Agilent Technologies Inc. announced shipment of its GoldenGate 2012.10 RFIC simulation, verification and analysis software.

The 2012 release offers RFIC designers a host of technology enhancements for accelerated design verification, extended design-for-manufacturing solutions and improved links to system design. Additionally, new licensing models offer users greater purchasing flexibility.

GoldenGate 2012 accelerates design verification through a number of technology enhancements that allow users to set up distributed simulations, run them with unmatched performance, and display and analyze massive amounts of data.

Agilent also offers GoldenGate users an extended parallel simulation license at a fraction of the cost of the base GoldenGate simulator license. It is supported in any scenario launching a parallel simulation, including ADE-XL in Cadence Virtuoso.

X-parameters* generation is another key capability of GoldenGate 2012. It allows designers to capture the nonlinear behavior of active components such as amplifiers and save the data for quick use in simulation models in RF system or circuit designs, while also hiding all intellectual property.

Other new and improved capabilities in GoldenGate 2012 include:

  • AC stability analysis, which provides simplified setup, analysis and results processing for Bode stability analysis using the Middlebrook technique. The analysis allows the circuit’s open-loop gain and phase characteristics to be determined while the loop remains closed and requires no changes to the schematic.
  • Improved links to system-level simulation, including enhancements to the Fast Circuit Envelope model export from GoldenGate to SystemVue and the ability to export and evaluate Application Extension Language expressions during Virtual Testbench evaluation with Ptolemy.
  • A broad range of usability enhancements, including improvements in RFIC simulation, support for advanced analysis and millimeter-wave design, and wireless standard-compliant verification.
  • Licensing improvements and enhancements that enable more robust license behavior with improved licensing logic. A new License Manager and Product Selector ensure an easier license experience.
  • A design-for-manufacturing enhancement that integrates GoldenGate 2012 into the MunEDA WiCkeD tool suite for the analysis, sizing and modeling of circuits. The integration enables automatic compensation of process variations and parasitic influences, and helps reduce the overall power consumption and noise in RF circuits.
  • Expanded foundry support.

GoldenGate is a trusted simulation, verification and analysis solution available for integrated RF circuit design within the Cadence Virtuoso design flow. Its unique simulation algorithms are optimized for the demands of today’s complex RF circuit designs, enabling full characterization of complete transceivers prior to tape-out. GoldenGate is part of Agilent’s RFIC simulation, analysis and verification solution, which also includes Momentum for 3-D planar electromagnetic simulation, SystemVue and Ptolemy wireless test benches for system-level verification, and the Advanced Design System data display for advanced data analysis.

GoldenGate 2012.10 is available now. More information is available at www.agilent.com/find/eesof-goldengate2012. An image of the new software release is available at www.agilent.com/find/GG2012_images.