CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
19 December 2005
Implementation Investments
BridgeWave Communications Develops Longest-range 60GHz Ethernet Wireless Link Using Simulink and Model-Based Design
The MathWorks announced that BridgeWave Communications, Inc. has developed the market's longest-range Ethernet wireless link, the FE60, using Simulink® and Model-Based Design. BridgeWave engineers were able to perform system simulations, test variables, and verify designs all in the Simulink environment. Additionally, by using Model-Based Design, engineers were able to locate and fix errors during the design phase before committing to hardware, build prototypes with confidence, and cut product development time by more than half. As a result, BridgeWave was able to deliver the FE60 100 Mbps Ethernet link to the market five months ahead of schedule.
BridgeWave has a longstanding relationship with The MathWorks and originally used MATLAB® to develop its GE60 gigabit Ethernet wireless link. To develop the new platform for the longer-range 100 Mbps version, the FE60, designers turned to Simulink for its comprehensive system simulation and verification capabilities. Simulink offered an integrated environment that allowed the engineering team to collaborate and explore design options more fully. Because of the productivity gains Simulink provides, BridgeWave engineers were able to simulate and verify other designs, different modulation formats, and different demodulators.
"We were faced with a major time constraint to develop the FE60 100 Mbps link and introduce the product to market. By verifying our designs before building, we walked into the lab confident our design would work the first time - and it did," said Idan Bar-Sade, vice president of engineering, BridgeWave Communications. "Simulink and Model-Based Design enabled us to begin selling the FE60 in three months as opposed to eight."
Simulink block diagrams provided an executable specification that improved communication among BridgeWave engineers throughout the workflow. Engineers also found it easier to visually share designs with members of the engineering group who were not familiar with Simulink.
In addition, Simulink models provided engineers with a more efficient way to verify designs. By using Simulink and the specialized block libraries in the Communications Blockset, the Signal Processing Blockset, and the RF Toolbox and RF Blockset, BridgeWave engineers avoided manual debugging and designed the system faster.
"The reduction in development time, cost, and risk that BridgeWave engineers experienced by using Model-Based Design has been echoed by adopters throughout the communications industry, as well as those in the automotive, aerospace, and electronics markets," said Ken Karnofsky, director of marketing, signal processing and communications, The MathWorks. "The continuous test and verification capability offered by Model-Based Design enables engineers, like those at BridgeWave, to develop more complex systems. We're looking forward to working with BridgeWave in the future, as they continue to use our tools to develop some of the market's best wireless links."
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