Keysight RFPro
Technical Overviews
Introduction
Keysight RFPro is an EM (electromagnetic) design environment for RF circuit designers. It automates EM[1]circuit co-simulation to account for EM effects on RF circuit performance in 3D IC layouts, packaging, interconnects, transitions, and PCB boards. RFPro enables interactive access to EM analysis for tuning and optimization of RF circuits during design just like circuit simulators.
RFPro Capabilities for RF Circuit Designers
Integration
• IC and packaging EM-circuit analysis in single environment with interactive 3D view
• Same interface for Keysight ADS, Cadence Virtuoso, Synopsys Design Compiler & Mentor Tanner
• Preserves OpenAccess (OA) design database integrity with no need for file translations
• Maintains full traceability of EM data origin from design changes and simulator used
Solver
• Full 3D FEM and planar 3D Momentum solvers from same environment
• Automatic expert setup of EM and EM-circuit analysis ensures trustworthy results
• Sweep physical and electrical parameters easily from same environment
• Same interface to launch HFSS solver
Layout
• Interactive EM simulation on any section of layout without manual isolation (“cookie cut”).
• No need to manually extract EM and circuit components for separate simulation.
• Automatic data stitching of EM ports to circuit nodes for error free EM-circuit co-simulation.
RFPro Application Examples
Here are some current application examples that RFPro and ADS are deployed to develop complex multi[1]technology designs that must consider EM effects of the physical structure along with circuit component behavior to make them work.
RFPro Bundles and Element as upgrades for Momentum, HFSS, Virtuoso, Custom Compiler and Tanner users
• RFPro bundles along with powerful ADS multi-technology 3D assembly layout for RF modules and RF packaging:
o W3604B PathWave ADS Core, EM Design, Layout, RFPro
o W3606B PathWave ADS Core, EM Design, Layout, RFPro, RF Ckt Sim
o W3607B PathWave ADS Core, EM Design, Layout, RFPro, RF Ckt Sim, Sys-Ckt Verification
o W3608B PathWave ADS Core, EM Design, Layout, RFPro, RF Ckt Sim, Sys-Ckt Verification, VTBs
o W3615B PathWave ADS Core, EM Design Core, Layout, RFPro, HB
• RFPro element W3030E shown in Figure 6 is purchased as an add-on element to an existing ADS,
Virtuoso, or Custom Compiler environment
• RFPro EM HPC accelerator W3039E enables parallel EM simulation to speed up analysis. Multiple accelerators can be added to increase speedup from 5x to 20x depending on nature of problem.