WIN Semiconductors today has announced the availability of updated Advanced Design System (ADS) Desktop Design Rule Checker (DRC) support for its process design kits (PDKs). The support enables high-frequency RF and microwave designers to detect layout violations against manufacturer design rules prior to tapeout using the complete Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) ADS desktop design flow. It also significantly reduces design iterations that typically occur during construction of the IC layout, and shortens the overall MMIC design flow.

The new PDKs with ADS Desktop DRC support were developed for use with Agilent Technologies’ ADS 2009 Update 1 release and are available now from WIN Semiconductors.
"We are very impressed by the capability and enhancement of the ADS Desktop DRC,” said Richard Kuo, manager of design service department of WIN Semiconductors. “Its general math functions for complex error checking have allowed us to upgrade our PDKs to support the ADS Desktop DRC and enable faster calculation of air-bridge ratios and emitter orientation. ADS’ product quality and Agilent’s responsiveness are the additional key factors that allowed us to bring the latest solution available to our mutual customers in the shortest time. Using the updated ADS Desktop DRC, customers can reduce their development cost by realizing a more efficient design flow and achieving quicker first-pass success.”

“This recent collaboration with WIN Semiconductors delivers significant benefits to our mutual customers,” said Avery Chung, foundry program manager of Agilent’s EEsof EDA organization. This effort illustrates our aligned focus on customer needs for product development. With the new WIN PDKs, ADS Desktop DRC, the Momentum gold standard EM simulator, and X-parameter* nonlinear modeling and simulation technology, MMIC designers can get all of the integration and technology benefits from the complete MMIC ADS desktop design flow.”

The ADS Desktop DRC supports both Windows and Linux OS environments. Features such as “Text Markers” make embedding intelligent design possible and allow users to track DRC execution. Error checking can be managed more easily through “Status Window” and “Result Viewer.” Designers can now verify and correct their layouts quicker before tapeout, while eliminating delays due to the foundry’s DRC violations. The said capabilities improve design efficiency by enhancing design verification and fixing the layout error before foundry fabrication.

WIN Semiconductors Corp. is the world’s leading GaAs foundry offering wafer fabrication, DC&RF testing and visual inspection services. For more information about WIN Semiconductors please visit www.winfoundry.com.

Advanced Design System is the leading electronic design automation software for RF, microwave, and signal integrity applications. ADS pioneers the most innovative and commercially successful technologies, such as X-parameters and 3D EM simulators, used by leading companies in the wireless communication & networking and aerospace & defense industries. For WiMAX™, LTE, multi-gigabit per second data links, radar & satellite applications, ADS provides full, standards-based design and verification with Wireless Libraries and circuit-system-EM co-simulation in an integrated platform.
For more information about Agilent ADS, visit www.agilent.com/find/eesof-ads.

* X-parameters is a registered trademark of Agilent Technologies. The X-parameter format and underlying equations are open and documented. For more information, visit www.agilent.com/find/eesof-x-parameters-info.