Moldex3D 2023 supports parallel computing on multi-core processors, multiple processors, and clusters, which can not only increase the calculation speed by up to 80%, but also improve the calculation efficiency of wire sweep analysis in IC packaging by nearly 20%, greatly enhancing simulation efficiency.

We also make the cloud platform a powerful tool for enterprise. Moldex3D Cloud-Connect helps users deploying the latest version of Moldex3D on AWS, Azure, and Google within just 40 minutes, and can adjust the calculation scale according to demand, making work easier. In addition, Cloud-Connect also supports automatic on/off functions, allowing enterprises to save up to 72% of costs during the period of timed plans, effectively controlling costs and achieving true on-demand use.

Moldex3D 2023 also strives to meet customers’ demands for virtual and real integration. The Moldex3D iSLM allows enterprises to establish a big data database, effectively manage work assignments and project schedules, and create their own quality indicators to quickly determine product quality. This year, users can search models by uploading CAD files, saving time and efforts on searching and comparing files throughout the database, making knowledge management goals more achievable.

Moldex3D also integrates with injection molding machines from FANUC and Sumitomo. Users can import molding conditions and response curves from the injection molding machine into Moldex3D, allowing the molding software to perform molding analysis using more accurate machine data, and export the optimized injection parameters back to the machine for direct use in trial molding, achieving the goal of connecting simulation software with real-world information.

More New Features and Support to Solve Complex Manufacturing Challenges

To overcome barriers in various complex manufacturing processes, Moldex3D 2023 offers a range of new features. In terms of optics, the latest MCM dual-shot optical simulation function accurately calculates residual stresses and thermal residual stresses for each shot, providing more detailed optical molding parameters for design optimization. It also provides two viewing output options, Isochromatics and Isoclinics, allowing users to intuitively identify simulation results.

For the increasing number of continuous fiber-reinforced layup applications, Moldex3D 2023 supports file formats from LS-DYNA or Abaqus, helping with the calculation of composite material layups and providing more accurate simulation results. Complex processes are no longer challenging.

Assisting customers in converting simulation data into product insights more quickly and easily has always been a critical mission of Moldex3D. The new version of Moldex3D allows users to customize simulation projects and generate reports, comparing all simulation results with the same perspective and conditions, clearly identifying the most suitable molding conditions. Users can also directly adjust the timeline to understand the wavefront flow and changes in temperature and pressure of the molten resin in the mold cavity at each time point.

Liberating workflow and entering a new stage of molding simulation

For a product to go from design to production, it requires multiple rounds of experimentation and verification. How can these steps be automated? With Moldex3D 2023, a new way has emerged. The API feature enables workflows to be processed automatically with just one click. By setting up the system in advance, it can automatically execute high-repetition processes and molding parameter settings, or perform specific analysis tasks, creating a custom automation workflow that is specific to your needs.

Moldex3D 2023 also integrates various cloud resources and proudly introduces its latest cloud platform – Moldiverse. Through this platform, users can access services such as MHC, iMolding, and University, providing an efficient, highly precise, and reliable molding analysis experience. Moldex3D’s commitment is to assist the industry in solving various challenges in plastic molding with the most effective methods.

About CoreTech System (Moldex3D)

CoreTech System Co., Ltd. (Moldex3D) has been providing the professional CAE analysis solution “Moldex” series for the plastic injection molding industry since 1995, and the current product “Moldex3D” is marketed worldwide. Committed to providing advanced technologies and solutions to meet industrial demands, CoreTech System has extended its sales and service network to provide local, immediate, and professional service. CoreTech System presents innovative technology, which helps customers troubleshoot from product design to development, optimize design patterns, shorten time-to-market, and maximize product return on investment (ROI).

More information can be found at Moldex3D website.

MathWorks, Green Hills Integrate for Safety-Related Applications

NATICK, MA and SANTA BARBARA, CA, Mar 15, 2023 – MathWorks, the leading developer of mathematical computing software, and Green Hills Software, the worldwide leader in embedded software safety and security, announced an integration that helps engineers design safety-related applications for the Infineon AURIX TC4x family of automotive microcontrollers using Simulink. Engineers using the new family of microcontrollers automate compiling and building code generated by Embedded Coder using Green Hills Software’s support for AURIX, and then perform back-to-back testing using processor-in-loop (PIL) simulation.

“Electric vehicles and automated driving systems have disrupted conventional norms and introduced a generational change in the pace and scope of automotive electronics development,” said Tom Erkkinen, product manager, Embedded Code Generation at MathWorks. “Green Hills is a leading embedded software vendor that we collaborate with to provide highly automated tools and workflows that comply with rigorous functional safety standards, such as ISO 26262.”

Businesses manage hardware and software complexities with modern software development techniques, including virtual simulation and automated deployment. With this integration, automotive engineers move quickly from algorithm design to production deployment, knowing that the enabling tools from MathWorks and Green Hills Software support major safety standards. The ability to validate use cases, test algorithms, and automatically generate embedded software has the potential to improve organizations’ time-to-market.

“Many of our customers use MathWorks products to create algorithms for embedded systems,” said Rob Redfield, director, business development at Green Hills Software. “Now, these customers not only have an easy-to-use way to run and verify these algorithms on embedded processors, but they also can debug, analyze, and optimize their code with safety-qualified optimizing C/C++ compilers and run-time libraries within the Green Hills MULTI IDE.”

This is the latest collaboration between MathWorks and Green Hills Software. These capabilities extend the collaboration between MathWorks and Green Hills Software that in 2021 generated the MULTI Toolbox for Embedded Coder, offered by Green Hills, enabling engineers to quickly and efficiently develop and deploy their Simulink and MATLAB models on a wide range of embedded processors.

“The collaboration between MathWorks and Green Hills Software is a major step forward to accelerate the development of safety-critical applications using the AURIX TC4x family,” said Thomas Schneid, senior director software, partner and ecosystem management at Infineon Technologies AG. “MathWorks and Green Hills Software are two important partners that successfully support our customers in their developments.”

About Green Hills Software

Founded in 1982, Green Hills Software is the worldwide leader in embedded safety and security. In 2008, the Green Hills INTEGRITY-178 RTOS was the first and only operating system to be certified by NIAP (National Information Assurance Partnership comprised of NSA & NIST) to EAL 6+, High Robustness, the highest level of security ever achieved for any software product. Their open architecture integrated development solutions address deeply embedded, absolute security and high-reliability applications for the military/avionics, medical, industrial, automotive, networking, consumer and other markets that demand industry-certified solutions. Green Hills Software is headquartered in Santa Barbara, CA, with European headquarters in the United Kingdom.

Visit Green Hills Software at www.ghs.com.

About MathWorks

MathWorks is the leading developer of mathematical computing software. MATLAB, the language of engineers and scientists, is a programming environment for algorithm development, data analysis, visualization, and numeric computation. Simulink is a block diagram environment for simulation and Model-Based Design of multidomain and embedded engineering systems. Engineers and scientists worldwide rely on these products to accelerate the pace of discovery, innovation, and development in automotive, aerospace, communications, electronics, industrial automation, and other industries. MATLAB and Simulink are fundamental teaching and research tools in the world’s top universities and learning institutions. Founded in 1984, MathWorks employs more than 6,000 people in 34 offices around the world, with headquarters in Natick, MA, USA.

For additional information, visit mathworks.com.

Coreform Receives $1.6M Grant from the Department of Energy

to Develop Isogeometric Analysis for GPU

OREM, UT, Mar 15, 2023 – Coreform LLC, developer of next-generation CAE software, announces a $1.6M grant from the Department of Energy to develop their isogeometric analysis technology for use on graphical-processing-unit computers.

Coreform LLC, the fastest growing CAE company in the US according to Inc magazine, has won a significant grant from the Department of Energy to develop their next-generation technology for high-performance computing with GPUs. The $1.6 million grant will go toward integrating Coreform IGA with a GPU-capable finite element library.

“This award underscores the importance of new methods for computer simulation, which plays an important role in product development but has suffered from severe bottlenecks and limitations that have blunted its impact,” notes chief strategy officer Matt Sederberg. “This funding will allow us to optimize our new technology for high performance computing and continue to unleash the power of simulation across industries.”

Computer simulation allows for testing of parts and assemblies without having to manufacture and physically manipulate them, which can save significant time and money in the product development process. Unfortunately, mainstream simulation software is incompatible with the data structures used for design models. Even today’s best methods for problems like simulating automotive crashes require millions of dollars of manual labor to prepare each simulation. And even after all this work, these approximated simulation models take up vast amounts of high-performance computing resources. While simulation has an important role in product development, these inefficiencies limit how much it can actually be used to perfect new designs.

Coreform is developing a new technology that eliminates those approximations and inefficiencies but is not yet configured to run on GPU-driven HPC systems. Coreform CEO Michael Scott says, “This grant provides further support for our efforts to develop IGA for industry, and adding GPU capabilities will allow our code to handle even the most complex simulations.”

With an earlier, exploratory grant, Coreform collaborated with a national laboratory to partially integrate Coreform IGA with MFEM, a DOE-developed, GPU-enabled, finite element discretization library. The proof of concept they developed was highly successful and led to the DOE’s decision to further fund the approach. When the project is completed, GPU-enabled Coreform IGA will be available for purchase at Coreform’s website.

About Coreform LLC 

Coreform develops next-generation computer-aided engineering software. Coreform’s founders are authorities in isogeometric analysis and are widely cited researchers. The Coreform IGA solver is based on smooth CAD spline geometry, offering greater accuracy than the faceted meshes used in legacy CAE software. Coreform is also the exclusive commercial distributor of the Cubit meshing software. Coreform was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Utah, USA.

For more information, visit www.coreform.com.

Robotec.ai Joins Open 3D Foundation

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, Mar 15, 2023 – The Open 3D Foundation (O3DF) announced increased adoption in the robotics industry, which is collectively looking to Open 3D Engine (O3DE) for robotic simulations because of its modularity and core functions across content creation, physics and sensor simulations.

Robotec.ai, a software leader that develops solutions for autonomous, connected cars, is joining O3DF in its pursuit to build an open source future for robotic simulation. Robotec.ai joins more than 20 other O3DF members and represents the growing number of companies using O3DE for a variety of use cases, from gaming and robotics to film and high-fidelity simulations, among others. O3DF saw massive growth over the last 12 months with more than 500 active online participants, nearly 200 authors of code and almost eight million changes to lines. This represents the increasingly diverse O3DE community and use cases.

The modular O3DE architecture is made possible through Gems, plug-ins that enable users to customize and extend the engine’s capabilities to address their unique applications, including games, simulations and many other 3D use cases. Robotec.ai has created two Gems to extend the engine’s capabilities for robotics simulations.

The O3DE ROS2 Gem, created in collaboration with AWS Game Tech and Open Robotics, integrates O3DE with the Robotics Operating System (ROS), which is being used in NASA’s VIPER mission to the moon. You can also learn more about the O3DE ROS2 Gem in this blog, and see it in action in these demos: fruit-picking robots simulation and robot vacuum simulation.

The O3DE RGL Gem powers high-performance Lidar simulation.

“Traditional and commercial simulation engines are often insufficient for the complexity and scale of modern robotics applications,” said Royal O’Brien, general manager of Digital Media and Games at the Linux Foundation & Executive Director of the Open 3D Foundation. “Integrated with the modern Robotic Operating System (ROS), O3DE can be used in robotics applications without the need for wrappers or bridges and will accelerate robotic development and innovation. Robotec.ai is a clear leader advancing this work, and we are excited about their O3DE contributions.”

As an O3DF member, Robotec.ai will continue to contribute to the advancement of O3DE through code contributions, bug fixes and feedback on new features. The company will also participate in new O3DE projects, joint research initiatives and the development and documenting of best practices. Robotec.ai will be an O3DE advocate by recommending the engine to customers and partners, driving adoption and standardization across the industry, and collaborating on training and tools that improve Robtec.ai products and customer experiences.

“Robotec.ai is fully embracing O3DE as the future simulation engine for robotics. Our O3DF membership represents this belief and our commitment to O3DE development and collaboration,” said Adam Dąbrowski, VP of robotics and simulation, Robotec.ai. “Joining the Open 3D Foundation can help Robotec.ai stay at the forefront of the 3D content creation and distribution industry and gain valuable access to resources and support that drives growth and innovation.”

For more information about Robotec.ai’s work with O3DE, please listen to our discussion with Adam Dąbrowski in this episode of Tales from the 3rd Dimension. A panel on O3DE for robotics simulations will be hosted and live in the coming weeks.

About the Open 3D Engine

Open 3D Engine (O3DE) is the flagship project managed by the Open 3D Foundation (O3DF). The open-source project is a modular, cross-platform 3D engine built to power anything from AAA games to cinema-quality 3D worlds to high-fidelity simulations. The code is hosted on GitHub under the Apache 2.0 license.

To learn more, please visit o3de.org.

About the Open 3D Foundation

Established in July 2021, the mission of the Open 3D Foundation (O3DF) is to make an open-source, fully-featured, high-fidelity, real-time 3D engine for building games and simulations, available to every industry. The Open 3D Foundation is home to the O3D Engine project.

To learn more, please visit o3d.foundation.

About the Linux Foundation

The Linux Foundation is the world’s leading home for collaboration on open source software, hardware, standards and data. Linux Foundation projects are critical to the world’s infrastructure including Linux, Kubernetes, Node.js, ONAP, PyTorch, RISC-V, SPDX, OpenChain and more. The Linux Foundation focuses on leveraging best practices and addressing the needs of contributors, users, and solution providers to create sustainable models for open collaboration.

For more information, please visit at linuxfoundation.org.