9-2015

RF & WirelessLatest RF Circuit, Systemand 3D ElectromagneticDesign and Simulation,Device Modeling SolutionsKeysight Technologies, Inc. demonstratedits latest electronic design automation softwarefor microwave, RF, high-frequency,high-speed digital, RF system, electronicsystem level, circuit, 3-D electromagnetic,physical design and device-modeling applicationsat the Design Automation Conference(DAC) 2015:• new capabilities and productivity improvementsin Advanced Design System2015, including IC and module/laminatedesign flow (layout, DRC and LVS) andelectromagnetic simulation improvements,and electro-thermal simulation• advanced silicon RFIC design solutions,including ADS Silicon RFIC Interoperabilitywith Cadence Virtuoso and Golden-Gate-in-ADS• built-in MATLAB Script algorithm modeling,FPGA prototyping, and 5G systemleveldesign and verification with System-Vue 2015.01• device modeling and characterizationsolutions, including: turn-key automatedon-wafer measurement; advanced SPICEmodeling packages for FinFET, UTSOI,GaN HEMT; a turn-key, high-throughput1/f noise measurement and modeling solution;an automated and intelligent SPICElibrary qualification solution; and SPICEmodeling services■ Keysight Technologies Inc.www.keysight.comSignal Studio Updates forLTE/LTE-Advanced FDDKeysight Technologies, Inc. announcedsignificant updates to its Signal Studio forLTE/LTE-Advanced FDD (N7624B) andTDD (N7625B) software. Both signalcreationtools now support key featuresof 3GPP Release 12 (Rel-12), acceleratingtime-to-market for developers of userequipment (UE) and evolved NodeB (eNB)base transceiver stations (BTS) designed toachieve greater spectral efficiency, higherdata rates and more-robust links in heterogeneousnetworks (HetNets).The enhancements to the Signal Studio softwareinclude generation of the metrologygrade256QAM reference signals neededto test physical downlink shared channel(PDSCH) and physical multicast channel(PMCH) implementations. Signal Studio’supdated Test Model Wizard now supportsthe new 256QAM Rel-12 test models,E-TM2a and E-TM3.1a, used to evaluateBTS power amplifiers.The software updates also support the downlinkshared channel (DL-SCH) with limiteddata rate channel coding for the new Category0 UE defined by Rel-12. These Internetof things (IoT) devices will use robustmachine-type communications (MTC)based on low data rates, limited modulationschemes and limited multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) functionality, all ofwhich are intended to improve battery life.■ Keysight Technologies Inc.www.keysight.comAnalyst-MP V12 Delivers 10XSpeed ImprovementNI (formerly AWR Corp.) announced therelease of its version 12 Analyst-MP 3Dmultiphysics finite element method (FEM)electromagnetic (EM) analysis software.This latest version delivers up to 10X improvementin speed from the previous version,making it even faster for analyzing extremelycomplex high-frequency, multiphysicsstructures like the X- and L-band acceleratorsdesigned by Japan’s High EnergyAccelerator Research Organization (KEK).Analyst-MP leverages the same capabilitieswithin NI AWR Design EnvironmentV12 - Analyst software but adds to it additionalfeatures and functionality that tailorit to large, multiphysics applications likeparticle accelerators, waveguides and complexresonators. Select new features of V12Analyst-MP include:• threading, frequency sweeping algorithmand meshing options/refinementsimprovements• environment options including hotkeysfor switch views and capturing views toclipboards• CAD capabilities including defeaturing,standard for the exchange of productmodel data (STEP) import/export, Booleansplit operation, entity querying andmaterial preferences• RF simulation specific features, includingcustom frequency lists, improved fieldnormalization, VSWR, stored energy andlow frequency/DC extrapolation• post-processing enhancements includingfilter exclusion, streamlines, emissionenergy filter, animation types, particlequerying and field export options■ NI AWR Softwarewww.ni.com/awrTest & MeasurementNew Capabilitiesto EXM WirelessTest SetKeysight Technologies, Inc. announcednew WLAN 802.11ah and 802.11afcapabilities for the EXM wireless testset. The EXM now supports more Internet-of-Things(IoT) wireless devicesand formats in the design validationand manufacturing stages of productdevelopment. In addition, the technologiesexpand the test set’s existingbroad multi-format coverage of wirelessconnectivity, cellular formats anddevelopment.“The Internet of Things is beginning togrow significantly, and by 2020, industryanalysts anticipate this technologywill link 28 to 33 billion objects,” saidSatish Dhanasekaran, general managerof Keysight’s Mobile Broadband Operation.“The versatility of the EXMhelps device producers meet the growingdemand for the latest wirelessand smart devices, including the IoT.With this latest release, we have onceagain demonstrated that EXM providesmanufacturers with a platform that protectstheir investment and easily evolveswith device producers changing needs.”■ Keysight Technologies Inc.www.keysight.comhf-praxis 9/2015 75