USA: National Instruments has announced the NI Graphical Differencing and User Interface Toolkit, a software solution that helps engineers and scientists identify differences between models built using The MathWorks Inc.'s Simulink software.

Engineers and scientists can use the toolkit to easily create user interfaces to interact with their models built using Simulink. The ability to easily compare models and identify differences makes the toolkit ideal for team-based application development in industries such as aerospace, automotive and medical. Valid for worldwide use, the toolkit is offered in collaboration with ExpertControl, a technical software company headquartered in Germany.

The toolkit makes it possible for users to compare and identify the structural, parameter and visual differences between models including standard Simulink software blocks, subsystems, S-functions and statecharts developed using The MathWorks Inc. Stateflow software. Users also can filter the list of differences to better view and manage the results. Additionally, users can visualize model differences in Simulink and export them to Microsoft Excel for further analysis.

The Graphical Differencing and User Interface Toolkit includes the ecDIFF graphical differencing tool for comparing models built using the Simulink software as well as the NI LabVIEW Base graphical programming environment and the LabVIEW Simulation Interface Toolkit, giving engineers and scientists a comprehensive, easy-to-use software environment for creating design, control and test applications and connecting models developed using the Simulink software to the real world.

With LabVIEW and the LabVIEW Simulation Interface Toolkit, users can create custom user interfaces in LabVIEW to interact with their models developed using Simulink software. Engineers and scientists also can connect their models to real-time I/O for prototyping, deployment and hardware-in-the-loop simulation using the LabVIEW Real-Time and LabVIEW FPGA modules.