At DesignCon 2019, MathWorks introduced two software products developed with SiSoft after SiSoft became a wholly owned MathWorks subsidiary: SerDes Toolbox and Mixed-Signal Blockset. The first is for designing and modeling high-speed serial links; the second supports modeling and verification of mixed-signal systems in MATLAB and Simulink.
What were the first products announced?
EE Times reported the announcement from DesignCon on February 6, 2019. SerDes Toolbox and Mixed-Signal Blockset were the first products developed jointly by MathWorks and SiSoft. The announcement concerned professional engineering software, not hardware.
SiSoft had already worked with MathWorks for more than four years, according to SiSoft President and CTO Barry Katz in the 2019 report. He described their earlier focus as signal integrity, including serial-link, SerDes, and IBIS-AMI modeling, as well as mixed-signal work. (EE Times, February 6, 2019)
What is SerDes Toolbox used for?
SerDes Toolbox is aimed at SerDes architects, IBIS-AMI modelers, and signal-integrity engineers designing and simulating transmitter and receiver behavior for high-speed links. EE Times described support for 25-Gbit/s NRZ, 56-Gbit/s PAM4, and next-generation 112-Gbit/s PAM4 links in 2019; these figures describe the announcement’s targeted link rates, not independently measured product performance.
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Equalization and link simulation
The toolbox includes blocks for continuous-time linear equalization (CTLE), feed-forward equalization (FFE), decision-feedback equalization (DFE), automatic gain control (AGC), and clock-and-data recovery (CDR). It also supports link simulation for PCI Express (PCIe), Ethernet, and USB, enabling engineers to examine transmitter/receiver designs and link behavior within a modeling workflow.
Use in backplane design
Katz said engineers developing backplanes could use the toolbox to create and share backplane models with semiconductor companies, and described a workflow allowing models to be created in and run on SiSoft products. That is a model-based communication and simulation use case; it does not mean the toolbox itself is a physical backplane or semiconductor device.
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How does Mixed-Signal Blockset help engineers?
Mixed-Signal Blockset is an extension for Simulink for modeling systems that combine analog and digital behavior. Its stated application areas include phase-locked loops (PLLs), data converters, switch-mode power supplies, and other mixed-signal systems. MATLAB-based models let engineers represent and simulate these systems, while integration with Cadence EDA tools supports verification and validation workflows.
How did the product lineup develop after 2019?
SiSoft’s official transition page says the combined team released Signal Integrity Toolbox and RF PCB Toolbox in 2021. The page presents these as carrying forward SiSoft’s serial- and parallel-link analysis, with MATLAB integration, high-fidelity electromagnetic modeling, and compatibility with existing SiSoft projects. The 2019 announcement described SiSoft as continuing under its own name; its current transition page presents the company as part of MathWorks. (SiSoft’s MathWorks transition page)
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|---|---|---|---|
| SerDes Toolbox (2019) | SerDes architects, IBIS-AMI modelers, and signal-integrity engineers designing high-speed serial links. | Transmitter/receiver modeling, equalization blocks, and PCIe, Ethernet, and USB link simulation; 2019 report cited 25-Gbit/s NRZ, 56-Gbit/s PAM4, and next-generation 112-Gbit/s PAM4. | Product was developed jointly with SiSoft; Katz described a workflow for creating models and running them on SiSoft products. |
| Mixed-Signal Blockset (2019) | Engineers modeling mixed-signal systems such as PLLs, data converters, and switch-mode power supplies. | MATLAB-based models for systems represented in Simulink. | Integration with Cadence EDA tools for verification and validation. |
| Signal Integrity Toolbox (2021) | Signal-integrity engineers analyzing serial and parallel links. | Carries forward SiSoft serial- and parallel-link analysis, according to SiSoft’s transition page. | MATLAB integration and compatibility with existing SiSoft projects, according to SiSoft. |
| RF PCB Toolbox (2021) | Engineers working on RF printed-circuit-board analysis. | High-fidelity electromagnetic modeling, as described on SiSoft’s transition page. | MATLAB integration and compatibility with existing SiSoft projects, according to SiSoft. |
What the announcement does—and does not—establish
The cited reports establish the first two joint product names, their principal engineering purposes, and a subsequent 2021 product-release milestone. They do not establish acquisition timing, license pricing, current availability, licensing terms, or independently measured performance.
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