^{from TSMC’s N16 Process to N6RF+}

SANTA ROSA, CA, Apr 25, 2024 – Keysight Technologies, Inc., Synopsys, Inc., and Ansys introduce a new integrated radio frequency (RF) design migration flow from TSMC’s N16 process to its N6RF+ technology to address the power, performance, and area (PPA) requirements of today’s most demanding wireless integrated circuit applications. The new migration workflow integrates millimeter wave (mmWave) and RF solutions from Keysight, Synopsys, and Ansys into an efficient design flow that streamlines re-design of passive devices and design components to TSMC’s more advanced RF process.

The new Synopsys, Keysight, and Ansys N16 to N6RF+ integrated radio frequency design migration workflow.

This RF design migration initiative extends TSMC’s Analog Design Migration (ADM) methodology with additional capabilities for RF circuit designers. Beyond the productivity gains offered by ADM, the Keysight, Synopsys, and Ansys migration workflow demonstrates significant power reduction for a 2.4GHz low noise amplifier (LNA) design re-targeted to the N6RF+ process.

Key components of the design migration flow include:

• The Synopsys Custom Design Family, featuring Synopsys Custom Compiler layout environment with Synopsys ASO.ai for rapid analog and RF design migration and Synopsys PrimeSim circuit simulator
• Keysight RFPro for device parameterization, automated value fitting, and electromagnetic (EM) simulation
• Ansys RaptorH for on-silicon electromigration analysis and VeloceRF for passive component synthesis

RF circuit designers can adopt the migration flow to rapidly re-design their devices to the N6RF+ process specifications and accelerate time-to-market. Keysight RFPro enables parameterization of passive devices including inductors and automatically re-creates highly accurate simulation models with layout tuned to the new process. Designers view the re-created device layout in Synopsys Custom Compiler along with synthesized inductors from Ansys VeloceRF, and then perform interactive EM analysis in complex wireless chips.

Sanjay Bali, vice president strategy and product management EDA Group, Synopsys, said: “The need to rapidly migrate designs from node to node is essential to address the industry’s relentless drive towards enhanced quality-of-results on TSMC’s leading process technologies. The new flow, leveraging Synopsys’ Custom Compiler, ASO.ai and PrimeSim solutions, offers an integrated RF and analog design migration solution that enables efficient migration of designs from TSMC N16 technology platform to N6RF+. Combining the strengths of trusted and industry-leading RF and mmWave solutions from Keysight, Synopsys and Ansys provides mutual customers with an interoperable design flow to unlock massive productivity gains.”

Niels Faché, vice president and general manager, Keysight EDA, said: “Meeting PPA requirements while adhering to new process design rules is one of the biggest challenges facing complex RF chip designs. RF circuit designers want to leverage and reuse their libraries of N16 device and component intellectual property to improve ROI. This new flow facilitates fast re-design in the latest TSMC N6RF+ technology for existing components originally built in N16. Keysight RFPro enables circuit designers to easily perform the device parameterization, new simulation model generation, and interactive EM analysis inside the Synopsys Custom Compiler layout environment. No time-consuming data handoffs or domain specialization are required, which increases overall engineering productivity for RF circuit designers.”

John Lee, vice president and general manager of the semiconductor, electronics, and optics business unit at Ansys, said: “Electromagnetic simulation and modeling play a central role in developing predictively accurate solutions for RF, high-speed analog, HPC data transmission, 3DIC interconnect, and co-packaged optics. We take pride in our partnership with Keysight, Synopsys and TSMC, because it enables Ansys to nimbly address some of the most challenging problems in this rapidly evolving and dynamic market. By fostering open platforms that integrate best-of-breed solutions, our joint customers will derive greater value and achieve enhanced product outcomes.”

Dan Kochpatcharin, head of the design infrastructure management division at TSMC, said: “We’re delighted about our recent collaboration with Ansys, Keysight and Synopsys, which offers our mutual customers an efficient pathway to migrate their designs to our more advanced processes, ensuring that they meet the stringent PPA requirements. We’re committed to continuing our collaboration with our Open Innovation Platform (OIP) ecosystem partners to enable customers’ next-generation designs with solutions benefiting from the significant power and performance boost of our leading-edge technologies.”

About Keysight Technologies

At Keysight, they inspire and empower innovators to bring world-changing technologies to life. As an S&P 500 company, we’re delivering market-leading design, emulation, and test solutions to help engineers develop and deploy faster, with less risk, throughout the entire product lifecycle. We’re a global innovation partner enabling customers in communications, industrial automation, aerospace and defense, automotive, semiconductor, and general electronics markets to accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world.

Learn more at www.keysight.com.

About Synopsys

Catalyzing the era of pervasive intelligence, Synopsys, Inc. delivers trusted and comprehensive silicon to systems design solutions, from electronic design automation to silicon IP and system verification and validation. They partner closely with semiconductor and systems customers across a wide range of industries to maximize their R&D capability and productivity, powering innovation today that ignites the ingenuity of tomorrow.

Learn more at www.synopsys.com.

About Ansys

When visionary companies need to know how their world-changing ideas will perform, they close the gap between design and reality with Ansys simulation. For more than 50 years, Ansys software has enabled innovators across industries to push boundaries by using the predictive power of simulation. From sustainable transportation to advanced semiconductors, from satellite systems to life-saving medical devices, the next great leaps in human advancement will be powered by Ansys.

For more information, visit www.ansys.com.

CHARLOTTE, NC, Apr 25, 2024 – Honeywell announced it was selected by Lilium, the developer of the first all-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) jet, to supply propulsion unit position sensors for the Lilium Jet. Honeywell designed these sensors, known as ‘resolvers,’ specifically for the needs of the Lilium Jet. The sensors will play a critical role in accurately sensing the engine’s position, ensuring that the jet can safely reach the exact position required for a successful takeoff.

Creating sensing solutions for regional air mobility supports Honeywell’s portfolio alignment to three compelling megatrends: automation, the future of aviation and energy transition. Honeywell is an investor in Lilium and supplies many key components for the Lilium Jet, including e-motors for the engines, avionics, onboard thermal management systems, and the flight control computer.

“Honeywell’s expertise in both the aerospace and sensing industries means that they are able to understand the unique needs of and create tailored solutions for the Lilium Jet,” said Yves Yemsi, chief operating officer at Lilium. “In rethinking the traditional resolver, Honeywell is playing a key role in turning our concept, a fully-electric jet that takes off and lands vertically, into a reality.”

Lilium is creating the world’s first eVTOL jet and aims to develop zero operating emissions, accessible modes of high-speed, regional transportation. The Lilium Jet is powered by 30 electric ducted fan engines, each of which need to move precisely from a vertical to horizontal position to support takeoff and forward movement in the air. This action is controlled by a resolver, traditionally a heavier piece of equipment composed of coils of copper wire and magnetic steel.

Honeywell, working closely with Lilium, created a customized, solid-state resolver using patented spiral magnet technology and magneto resistive sensors that can determine the position of magnetic objects. The resolver is substantially less expensive and lighter-weight than traditional counterparts. Although specific to the Lilium Jet, this Honeywell-patented technology can be replicated across other types of electric aircraft and will play an important role in furthering the adoption of advanced air mobility.

“This expansion of the existing partnership between Honeywell and Lilium demonstrates the companies’ ongoing commitment to create solutions for the future of more sustainable transportation,” says Sarah Martin, president of Honeywell Sensing Solutions. “A growing number of eVTOLs will be flying above us in the very near future, representing a groundbreaking step in the electrification of air transport. Our sensors, though small, are playing a large part in making these aircraft a reality.”

For more information on Honeywell’s aerospace sensing solutions, visit https://automation.honeywell.com/us/en/solutions/sensing-solutions.

About Honeywell

Honeywell is an integrated operating company serving a broad range of industries and geographies around the world. Their business is aligned with three powerful megatrends – automation, the future of aviation and energy transition – underpinned by our Honeywell Accelerator operating system and Honeywell Connected Enterprise integrated software platform. As a trusted partner, they help organizations solve the world’s toughest, most complex challenges, providing actionable solutions and innovations through their aerospace technologies, industrial automation, building automation and energy and sustainability solutions business segments that help make the world smarter, safer and more sustainable.

For more information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com.

About Lilium

Lilium is creating a sustainable and accessible mode of high-speed, regional transportation for people and goods. Using the Lilium Jet, an all-electric vertical take-off and landing jet, designed to offer leading capacity, low noise, and high performance with zero operating emissions, Lilium is accelerating the decarbonization of air travel. Working with aerospace, technology, and infrastructure leaders, and with announced sales and indications of interest in Europe, the United States, China, Brazil, the UK, the United Arab Emirates, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Lilium’s 950+ strong team includes approximately 500 aerospace engineers and a leadership team responsible for delivering some of the most successful aircraft in aviation history. Founded in 2015, Lilium’s headquarters and manufacturing facilities are in Munich, Germany, with teams based across Europe and the US.

To learn more, visit www.lilium.com.

HSINCHU, Taiwan, Apr 22, 2024 – Faraday Technology Corp., a leading provider of ASIC design services and IP solutions, announced it is leveraging the latest Arm Automotive Enhanced (AE) technology, licensing the Cortex-A720AE IP to drive the development of AI-enabled vehicles ASICs, with a focus on safety, efficiency, and quality.

Since 2002, Faraday has been a global Arm licensee and has now become a key design partner of the Arm automotive ecosystem in addition to being a key partner in the Arm Total Design ecosystem. With over 20 years of expertise in Arm-based SoC design and subsystem integration, Faraday has built a portfolio of hundreds of successful projects, demonstrating proficiency in hardening and performance optimization of Arm-based SoCs.

Furthermore, Faraday not only has its own IP portfolio but also possesses extensive expertise in IP integration, enabling the swift utilization of third-party IPs for SoC design. The company also provides robust design implementation services across major foundries, covering mature processes to the most advanced FinFET process nodes. With flexible business models, Faraday is committed to providing tailor-made, high-standard, and high-quality ASIC chips to meet diverse customer needs.

“We are excited to be part of the Arm automotive ecosystem,” said Flash Lin, COO of Faraday. “As the first ASIC design service provider certified for ISO26262 and offering ultra-low DPPM quality in mass production for automotive chips, Faraday now utilizes Arm’s AE technology to meet the demanding requirements of next-generation automotive ICs in advanced nodes, catering to the specific needs of our customers.”

“Keeping up with the automotive industry’s profound transformation requires balancing the need for higher compute performance with leading-edge safety and efficiency,” said Dipti Vachani, senior vice president and general manager, Automotive Line of Business, Arm. “By joining the Arm automotive ecosystem, Faraday continues to drive innovation by leveraging the first high performance Armv9 A-class CPU for automotive, the Cortex-A720AE, to address the demands of software-defined vehicles.

About Faraday Technology Corp.

Faraday Technology Corp. is dedicated to the mission of benefiting humanity and upholding sustainable values in every IC it handles. The company offers a comprehensive range of ASIC solutions, including total 3DIC packaging, Neoverse CSS design, FPGA-Go-ASIC, and design implementation services. Furthermore, its extensive silicon IP portfolio encompasses a wide array of offerings, such as I/O, Cell Library, Memory Compiler, ARM-compliant CPUs, LPDDR4/4X, DDR4/3, MIPI D-PHY, V-by-One, USB 3.1/2.0, 10/100 Ethernet, Giga Ethernet, SATA3/2, PCIe Gen4/3, and SerDes.

For further details, visit www.faraday-tech.com.

PALO ALTO, CA, Apr 22, 2024 – Efabless Corp., the creator platform for chips, has announced the release of OpenLane version 2, a major step forward in the evolution of open-source electronic design automation tools. OpenLane 2 is not merely an update; it is a re-envisioned infrastructure that opens new possibilities for development engineers and EDA tool developers to create custom flows, including highly specialized steps that were previously unattainable in the industry.

A Brief Overview of OpenLane

OpenLane is a Python-based infrastructure designed for implementing Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs). The OpenLane platform has been at the forefront of open-source silicon implementation since 2020. Integrating a range of development tools including Yosys, OpenROAD, Magic, and KLayout, it abstracts the complex processes of silicon design into tangible and manageable steps. This approach has made it the development backbone for numerous projects, including most projects on the Open MPW and chipIgnite shuttles.

OpenLane is more than a tool; it is a community-centric platform that fosters collaboration and innovation in open-source hardware design. Through OpenLane 2, Efabless is committed to pushing the boundaries of open-source hardware into new territories.

OpenLane 2 transcends the mildly flexible flow of its predecessor by providing a robust Python-based infrastructure upon which users can construct fully customizable flows incorporating both existing and novel steps using proprietary or open-source tools.

Key Highlights of OpenLane 2:

• Stability and Flexibility: OpenLane 2 introduces a stable infrastructure that supports the creation of multiple, customizable flows. Whether it is integrating custom steps or leveraging advanced options for flow control, OpenLane 2 accommodates a wide range of user needs.
• Enhanced User Experience: Users benefit from complete configuration validation, more graceful failure handling, and the flexibility to resume flows from specific stages – enhancing productivity and reducing time to implementation.
• Customizability at Its Core: With OpenLane 2, users can write their own steps in Python, create complex flows with decision-making capabilities, and even experiment within Python Notebooks. This level of customization was previously not possible.

Key Benefits

The OpenLane 2 tool flow also includes a number of additional enhancements and benefits, including:

• Error-proof configuration and enhanced error handling
• Command-line flow control for nuanced workflow management
• Customizable and complex flows enabling optimal design strategies
• Access to a standardized and formalized form of design metrics

Mohamed Shalan, head of the EDA/IC Design Team at Efabless, remarked, “OpenLane 2 is a testament to our commitment to innovation and collaboration in the open-source silicon space. By offering a silicon development infrastructure that supports highly customizable flows, we’re not just meeting the current needs of the industry – we’re anticipating its future directions.”

Availability

OpenLane 2 is now available. Download instructions can be found at https://efabless.com/openlane.

About Efabless

Efabless offers a platform applying open source and community models to enable a global community of chip experts and non-experts to collaboratively design, share, prototype and commercialize special purpose chips. Over the past three years, 1300 designs and six hundred tapeouts have been executed on Efabless. The company’s customers include startups, Fortune 500 companies, universities, and research institutions around the world.

For more information, please visit www.efabless.com.

SANTA ROSA, CA, Apr 19, 2024 – Keysight Technologies, Inc. introduces RFPro Circuit, a next-generation radio frequency (RF) simulation tool targeting the complex, multi-physics requirements of today’s RF integrated circuit (RFIC) designers. Wireless, automotive, and satellite designers can now deliver robust designs that overcome performance challenges in dense 3D packaging, taking advantage of interoperability and automation to form complex workflows.

Keysight’s new W5600E RFPro Circuit provides advanced, multi-physics simulation support for today’s RFIC designers working in Cadence Virtuoso and Synopsys Custom Compiler.

Keysight’s W5600E RFPro Circuit features a new modular architecture that ensures a consistent, streamlined environment for multi-physics co-design across Cadence, Synopsys, and Keysight electronic design automation (EDA) platforms. Optional electromagnetic (EM) and electro-thermal simulators also plug into this new environment, enabling faster design and troubleshooting of wireless RFICs.

Typically, RFIC designers perform sequential, single-domain verifications using expert tools, but have a difficult time identifying and troubleshooting multi-domain design issues until the end of the design process. Designers are often required to become domain experts, shouldering the overhead of setup and database manipulations for each tool. With the new RFPro Circuit simulator, these tools are more tightly integrated into highly automated and efficient workflows.

In addition to EM and electro-thermal simulators, Keysight provides RF-aware analyses for stability, system-level modulation and waveforms, and simulator settings. For example, designers can optimize a sophisticated 5G-Advanced power amplifier for error vector magnitude (EVM) while loaded with EM package parasitics. As 3D designs become denser and move into new millimeter wave frequencies, Keysight now offers a path to efficient design flows that are not only robust, but reliable enough to be used for training tomorrow’s artificial intelligence and machine learning automation in leading-edge microwave applications.

RFPro Circuit features include:

• Standard DC, AC, S-parameter, Harmonic Balance Transient, and Envelope Transient simulation modes
• High accuracy modulation analysis; Winslow stability analysis; optimization; and faster one-time netlist parsing
• Compatibility with Keysight’s extensive catalog of silicon and III-V compound semiconductor foundry process development kits (PDK). Advanced support for III-V processes, mixed hierarchies for 3D heterogeneous integration and packaging, and validation against system-level modulation.

Beyond RFPro Circuit’s numerous technical improvements, Keysight offers a flexible licensing model that gives RFIC designers greater simulation freedom and instant access to the latest features, in order to adapt to changing workflows on a daily basis. RFPro Circuit is available for immediate download for the Cadence Virtuoso and Synopsys Custom Compiler environments. Availability for the Keysight ADS environment is expected in late 2024.

Joe Civello, Director of RF/uW Products, Keysight EDA, said, “Keysight has a long and successful history providing industry-leading circuit simulation for RFIC and module designers. On top of speed and robustness, we’ve built RFPro Circuit to be the EDA industry’s most designer centric RFIC simulation tool, striving for flexibility, application orientation, and context awareness between multi-physics, high-performance compute, and integration into the major vendor workflows. Designers using RFPro Circuit can accelerate their engineering cycles and shift left more of their verification effort from physical into virtual prototyping where it’s easier and less costly to fix problems.”

About Keysight Technologies

At Keysight, they inspire and empower innovators to bring world-changing technologies to life. As an S&P 500 company, they’re delivering market-leading design, emulation, and test solutions to help engineers develop and deploy faster, with less risk, throughout the entire product lifecycle. They’re a global innovation partner enabling customers in communications, industrial automation, aerospace and defense, automotive, semiconductor, and general electronics markets to accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world.

Learn more at www.keysight.com.

SAN JOSE, CA, Apr 5, 2024 – Cadence Design Systems, Inc. announced that Fortune and Great Place To Work named the company to the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For List.

Dr. Anirudh Devgan, president and CEO of Cadence, said, “Today, Cadence reached an important milestone. Being recognized among the Top 10 best companies to work for is an honor and an achievement. This affirms our belief that culture drives business success and that Cadence is truly a unique place for people to build meaningful careers.” The 100 Best Companies to Work For list focuses on how employees feel about their workplace. Great Place To Work evaluates confidential feedback from employees, matching against HR data from participating companies. Only companies with consistently high survey responses across the 60 questions that comprise the Trust Index Survey are honored with placement on the list. “When people ask about what sets the Best Companies apart from their competitors, it’s one key ingredient: trust,” said Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place To Work. “When employees trust their leaders, their colleagues and the organization, they become empowered to reach their full potential.”

The Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For List is highly competitive. Great Place To Work, the global authority on workplace culture, selected the list using rigorous analytics and confidential employee feedback from more than 1.3 million U.S. employees. Companies are only considered for the list if they are Great Place To Work Certified organizations with 1,000 or more employees in the US.

In the past year, Cadence was recognized as a Great Place To Work in a number of countries around the world, including Brazil, China, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Poland, Singapore, Sweden, Taiwan and the UK. Cadence was also recognized as a World’s Best Workplace and regionally as a Best Workplace in Asia and a Best Workplace in Europe.

The Fortune World’s Best Workplaces list is published at https://fortune.com/ranking/best-companies/.

About Cadence

Cadence is a pivotal leader in electronic systems design, building upon more than 30 years of computational software expertise. The company applies its underlying Intelligent System Design strategy to deliver software, hardware, and IP that turn design concepts into reality. Cadence customers are the world’s most innovative companies, delivering extraordinary electronic products from chips to boards to complete systems for the most dynamic market applications, including hyperscale computing, 5G communications, automotive, mobile, aerospace, consumer, industrial and healthcare. For 10 years in a row, Fortune magazine has named Cadence one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For.

Learn more at cadence.com.

About the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For

Great Place To Work selected the 100 Best list by gathering and analyzing more than 1.3 million confidential survey responses representing the experiences of 8.2 million U.S. employees. Organizations are assessed on their efforts to create generous, supportive, high-performance work experiences for every employee in the organization. Companies must be Great Place To Work Certified with 1,000 or more employees in the U.S. and cannot be a government agency.

Read the full methodology.

About Great Place To Work

As the global authority on workplace culture, Great Place To Work brings 30 years of groundbreaking research and data to help every place become a great place to work for all. Its proprietary platform and For All Model help companies evaluate the experience of every employee, with exemplary workplaces becoming Great Place To Work Certified or receiving recognition on a coveted Best Workplaces List.

For more information, visit greatplacetowork.com.

About Fortune

The Fortune mission is to change the world by making business better. They achieve that by providing trusted information, telling great stories, and building world-class communities. They measure performance by rigorous benchmarks. And they hold companies accountable. Their goal is to make Fortune a force for good through its second century and beyond.

For more information, visit www.fortune.com.

IRVINE, CA, Apr 4, 2024 – Fairview Microwave, an Infinite Electronics brand and a leading provider of RF, microwave and millimeter-wave products, has announced the release of its waveguide power dividers. These advanced components, featuring single-pole, double-throw (SPDT) toggle switches with SMA connectors, are a milestone in RF component availability, offering customers unmatched convenience and performance.

Fairview’s new SPDT toggle switches have an operating frequency range up to 26 GHz.

Fairview’s waveguide power dividers cater to the dynamic requirements of RF applications. They feature a robust SPDT switching configuration with a toggle switch, enabling precise signal control and routing. With an extensive operating frequency range extending up to 26 GHz, these power dividers exhibit remarkable versatility across a wide spectrum of high-frequency applications.

The SMA connectorized design of these power dividers ensures secure and stable connections, safeguarding signal integrity and minimizing signal loss. They deliver exceptional performance, boasting a voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) of 1.2:1 and providing an impressive isolation performance of up to 80 dB.

“Our waveguide power dividers offer readily available, high-performance RF components that align with the fast-paced technological landscape,” said Product Line Manager Kevin Hietpas.

Fairview Microwave’s waveguide power dividers are in stock and ready for immediate shipment with no minimum order quantity.

About Fairview Microwave

A leading supplier of on-demand RF and microwave products since 1992, Fairview offers immediate delivery of RF components including attenuators, adapters, coaxial cable assemblies, connectors, terminations and much more. All products are shipped same-day from the company’s ISO 9001:2015-certified production facilities in Lewisville, TX. Fairview Microwave is an Infinite Electronics brand.

About Infinite Electronics

Infinite Electronics has a global portfolio of leading in-stock connectivity solution brands. The brands help propel the world’s innovators forward by working urgently to provide products, solutions and real-time support for their customers. Backed by Warburg Pincus, Infinite’s brands serve customers across a wide range of industries with a broad inventory selection, same-day shipping and 24/7 customer service.

Learn more at infiniteelectronics.com.