Lockheed Martin uses MathWorks to develop space-qualified digital channelizer

BANGALORE, INDIA: The MathWorks announced that Lockheed Martin Space Systems, a leader in space science and the design and production of space launch vehicles, successfully adopted Model-Based Design using tools from The MathWorks to develop a dual-stage, satellite-based channelizer.

Also known as a bent-pipe transponder, the channelizer lets Lockheed Martin move bandwidth on-demand between users and location, optimizing the capacity of fixed-band satellite communications systems.

Using Model-Based Design, Lockheed Martin engineers were able to rapidly implement and verify design changes driven by evolving requirements. Overall, they reduced VHDL verification time by 90 percent and field-programmable gate array (FPGA) development time from 12 months to four months. Additionally, the algorithms developed can be reused, saving a projected 50 percent of design effort on subsequent projects.

“Simulink and Model-Based Design allowed us to visualize and simulate the operation of the system as it was running, and the model served as a golden reference for the hardware,” said Bradford Watson, staff engineer, Advanced Algorithm Development Group at Lockheed Martin Space Systems. “With Simulink and EDA Simulator Link MQ for Mentor Graphics ModelSim, system simulation and hardware verification are performed in one environment. As a result, we can test the design from end to end, improving quality and ensuring design accuracy and validity.”

“The work completed by Lockheed Martin engineers on this complex project shows the value of a unifying platform to improve the design process and increase quality and accuracy,” said Paul Barnard, design automation marketing director at The MathWorks. “By implementing Model-Based Design using The MathWorks products, Lockheed Martin was able to use the same set of tools for behavioral and implementation testing. This allowed for early testing and improved the overall design and verification process.”