SANTA CLARA, CA – Agilent Technologies Inc. announced the integration of its full-wave 3D simulator Electromagnetic Design System (EMDS) into the company's Advanced Design System (ADS) EDA software platform. The EMDS-for-ADS reportedly speeds up the design and verification process by reducing the steps necessary for accurate design of high-frequency RF/microwave modules, RF boards and planar antennas.
"Designers lose a lot of time translating a layout structure into another drawing environment, redefining the layer stacks and dielectric properties, assigning port numbers and reconnecting an S-parameter black box for co-simulation with active elements," said Bart Van Hecke, product manager with Agilent's EEsof EDA division. "Integrating our fullwave 3D EM simulator with the ADS circuit and system design environment eliminates the need for layout translation. It provides a 3D EM layout previewer that allows designers to check for drawing parameterization or errors before launching full-wave 3D EM simulations or optimization from the ADS circuit design environment."
At a price comparable to that of typical circuit simulators, EMDS-for-ADS makes full 3D EM simulation accessible to the entire ADS community of users, rather than just serve as a tool for EM experts.
The Agilent EMDS-for-ADS can also be used standalone as a fullwave 3D EM software platform, with its own complete 3D drawing and visualization environment for non-planar structures such as connectors, packages, machined parts and antennas.
SEATTLE – Simberian Inc. has released SimbeorT 2007, which includes three new feature updates: two-sided metal surface roughness analysis, models for trapezoidal strips and the release of a multi-user network licensing version of SimbeorT software. Metal surface roughness can significantly degrade signals in interconnects and SimbeorT provides unique capabilities to model it.
SimbeorT 2007 runs on any computer with Windows 2000/XP or compatible OS, single, dual-core or quad-core processors, and a 3D video card. To ensure customers' success, Simberian offers free online webinars and training classes, technical product support. Software updates are also included with the annual license of SimbeorT 2007.
MONTREAL, Ontario, Canada – Cimmetry Systems has released its Integration Software Development Kit (SDK). The Integration SDK provides AutoVue end users and Cimmetry ISV partners with a comprehensive framework to integrate AutoVue viewing and collaboration capabilities, respectively, into any internally developed or commercial document management (DMS), product lifecycle management (PLM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.
Cimmetry's Integration SDK is said to deliver end users with the tools and documentation necessary for corporate developers to add AutoVue's multi-format, native document viewing, markup and collaboration capabilities to the DMS/PLM/ERP systems they have developed, allowing users to promptly access, view and comment on documents wherever they reside. By doing so, Cimmetry reportedly provides organizations with an easy and flexible way to complement the content management capabilities of their in-house systems, and improve existing document review and collaborative processes.
The Integration SDK also allows ISV partners to develop and market integrations of AutoVue with other product offerings, strengthening the capabilities of these systems.
CUPERTINO, CA – Silicon Navigator Corp., a provider of broad-based Electronic Design Automation (EDA) solutions based natively on the Open Source, OpenAccess database, announced three new software engines for its RDE Framework (RDE)- SKILL compatible PCell Editor, RTL Power Analysis and Schematic Editor. The engines are said to augment RDE's existing engines for RTL processing, static timing analysis, layout editing, mask processing, data translation and graphic display.
According to the company, the RDE engines increase productivity for CAD developers and speed up CAD design tool development by allowing CAD developers to spend time on solving design problems rather than building basic functionality. Extensions facilitate the development of comprehensive EDA solutions on a unified standards-based environment
"We continue to aggressively pursue our business model of licensing design components based on the OpenAccess database," said CEO George Janac. "Our new engines are in answer to CAD developers' requests for broader flow coverage and better OpenAccess integration so Internal CAD solutions can cover new and unmet chip design needs."
The Schematic Editor engine reportedly allows designers to create or edit existing schematics stored in the OpenAccess database. The PCell engine and editor offers an interface for access to PCells coded in SKILLTM in the OpenAccess database. The RTL power analysis engine accepts RTL as input and computes leakage, dynamic and switching power by elaborating the RTL and propagating the activity. RTL and netlist support enables power to be tracked early in a design project and quickly optimized. RDE environment supports designs with millions of instances in a fraction of the time of other systems.
GARBSEN, Germany – LPKF’s MicroLine UV 3000 laser cutting system represents the next generation of LPKF's successful MicroLine 350Di, addressing critical applications in prototyping and pre-series production. The MicroLine UV 3000 laser cutting system includes a new laser source and a new high-speed linear drive, reportedly featuring greater positioning accuracy, higher speed and faster acceleration – resulting in slashed processing times. The new re-designed vacuum table is said to make the loading and unloading process quick and easy.
The LPKF MicroLine UV laser system encompasses versatile tools with the ability to perform precision cutting, routing, skiving, drilling, cutting pockets, structuring of etch/solder resist, micromachining of ceramic substrates and more.
ENDICOTT, NY – Endicott Interconnect Technologies has released HPC-Z interconnections that provide signal connections only where desired, with functional isolation for single or double side surface mount partitions.
The HPC-Z interconnect reportedly solves thick board drilling and wire density problems with the capability of isolating high-speed channels on one sub-assembly and low-speed channels on another. It provides interconnections withinthe board, and eliminates unnecessary plated-through-hole (PTH) drilling.
“Now, you only laser drill the length of the sub-composite,” said Voya Markovich, CTO and senior vice president of R&D. “You can eliminate PTHs that are blocking other wiring channels, which increases wireability, eliminates PTH stubs and results in a thinner and faster board. We’re working to develop full HPC–Z products that will completely eliminate the need for mechanical drilling and result in the introduction of higher density and higher speed integrated electronic packaging products.”
HPC-Z provides a “PTH-like” connection at lamination with a pad-to-pad connection made with conductive epoxy. Since there is vertical connection with a lamination in place of a PTH, aspect ratios for drill and plate are limited to sub-assembly dimensions. Drilling is reduced; instead of having to drill a 300-mil-thick board through the entire structure to go from signal plane to signal plane, you can drill only where necessary. This minimizing of the PTH effect results in increased wiring density due to smaller vias and lands. With HPC-Z, there are more wiring lines available that would have been closed off by PTH drilling.
