The MathWorks and Mentor Graphics Outline Joint DO-254 Workflow for Model-Based Design

NATICK, Mass — The MathWorks and Mentor Graphics today announced a joint collaboration to provide guidance on an integrated workflow for DO-254 compliance using Model-Based Design. The approach combines tools from The MathWorks and Mentor Graphics to support Model-Based Design throughout all stages of the development process, including requirements definition and management, conceptual and detailed design, implementation, and testing. Using this integrated workflow, aerospace engineers can verify designs earlier, implement in HDL faster, gain greater reuse of design and verification effort, and more easily manage requirements and test cases throughout the entire development process.

In the new DO-254 workflow, engineers begin with Mentor Graphics ReqTracer to collect and manage requirements. From the requirements, an executable Simulink model is used to develop and explore a conceptual design including implementation details such as fixed-point effects. Model blocks can be linked directly to requirements in ReqTracer to ensure traceability. Using verification and validation tools from The MathWorks, engineers can then perform functional testing and formal analysis at the conceptual model level. These design and verification capabilities allow engineers to ensure that the conceptual design is fully tested, traceable to requirements, and meets all necessary requirements. From this fully tested model, a detailed design in HDL can be automatically generated with Simulink HDL Coder.

From this stage onward, Mentor Graphics HDL Designer provides the primary environment for additional HDL development, code checking, code visualizations, and reviews. Further verification of the detailed HDL design can be performed in the Mentor Graphics verification environment, leveraging the test vectors created at the model level, using tools such as ModelSim and Questa. Formal analysis is supported by 0-In Formal Verification, for HDL model checking, and FormalPro, for logical equivalency checking. FPGA synthesis and integration with FPGA vendor place and route tools is accomplished by Precision RTL Plus. All verification results and synthesis constraint settings generated throughout the entire flow can be traced back to design and verification requirements using ReqTracer.

“Our aerospace customers have been seeking assurances that they can leverage conceptual design work throughout the software and hardware design flow,” said Michelle Lange, DO-254 program manager at Mentor Graphics. “The opportunity to integrate with The MathWorks was a compelling proposition because of their strong offering in Model-Based Design along with their desire to support a DO-254 compliant workflow. Adding these capabilities to our DO-254 workflow will reduce our customers’ design implementation and verification time.”

“DO-254 compliance is a major focus for our customers and one of the key challenges is the need to improve productivity by reusing designs and automating documentation and verification activities,” said Jon Friedman, aerospace and defense industry marketing manager at The MathWorks. “By demonstrating an integrated workflow with Mentor Graphics, we address this and also further extend the benefits of Model-Based Design from HDL simulation and analysis through synthesis and implementation.”