μWaveRiders: Cadence AWR Design Environment V22.1 Software Release Highlights

The Team RF "μWaveRiders" blog series is a showcase for Cadence AWR RF products. Monthly topics will vary between Cadence AWR Design Environment release highlights, feature videos and spotlights, and software tips, tricks, and customization. Subscribe to receive email notifications about our latest μWaveRiders blog posts.

AWR Design Environment V22.1 Software Highlights

The AWR Design Environment V22.1 production release is now available for download at Cadence Downloads with these and other enhancements:

AWR Design Environment Platform

• Version Control Improvements - The AWR Design Environment platform supports integration of version control software to effectively manage group design of complex, multi-function projects on many different technologies. This release adds additional functionality to the version control features for effectively managing group design of complex, multi-function projects across many different technologies.
  
• Schematic and System Diagram Enhancements - An upgraded Swap Elements dialog box with filtering capabilities and preservation of parameters and symbols.
  
• Python Scripting - The Python scripting landing page includes getting started and installation information, examples, and AWR API use details. The Pyawr Utilities page provides details about the Python module that creates a higher-level interface to the AWR Design Environment API.

Microwave Office Software

• Silicon RF/mmWave IP Creation - Facilitate the design and analysis of RF/microwave, analog, and digital design elements together with Cadence Virtuoso platforms.
• Cadence EMX Planar 3D Solver Integration - Run EMX simulation of silicon RFIC designs from within the AWR Design Environment platform.
• Interoperability with Cadence Allegro Platforms Enhancements - Create and analyze RF/microwave IP in Cadence AWR Microwave Office software and share schematic and layout with Allegro platforms.
• Enhanced Cadence Spectre RF Option Integration - Specify SpectreRF as the simulator for loadpull and Cadence AWR Visual System Simulator (VSS) communications and radar systems design software nonlinear model extraction.
• Optimizer Enhancements - New Pointer - Hybrid optimizer method and simplification of existing methods.
• PCB Import Wizard - Improvements to the import of Allegro and Gerber format files.
• Cadence Clarity 3D Solver Integration - Integration of the Clarity 3D Solver enables direct simulation of 3D EM structures from within the AWR Design Environment platform.
• Cadence Celsius Thermal Solver Integration - Run thermal analysis directly on structures created in the AWR Design Environment platform.
• Nimbix Cloud Support - Run the Cadence AWR AXIEM 3D planar EM solver and Cadence AWR Analyst 3D FEM EM solver in the cloud.
• Mixer Design - Mixer Noise in Microwave Office and VSS details for mixer designers how to set up a harmonic balance simulation for mixer noise analysis and how to build a mixer subcircuit out of base components that generates LO harmonic mixer noise.
• RF Measurements - RF measurement-related application content includes Python scripts described in TDR Gating Python Script and Using the Negation Element in AWR and Python to Speed Up Device Characterization.

Visual System Simulator Software

• Data File Improvements - Smoother flow of co-simulating between VSS software and other external tools with new data file utilities: File Capture (FILE_SNK), File Source (FILE_SRC), Propagated Properties Save (PPROP_SAVE), and Propagated Properties Load (PPROP_LOAD).
  
• Amplifier Design - Application content for amplifier designers detailed in the following script and articles: VSS AMP_F File Creation, VSS Noise in a Power Combined Amplifier, and Power Combination.
• Mixer Design - Application content for mixer designers detailed in the following script and articles: VSS RFI Heritage XML File Parser, Mixer Noise in Microwave Office and VSS, and VSS IQ Mixer Model.
• RF System Design - Application content for RF system designers detailed in the following script and articles: VSS RFI Heritage XML File Parser, VSS Phase Noise Simulations, Cascade Analysis: Optimizing RF Systems for Dynamic Range, VSS C_HDRM (Cascaded Headroom) Measurements, VSS Power Spectrum Measurements: FFT Windowing Effects, and Power Combination.
• RF Measurements - RF measurement-related application content detailed in the following article: VSS Phase Noise Simulations.
  

Analyst Software

• Meshing - Meshing is both faster and more robust, particularly on very complex geometries containing many small entities.
• Simulation - MICHELLE (Analyst-MP Only) -
  A new version of MICHELLE is available with Cadence AWR Analyst-MP multi-physics simulator V22.1 software.

AWR Software Licensing Update

• Locked licenses now use Cadence licensing methods and require an updated licensing file.
• The Component Synthesis Wizard and Mixer and Multiplier Synthesis Wizard no longer require a separate feature in the license file and are available to all users. A nonlinear simulation license feature is required for the Mixer and Multiplier Synthesis Wizard, however, to run nonlinear circuit simulations.

   Customers or evaluators with an evaluation license can download the AWR Design Environment V22.1 software on the Cadence Downloads page.

   For release details see What's New in AWR Design Environment V22.1?

For Technical Briefs see What's New in AWR: RF to mmWave Design for Systems