AGILENT Technologies has introduced a breakthrough in its core electronic design automation (EDA) frequency-domain simulation technology for fast and accurate simulation of highly non-linear circuits, such as digital dividers used in RFIC circuits.
This simulation breakthrough provides crucial circuit performance information that can help avoid design errors leading to an extra design turn (each design turn typically adds as much as 60 to 90 days to the development cycle).
Agilent is also launching a trade-up program for customers to receive complete credit for eligible competitive tools, providing easy access to this simulation technology.
Digital divider circuits are examples of highly non-linear circuits used as part of larger, mixed-signal and RF circuits, such as transceivers for mobile phones, for wireless communication devices such as WiFi, WiMAX and UWB, and for frequency generation of LO drives for frequency translation circuits or I/Q modulator/demodulators.
In the past, these highly non-linear digital dividers and their attendant simulation problems often prevented a complete chip simulation in mixed-signal and RF circuits. Now, these complex chip circuits simulate and converge quickly - shortening design cycles and, in many cases, eliminating an entire design turn.
The core circuit simulation technology of Agilent's EEsof EDA Advanced Design System platform is frequency-domain harmonic balance.
Agilent is the worldwide leader in harmonic balance technology and continues to be its leading innovator.
Compared with weakly non-linear circuit simulators, Agilent's solution delivers advanced simulation technology across the full spectrum of non-linear operation.
This breakthrough enhancement strengthens the company's commitment to leadership in RF simulation, extending its reach to the most complex simulation tasks and provides powerful analysis capabilities such as phase noise analysis, a key specification for frequency generation circuits with digital dividers.
This enhanced harmonic balance simulation technology is available as an update to the Advanced Design System (ADS) and RF Design Environment (RFDE) simulation software packages.
Agilent ADS offers a complete set of system and circuit simulation technology and instrument links for RF and microwave design in a single, integrated flow.
Agilent RFDE is an RF EDA software environment that tightly integrates leading RF simulation technologies from Agilent ADS into the Cadence Design System industry-standard analog and mixed-signal design flow.