Agilent Technologies announced an expansion of the use of its Advanced Design System (ADS) EDA software at Skyworks Solutions Inc., an innovator of high performance analog and mixed-signal semiconductors. The two companies have customized the ADS platform for an integrated and efficient design-for-manufacturing flow. The expansion enables rapid development, high performance and manufacturability for Skyworks’ front-end power amplifier modules.

“Advanced Design System has been Skyworks’ workhorse simulation engine for the past seven years,” said James Young, Vice President of Engineering at Skyworks Solutions Inc. “With the ADS circuit and electromagnetic simulator integrated into a common environment, the Agilent design flow offers the quickest path to a working design.”

Agilent and Skyworks engineers worked together to create design-for-manufacturing customization using the integrated Momentum 3-D planar simulator for electromagnetic simulation of module effects alongside ADS RF circuit simulation. They modified menus in ADS to include customized Process Design Kits (PDK), component libraries and corner simulation setups. In addition, Agilent’s technical staff supported the Skyworks engineers by providing a customized noise simulator specifically for the company.

“Our collaboration with Skyworks has resulted in a simpler and more efficient design-for-manufacturing ADS flow, helping to fuel our innovation in this area for other customers,” said Jim McGillivary, Vice President with Agilent’s EEsof EDA division.