Multi-language programming environment for C++ implementation of SONAR signal processing by linking with MATLAB External Interface and FFTW

In this paper we present our Visual Studio C++ (VSC) programming environment (PE) used for SONAR signal processing and acoustic imaging. Proposed PE is implemented in combination with fast C and flexible MATLAB programming tools. SONAR imaging techniques are executed in a fast manner, by implementing them in C. With MATLAB´s External Interfaces we achieve the flexibility through access to a large set of MATLAB functions and the Filter Design Toolbox that creates the filtering coefficients. The Fastest Fourier Transform in the West (FFTW) library is used in the VSC for the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) and the fast convolution technique. Efficient verification is done by comparing the MATLAB results with the implemented VSC results. The verification is done by storing the results from MATLAB to MAT-files, and calling the scripts for comparison. In research institutes with available MATLAB licenses (Universities) where one is developing a product, one can benefit from the presented programming environment. In our case, we are simulating a SONAR system for surface reconstruction. The proposed PE significantly reduces the execution time of simulations and it reduces the implementation and verification time.