ADS and Genesys RF tools get design links
-- Test & Measurement World, 5/30/2006 12:28:00 PM
Agilent Technologies has announced its Advanced Design System (ADS) 2006A, which the company bills as a major release of its core high-frequency electronic-design-automation (EDA) software. The new release features design links from Agilent's Genesys software, which it acquired with its purchase of Eagleware, to speed the generation of complex, high-frequency system and circuit designs.
ADS 2006A also includes system-simulation enhancements that allow wireless designers to move seamlessly between RFIC/package/board design, system design, and test equipment while designing to communications standards such as IEEE 802.11n, WiMax, High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA), and WiMedia/Ultra Wideband (UWB)."This release contains features that many of our customers, including a leading cellular handset manufacturer, are already excited about," said Neil Martin, marketing and services manager with Agilent's EEsof EDA division. "With the new links from Genesys, designers can create an RF system, optimize certain performance characteristics, and start implementing devices such as filters straight from the system simulator. In the past, these tools didn't connect with our industry-leading ADS platform. Now, instead of starting from scratch in ADS, designers can start closer to the finish line."
The new capabilities in ADS 2006A include
--WhatIF, an Intermediate Frequency (IF) planning tool for RF system architects;
--Spectrasys, a continuous-spectrum RF system simulator with root-cause analysis; and
--Synthesis, eight design assistants that implement manufacturable circuit-level designs, such as precise image-reject filters for RF boards.
ADS 2006A also includes several enhancements, including accelerated layout connectivity and performance on large monolithic millimeter-wave integrated circuits (MMICs) and reticles, and faster circuit and EM simulators that support 64-bit computer architectures to solve design problems that were too large to compute with 32-bit architectures five years ago.
"Our strategy includes continually finding ways to put new technology on high-frequency designers' desktops," said Martin. "This year we will have a large booth and presence at the MTT-S conference in San Francisco to show RF designers what we can provide across multiple, parallel design flows."
Agilent's ADS 2006A is expected to be available in October, with prices starting at approximately $8400.
