Agilent Technologies Inc. announced Advanced Design System (ADS) 2009 Update 1, the industry’s first complete, front-to-back solution for monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) and RF module design. The release integrates 3-D electromagnetic (EM) analysis, wireless standards-based design verification libraries, X-parameter simulation, and statistical design and yield optimization. Advanced Design System 2009 Update 1 enables designers to stay within the design and simulation platform of choice for their entire design cycle and eliminates the need for separate, time-consuming point tools.

“This release represents a big jump in efficiency for MMIC and RF module designers,” said How-Siang Yap, Product Marketing Manager with Agilent’s EEsof EDA division. “Designers clearly prefer a single design flow, without the stops and starts associated with point tools. ADS 2009 Update 1 provides a single, superior flow where our customers can do more analysis while spending less money on design tools.”

Major benefits and features in ADS 2009 Update 1 include:

• Integrated planar and 3-D EM simulation and analysis that allows designers to account for EM effects from packages and interconnects without any import or export of data or models. This saves time and makes the overall design process more efficient and accurate.

• An X-parameter simulation model generator that delivers fast, drop-in useable and accurate nonlinear behavioral models. These models eliminate the need for datasheets of specification-based characterization parameters and the laborious measurements typically required for accurate designs.

• Easy-to-use statistical and yield Optimization Cockpit that allows the designer to interactively modify settings in real time during the optimization, resulting in better, faster designs.

ADS 2009 Update 1 also includes other enhancements for MMIC design:

• An MMIC layout personality, allowing one-click access to commonly used MMIC layout functions for ease-of-use and increased engineering productivity.

• Access to ADS layout functions from foundry-endorsed Process Design Kit (PDK) components for faster, error-free MMIC/system-in-package (SIP) layout and design synchronization with the schematic.

• Mentor Calibre Layout-Vs-Schematic (LVS) integration in the MMIC/SIP design flow, ensuring error-free layout connectivity before hardware fabrication.

In addition, Agilent has recently established a new research and development team specifically focused on enhancing PDKs to take advantage of the MMIC/SIP front-to-back design flow in ADS2009 Update Release 1.

“Our partnership with key MMIC foundries and their customers ensures that all criteria required for full PDK endorsement within ADS is met,” said Steve Chen, Advanced Design System Research and Development Manager with Agilent’s EEsof EDA division. “The partnerships allow the ADS EDA platform to completely support the MMIC front-to-back flow signoff with Mentor’s Calibre or Cadence’s Assura verification tools, which are required by many foundries and customers.”

ADS 2009 Update 1 also integrates with Cadence and Mentor backend verification tools, enabling the import of Design Rule Check results from Cadence Assura, Mentor Calibre or Triquint MailDRC for viewing and correcting within the ADS layout environment.