Agilent Technologies Inc. announced the expansion of technologies in its Advanced Design System (ADS) and GENESYS design platforms to provide a full spectrum of software tools for microwave and RF designers. The company is increasing investments in RF/microwave design and simulation technologies to help designers of monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC), systems-in-package (SIP) and RF boards stay competitive when incorporating the latest communications standards and techniques.


“Because we are the only company using our own, internally developed commercial EDA tools to design components for the test and measurement instruments we market, we must stay at least two steps ahead of today’s industry, anticipating the direction of tomorrow’s wireless technologies and products,” said Jim McGillivary, vice president and general manager of Agilent’s EEsof EDA division. “We are actively staffing and investing in our R&D programs to add new technologies that enable RF and microwave engineers to design products with speed, economy and efficiency.”

Agilent is increasing investments in technology areas that include:

• full-wave 3D and planar electromagnetic simulation for applications such as antenna design and placement, targeted at electrically large planar and 3D structures and system-in-package design;

• integration of circuit, system and electromagnetic simulations under a common schematic and layout interface, allowing for quick and convenient co-simulation and co-optimization;

• new simulation algorithms for signal integrity analysis as increasing data rates blur the boundaries between high frequency analog and digital design and simulation;

• computing platform utilization of accelerated hardware, parallel and distributed computers or processors;

• simulation model technology for accurate, high capacity design verification, including electromagnetic database management, nonlinear measurements and mixed-signal behavioral modeling;

• better physical design and tighter physical design integration with design flows from other popular CADtools; and

• vendor model libraries and foundry process design kit support for popular and emerging foundry models.

ADS offers a complete set of front-to-back simulation and layout tools and instrument links for RF and microwave design in a single, integrated design flow. GENESYS is a simpler and less expensive EDA platform for high frequency design with the best price-performance in the market.