Virtuoso Meets Maxwell: Virtuoso RF Solution - Revolution Begins with a Common Goal for One Flow

'Virtuoso Meets Maxwell' is a blog series aimed at exploring the capabilities and potential of Virtuoso RF and Virtuoso MultiTech. So, how does Virtuoso Meets Maxwell? Virtuoso now supports RF designs, and the RF designers measure the physical and radiation effects by using the Maxwell equations. In addition to providing insight into the useful software and documentation enhancements, this series will broadcast the voice of different bloggers and experts about their knowledge and experience of various tools in the Virtuoso Packaging world. We will be posting every alternate Monday.

I am traveling home from the heart of the revolutionary Boston, Massachusetts, where I attended IMS 2019. It was indeed a fantastic show with a fitting location that has the history of inception of MIT Radiation Labs in early 1940s. These labs were renamed as Lincoln Labs in 1951, giving birth to the modern microwave theory and design. Many of the 28-volume radiation lab series remain relevant even today with Samuel Silver’s Microwave Antenna Theory and Design (Volume 12) being a personal favorite.

Those first few hundreds of microwave engineers led to the evolution of the high-frequency-based technology for the military, aerospace, defense, and research industry. The industry ebbed and flowed through military or government funding. Alongside, some commercial markets splintered off as well for the high-frequency technology. Surprisingly, in the last decade or so, the commercial industry has exploded.

We now live in a high-frequency renaissance. Innovation is fueling this renaissance for creating technology marvels, such as radar system, microwave imagery, radiometric sensors, GPS, mobile phones, 802.11, IoT, and so on. The growth in the high-frequency-based technology during last 10-20 years has been exponential, which includes increased complexity and continuous innovation. For example, the ongoing development of the phased-array antennas for broad commercial use appears remarkable to me.

What further amazes me about this renaissance is the reliance on the design flows that have remained consistent during the last 15 years. These flows encompass multiple point tools for performing the following logically grouped tasks:
•    Schematic capture and circuit simulation
•    Chip layout creation
•    SiP layout creation
•    Board layout creation
•    Electromagnetic analysis
•    LVS check for modules using print-outs and colored pens

Interestingly, these design flows are held together by human glue, which at times, is the cause for an excessive number of design re-spins. This at some point, might fail the process! The RF design community is already facing unprecedented design challenges, and having a broken flow is an error that can no longer be absorbed. The design community needs to say enough is enough!

Think about it… How much more innovative could your team be if they were not worrying about the latest S-parameter results in the simulations or the reflection of a design change in all the tools? The design community sees the need and benefit for a more efficient and traceable design flow using a cohesive environment. The community needs to realize that it is unrealistic to expect the EDA industry to develop complete flows around all the existing point tools.

So, what is the alternative? While the IMS 2019 in Boston was impressive to witness the innovations in 5G, automotive, and other RF market segments, Cadence showcased a more versatile and flexible die, package, and board design flow. This is the Virtuoso RF Solution, which was introduced in May 2018 by Cadence. It is a solution based on the most widely used analog and RFIC design environment—the Virtuoso custom IC design platform. It incorporates IP from the Cadence Allegro package and board platform, along with circuit simulation with Spectre RF Option and 3DEM modeling with the Sigrity FEM tool.

This year at IMS 2019 in Boston, Cadence generated considerable excitement and interest on the exhibitor floor, showcasing a comprehensive RF and SiP design solution. Cadence has taken up the challenge to build this complete and robust flow to reduce companies’ EDA expenditure, reduce design cycle time, and enable engineers to focus on innovation instead of tracking IP translation from tool to tool. Consequently, it will improve the productivity and encourage innovation.  

As a designer, focusing on design innovation is the best use of my time. The questions I ask other designers are... will you continue to use an outdated flow held together by the willingness of individuals to work for longer hours? Or, do you think it is time for a change by adopting a state-of-the-art solution delivered by the most trusted EDA vendor? 

Watch out for the next set of blogs in the Virtuoso Meets Maxwell series that will help you get your answers!

Related Resources

• Virtuoso RF Solution
• What’s New in Virtuoso in ICADVM18.1

For more information on Cadence circuit design products and services, visit www.cadence.com.

About Virtuoso Meets Maxwell

Virtuoso Meets Maxwell series includes posts about the next-generation die, package, and board design flow with a focus on reinventing and optimizing the design process to ensure that the designer remains a designer! Keep watching!

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Michael Thompson