Case Study: Zühlke achieves rapid, accurate firmware development for a high‑vacuum pressure sensor with MathWorks Model‑Based Design

Zühlke Develops High-Vacuum Pressure Sensor Using Model-Based Design

Zühlke developed firmware for INFICON’s capacitance diaphragm gauge manometer to measure high‑vacuum pressure with very high resolution (about 3 microtorr). They faced strict precision and millisecond response requirements on an 8051‑based microcontroller, complex temperature/ambient/gravity compensation and calibration needs, and no access to the physical sensor hardware for nearly three months. To address this, Zühlke used MathWorks’ Model‑Based Design and tools (MATLAB, Simulink, Stateflow, Fixed‑Point Designer, Simulink Coder, Embedded Coder).

Using MathWorks tools, Zühlke modeled and simulated the sensor, verified fixed‑point arithmetic, and automatically generated efficient C code for the 8051 that INFICON integrated and later reused for new sensor lines and processors. The MathWorks‑based workflow let them implement a late interface change in hours (about half a day versus an estimated two weeks), produce accurate, response‑meeting code, reduce development time and project risk by catching errors in simulation, and simplify calibration and deployment.

Zühlke

Peter Wehrli

Senior Engineer