Keysight's radio frequency circuit simulator provides wireless, automotive and satellite designers with performance design for high-density 3D packaging.

Keysight Technologies, Inc. announced on the 27th that it has launched 'RFPro Circuit,' a next-generation radio frequency (RF) simulation tool that meets the complex multiphysics requirements of RF integrated circuit (RFIC) designers.

The Keysight W5600E RFPro Circuit has a modular architecture that ensures a consistent and streamlined environment for multiphysics co-design across Cadence, Synopsys, and Keysight electronic design automation (EDA) platforms. Electromagnetic (EM) and electro-thermal simulator options can also be connected to this new environment, enabling faster design and troubleshooting of wireless RFICs.

RFIC designers typically use expert tools to perform sequential single-domain verification, but struggle to identify and resolve multi-domain design issues until the end of the design process. Designers often become domain experts and must bear the overhead of setting up each tool and manipulating databases. The new RFPro Circuit simulator integrates these tools more tightly into a highly automated and efficient workflow.

In addition to EM and electro-thermal simulators, Keysight offers RF-aware analysis capabilities for stability, system-level modulation and waveform, and simulator setup. For example, designers can optimize sophisticated 5G-Advanced power amplifiers for error vector magnitude (EVM) with EM package parasitics loaded.

As 3D designs become denser and move into new millimeter-wave frequencies, Keysight now provides a path to an efficient design flow that is robust and reliable enough to train future artificial intelligence and machine learning automation in cutting-edge microwave applications.

RFPro Circuit includes standard DC, AC, S-parameter, harmonic balance transient and envelope transient simulation modes, along with high-precision modulation analysis, Winslow stability analysis, optimization and faster one-time netlist parsing, compatibility with Keysight's extensive catalog of silicon and III-V compound semiconductor foundry process development kits (PDKs), advanced support for verification of III-V processes, mixed hierarchy structures for 3D heterogeneous integration and packaging, and system-level modulation.

In addition to the numerous technical enhancements in RFPro Circuit, Keysight offers a flexible licensing model that provides RFIC designers with the freedom to simulate and immediate access to the latest features to adapt to their changing workflows. RFPro Circuit is available for immediate download in Cadence Virtuoso and Synopsys Custom Compiler environments. It is expected to be available in the Keysight ADS environment in late 2024.

“Keysight has a long history of providing industry-leading circuit simulation for RFIC and module designers,” said Joe Civello, director of Keysight EDA RF/uW products. “In addition to speed and robustness, Keysight has built RFPro Circuit into the EDA industry’s most designer-centric RFIC simulation tool, with a commitment to multiphysics, high-performance computing (HPC), flexibility for integration with leading supplier workflows, application orientation and situational awareness. RFPro Circuit enables designers to accelerate their engineering cycle and transition verification efforts from physical prototyping to easier, less costly virtual prototyping.”