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SmartSpiceRF:

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90 Day | 1 Year | 3 Year

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SPICE Models

QUEST
3D High Frequency Inductance Extractor

SmartSpiceRF

Harmonic Balance Based RF Simulator

SmartSpiceRF employs a combination of Time-Domain Shooting and Frequency-Domain Harmonic Balance methods to provide accurate simulation of GHz range RF ICs. It accurately and efficiently simulates harmonic distortion, intermodulation products, gains, noise, oscillator’s phase noise in non-linear circuits using SPICE netlists.

Key Features

• Performs complete set of periodic and quasi-periodic steady-state analyses for large-signal and small-signal applications - each with full parametric sweep and Monte Carlo control parameters
• Time-domain Shooting method to simulate periodic steady-state of highly nonlinear circuits
• Time-Frequency domain Envelope analysis of circuits driven by digitally modulated sources
• A complete set of digitally modulated signals is supported together with all SmartSpice models for large-signal, small-signal, noise, and parametric analysis
• Provides simulations and measurements of the spectral regrowth, I/Q parameters, ACPR, NPR, EVM, BER in amplifiers/mixers, and characterization of the transmission link quality in communications systems, etc.
• Silvaco's strong encryption is available to protect valuable customer and third party intellectual property.

Applications

• Applications cover amplifier, mixer, multiplier, oscillator, VCO, AGC, PLL, Mux, Demux, Clock, and CDR designs
• SmartSpiceRF supports the analysis needs of wireless standards such as GMSK, MPSK, MQAM, MFSK, EDGE, OFDM, WCDMA.
  

Harmonic Balance and Shooting Simulation Engine

• SmartSpiceRF harmonic balance simulator provides frequency-domain, steady-state, large-signal analysis of non-linear circuits driven with multi-tone sources
• Time-domain Shooting method simulation of periodic steady-state of highly nonliner circuits
• Optimal convergence with a complete set of interactive control parameters - spectral Newton, continuation, and GMRES solvers
  

Integration into Complete RF Design Flow

• Integrated with Gateway schematic editor for simulation control interface, schematic entry, and testbench design
• Integral part of Silvaco’s complete, PDK supported, mixed-signal/RF design flow
  

Silvaco RF Design Flow with RF PDK.

Gateway schematic capture.

SmartSpice RF Analyses Capabilities and Their Applications

• Supports periodic steady-state simulation of single-tone excitations using frequency domain (Harmonic) and time domain (Shooting) methods
• Quasi-periodic steady-state (Spectral) for multi-tone excitations
• Steady-state AC (HAC, SPAC) for small-signal analysis for mixers
• Steady-state transfer functions (HTF, SPTF) for conversion efficiency, image and sideband rejection, LO feed-through and power supply rejection
• Steady-state NET (HNET, SPNET) to compute S-parameters for two port circuits exhibiting frequency translation with scattering (S), impedance (Z), admittance (Y), and hybrid (H) parameters, stability factors, different gains, stable gain circuits, etc.
• Steady-state noise (HNOISE, SPNOISE) for output noise spectrum of amplifiers, mixers, and oscillator phase noise
• Direct periodic steady-state two-stage (HOSCIL) simulation of oscillators with phase noise extraction
• Circuit envelope simulation enables spectral re-growth, I/Q parameters, ACPR, NPR, EVM, BER simulations of amplifiers/mixers and characterization of the transmission link quality of communications systems using time-swept harmonic balance method
  

Phase noise simulation of an oscillator.

A complete simulation of a mixer.

Examples Available in Gateway

Low Noise Amplifier Design (LNA).

Powerful Support Environment for RF Design

• Smith charts, eye diagrams, spectral plots, histograms, signal-to-noise calculations, gain and stability circles, constellation diagrams, etc.
• Circuit and parameter optimizer for gain, matching networks, IP3, and power dissipation for process migration
• Sources include independent multi-tone voltage/current sources, multi-tone resistive ports, and complete output port device parameters
• Development of complete foundry MS/RF Process Design Kits available
• Interface to QUEST for RF modeling of spiral inductors and S-parameters for RF interconnects
  

PI/4-DQPSK trajectory diagram	Power amplifier ACPR simulation

RF Measurement Capabilities

Rev. 101410_21