Radio Frequency Simulations Now Available in Integrated Circuit Verification Environment

Design engineers for the Internet of Things (IoT) may want to consider the Tanner analog/mixed-signal verification environment for their radio frequency (RF) integrated circuit (IC) design needs. That's because Mentor Graphics, the company behind the software, recently announced that it’s integrating Tanner Eldo RF within its design and layout suite. Eldo RF is an RF verification tool equipped to handle IoT and connected sensor applications.

An Integrated Workflow

The main takeaway from this announcement is that the Tanner IC design suite can now provide end-to-end tools for analog, mixed-signal, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and RF design. Engineers can use the software to design their schematic, perform simulations, design their layout and verify their design, all in one integrated workflow.

IoT engineers will appreciate the integrated Eldo RF tools, as the software incorporates optimization algorithms to handle the low-power signals necessary for IoT applications. With Eldo RF's integration into the Tanner design suite, users will be able to:

• Run Eldo RF directly from the schematic
• Display operating points directly on the schematic
• Specify simulation modes easily for RF analysis

And here's some of the specific selling points of Eldo RF:

• Phase noise and jitter analysis
• Phase locked loop analysis
• Dedicated functions to extract 1dB compression point and third-order intercept
• Extraction of Sparameters from steady-state analysis and Smith chart display
• Frequency domain analysis of voltage-controlled oscillators

Software Built for IoT Design

The integration is earning praise from some in the IC industry.

“Adding the advanced analysis capabilities of Eldo RF to the Tanner IC design flow brings a highly capable solution to designers of next-generation, low-cost and low-power IoT devices,” said Ori Galzur of IC manufacturing company TowerJazz.

In the expanding IoT market, a highly capable solution is just what IoT design engineers working at the IC level need—a design suite that's tailored to their needs. Mentor Graphics believes that the addition of Eldo RF to the Tanner IC design suite offers just that.

“The next wave of IoT devices will demand highly integrated and differentiated products that combine MEMS, sensors, mixed signal and RF,” said Greg Lebsack of Mentor Graphics. “With Tanner Eldo RF, our customers will be perfectly positioned to capitalize on this fast growing market.”