At IMS 2019 this year, 3D Glass Solutions (3DGS) showcased a glass-based millimeter-wave (mmWave) device process design kit (PDK) for use with NI AWR software. The PDK is now available directly from 3DGS.
The PDK enables designers to develop critical passive components such as filters and amplifier impedance-matching circuits for 5G Frequency Range 2 (FR2) communications, automotive radar, and other mmWave applications. It contains electrical models and parameterized layout cells (PCells) that work with the NI AWR Design Environment platform, inclusive of Microwave Office circuit design software and the Analyst finite-element method (FEM) electromagnetic (EM) simulator, allowing designers to combine the ease of schematic capture design entry with the accuracy of FEM analysis.
The parameterized extraction flow in the 3DGS PDK provides unprecedented EM accuracy within the Microwave Office circuit design tool for seamless product development of high-quality passive components and system-in-package (SiP) devices built using the 3DGS foundry process. The 3DGS patented, low-loss, photosensitive APEX glass technology is useful for customers in a wide variety of applications in RF electronics, automotive radar, medical, aerospace, defense, wireless infrastructure, mobile handset, and internet of things (IoT) industries.
The new PDK enables customers to co-design a variety of compact, high-performance mmWave passive devices such as bandpass filters, matching networks, splitters, and combiners, as well as other necessary RF front-end building blocks. The partnership with NI delivers accelerated product design capability, allowing customers’ unique product specifications to be achieved within a proven software environment that incorporates 3DGS high-yield, low-cost design rules for the maximized performance of microwave monolithic integrate circuit (MMIC) devices.
Customers can develop their mmWave design using distributed simulation models (suspended- stripline transmission-line components) based on the 3DGS fabrication process (material stackup) and the PDK parameterized package enclosure and interconnect transmission line structures. Designs such as filters, matching circuits, couplers and others can be placed within the parameterized enclosure and stripline-to-microstrip transition using schematic symbols in a Microwave Office subcircuit and simulated with Analyst 3D EM analysis.
Availability
The new 3DGS mmWave PDK for NI AWR Design Environment software is available immediately from 3DGS. A bandpass filter reference design is also being made available to mutual customers and is included with the PDK. This PDK complements the existing 3DGS integrated passive device (IPD) PDK, which utilizes parameterized PCell inductors and capacitors to develop lumped element filters, matching networks, and related sub-systems.
About NI AWR Software
The NI AWR Design Environment software platform includes RF/microwave electronic design automation (EDA) tools such as Visual System Simulator system design software, Microwave Office/Analog Office microwave/RF circuit design software and AXIEM and Analyst EM analysis software. The NI AWR software product portfolio also includes AntSyn antenna design and synthesis software and AWR Connected third-party solutions. Collectively, these products empower design engineers to dramatically reduce development time and cost for components, circuits, systems and subsystems employed in wireless, high-speed wired, broadband, aerospace and defense and electro-optical applications.
