ADS 2009 Targets HF/HS Co-Design

Agilent has just recently announced the release of ADS 2009, targeting the high-frequency & high speed front end co-design (IC/Package/Board) challenges discussed in February's MWJ lead story - "The Dawn of Nano-scale Technology". The complexity of these designs require tight integration between the the front-end (simulation & verification) and back-end (Cadence or Mentor Graphics)tools. For example, 4G LTE phones must also have Bluetooth, Wifi and MIMO capabilities which means multi-antennas operating over multi-frequency bands while remaining backward compatible with 3G and 2G modes. In turn, high frequency and high speed components will need to fit into smaller volumes and closer proximity with greater undesired interactions. With smart phones be among the few markets in commercial electronics expected to grow in 2009, the pressure to acheive design success is great. Since costs & delays must be kept low, multiple available technologies are being integrated onto the PCB instead of designing all onto an IC.


One of the key components in ADS 2009 to address IC/Package/Board co-design is the new interoperability with Cadence and Mentor backend design platforms, allowing engineers and designers to import:

• Cadence Allegro PCB, Advanced Package Designer (APD) and SIP physical
design data for co-designing with active components
• Design Rule Check (DRC) results from Cadence Assura, Mentor Calibre or
Triquint MailDRC for viewing and correcting within ADS cost-effective
layout environment.

Agilent has also extended ADS 2009 model support to include X-parameters, a form of "black-box" component representation based on non-linear measurements (using the Agilent PNA, non-linear network analyzer). Measured x-parameters can now be used directly in ADS simulation to accurately represent off-the-shelf components.New support for 3D electromagnetic parameterized components representing metal shields,
antenna radomes, absorbers, packages, interconnects, finite dielectric
substrates and wire bonds has also been added.

To read more check out the following presentaion from Agilent EEsof:

Download Now