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We have considerable experience, from our own product development and our
work for clients, in packaging FORTRAN
code for use with MATLAB®
and Simulink®.
We can help you re-use or integrate your existing FORTRAN
code by packaging it for calling from MATLAB
as a mex-function.
It is generally possible to package existing FORTRAN
code for use with MATLAB
without altering in any way the existing code. We do this by integrating it, unchanged, into an interface program. This is our preferred approach, because of
its obvious advantages:
- It avoids completely the introduction of errors into a customer's
original, proven, code.
- It provides clear and definite separation of responsibility for software
development and test between the application software (the customer's FORTRAN
code) and the application interface (the mex-function
interface engineering).
- Complete confidentiality of original code content can be maintained where
required, using a customer's pre-compiled modules for linking into the mex-function
deliverables, or by interfacing to a customer's existing DLL.
Where it is not practical or desirable, e.g. for performance reasons, to
maintain the complete form of the existing code, we can assist with its
re-engineering for mex-function
use.
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There is more to building a FORTRAN
mex-function
than just passing data back and forth between MATLAB
and the FORTRAN code.
- Function arguments, both right-hand side calling and left-hand-side
return, must be checked for validity, including number, type (text, numeric,
scalar and array), dimension and numerical value.
- Arrays must be orientated and re-orientated correctly between MATLAB
and FORTRAN conventions.
- Error messages must be generated appropriately.
- The intricacies of the MATLAB
Applications Program Interface (API) for FORTRAN
must be learned and mastered.
Software modules and methods we have developed for our own products, already
tried and tested, can be quickly adapted and applied - saving time and keeping
down costs.
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We don't use automated FORTRAN-to-mex-function
code converters or translators. While taking care to preserve the integrity of
the original FORTRAN code, we
individually craft a mex-function
interface tailored to end-user requirements. That means we can engineer into the
interface any special requirements or enhancements that an automated approach
cannot handle.
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We use and support Compaq Visual
FORTRAN as standard.
We may be able to support other compilers on request and at cost. Please
enquire.
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- The Multiflash
Interface for MATLAB is written by us in FORTRAN
as a suite of mex-functions
for interfacing with Infochem's
Multiflash product DLL - also written in FORTRAN.
- A pipeline slug-flow dynamic simulation model, developed by a major
international oil company in FORTRAN,
was packaged for them by us as mex-function,
and delivered integrated into a Simulink
slug-flow simulation demonstrator.
- Emulations of Compressor Controls Corporation
(CCC) Series-3
Plus compressor
controls in FORTRAN were
commissioned from us by Dynamation Ltd., for integration as DLLs into their
Virtual Process based process operator training simulator for the North Sea Britannia
Oil operator. The models were developed by us and extensively
tested and demonstrated in Simulink
simulation before delivery, by packaging and testing the deliverable FORTRAN
modules as mex-functions.
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