Trends in RF/Microwave Circuit and Module Design

  • Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) require massive amounts of data to be transported wirelessly.
  • High throughput wireless links (e.g., 5G/6G) employ wide bandwidth digital modulation and mmW sub-THz frequencies up to 250 GHz.
  • Circuits and modules for high throughput, digital modulated RF signals require a critical new figure of merit called Error Vector Magnitude (EVM).
  • 3D Heterogenous Integration (3DHI) of RFICs, MMICs, packaging, PCBs, and antennas into multi-technology modules are needed by this trend.
  • Exploiting diverse data from simulation and measurements for AI/ML applications requires programmatic control of EDA tools through Application Programing Interface (API).
  • Python APIs in EDA tools enable workflow automation and plugin for external synthesis/optimization/AI-ML tools for dramatic increase in designer productivity.
Advanced Design System (ADS) 2025

ADS 2025 is engineered to keep pace with the trends in the RF/Microwave industry towards high throughput wireless data transport such as 5G/6G at sub-THz frequencies for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) applications. It enables 3D Heterogeneous Integration (3DHI) designs to incorporate RFIC, MMIC, packaging, PCB and antennas in dense RF modules to meet this growing industry demand.

Advanced Design System (ADS) 2025 for RF/Microwave Circuit and 3D Heterogenous Integration (3DHI) Module Design

  • Error-free assembly and simulation of 3D Heterogenous Integration (3DHI) modules which can include RFICs, MMICs, Packages, Interconnects, PCBs and Antennas.
  • Accurate, fast and high capacity, multi-domain circuit, EM, electrothermal, and system simulations ensure first pass 3DHI hardware success downstream.
  • Python Application Programing Interface (API) allows programatic control of ADS for workflow automation, AI/ML training of Artificial Neural Net (ANN) simulaiton models, circuit and antenna synthesis with external algorithms, and global optimization with external optimizers.

3D Heterogenous Integration (3DHI) Design

Error-free assembly and simulation of 3DHI modules which can include RFICs, MMICs, Packages, Interconnects, PCBs and Antennas.

ADS Multi-Technology Assembly

ADS SmartMount technology enables convenient drag-and-drop of RFICs, MMICs, packages, PCBs and even encrypted discrete vendor components like SMDs, coils and antennas to assemble a 3DHI module. This is followed by 3D RF routing and verification such as LVS, DRC, ERC and LVL to ensure error-free connectivity before simulation and hardware fabrication.

ADS workflow for 3D Heterogeneous Integration of RFICs, MMICs, Packages, PCBs and Antennas

ADS 3D layout capability is unique in the EDA industry because it enables the co-design of IC, packaging and PCB for the optimal RF paths acorss them.

ADS 3DHI simulation follows critical RF paths traversing across RFICs, Packaging, MMIC and PCB technology boundaries with multi-domain circuit, EM, electrothermal and system co-simulation.

ADS 3DHI simulation follows critical RF paths traversing across RFICs, Packaging, MMIC and PCB technology boundaries with multi-domain circuit, EM, electrothermal and system co-simulation. The simulation provides thorough RF design insights before hardware fabrication to significantly reduce wasteful respins.

3DHI Design Demo Videos

RFPro Circuit Composite with Call Outs

Keysight comprehensive multi-domain RF simulation is also available outside of ADS to RFIC designers using Cadence Virtuoso and  Synopsys Custom Compiler for including off chip packaging, system, EM and electrothermal effects before tape out.

Integrated Multi-Domain Simulation

Keysight ADS provides accurate, fast, high capacity multi-domain simulation to thoroughly simulate and optimize 3DHI designs for first pass hardware success and eliminating wasteful respins. By seamlessly integrating circuit, EM, electrothermal, and system simulation in one design environment, ADS preserves design integrity in one database with full traceability of data origins.

ADS Multi-Domain

ADS 2025 provides significant speed and accuracy improvents to EM simulation and additional RF system simulation capabilities to the already powerful multi-domain (circuit, EM, electrothermal and system) simulators for tackling complex 3DHI designs.

Integrated Multi-Domain Simulation Demo Videos

Python Application Programming Interface (API)

ADS 2025 features a capable Python Application Programing Interface (API) to enable programatic control of ADS. This unlocks the full potential of ADS for users to integrate external capabilities and customizations that are limited only by their imagination. The creation of ADS Python APIs was driven by the need  to streamline workflows for complex 3DHI designs but creative users are already exploiting it for AI/ML circuit synthesis, modeling, exernal optimization and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation.

Python API in ADS 2025 enables programmatic control of ADS simulation, data display, schematic and layout creation to enable workflow automation.

ADS 2025 Python API enables external programmatic control for 6G and AI/ML applications.

ADS Python Automation AI

ADS 2025 offers Python Application Programing Interface (API) to enable programatic control of ADS such as creating schematics and layouts, running simulations and plotting results. This external orchestration of ADS capabilities opens up creative possibilities for users to globally optimize their designs and workflows by incorporating their own Python customizations. 

Python scripting support inside ADS and outside of ADS, through the Python API, opens creative possibilities in the deployment of ADS for the most efficient workflow automation

Python scripting extends ADS capabities for optimal deployment to maximize enterprise design productivity. This includes customizing workflows for design synthesis, data exploitation for AI/ML modeling, HIL simulation to include instrumentation data. The possibilities are limited only by the user’s imagination.

Python API Demo Videos

Python API for Automated Machine Learning

The Python API opens up ADS capabilities for AI researchers to incorporate their own AI/ML algorithms to create novel filter structures and highly accurate PA models with minimal measurements.

QR Filters

Chalmers University researchers created these never-seen-before grid filter structures through machine learning of data generated by automating multiple ADS RFPro EM simulations through the Python API.

Baylor Contours

Baylor University researchers use ADS Python API to automate repeated simulation for developing and validating their technique of generating accurate device contours for PA designs with minimal measurements.

AI Machine Learning

ADS 2025 offers Keysight’s versatile Artificial Neural Network (ANN) framework for AI Machine Learning to create accurate linear and nonlinear simulateable models from simulated, measured and even printed graphical data. EM data from swept geometry/material simulation can be turned into a continuous, optimizable model using ANN.

Keysight Artificial Neural Network (ANN)

AI Use Cases

Keysight Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is highly useful for creating linear and nonlinear simulation models from measured, simulated or even printed graphical datasheets. It overcomes a key barrier in doing simulation when no models are available.

Keysight ANN Model

Create nonlinear ANN simulation model from data sheet graphs.

AI Machine Learning Demo Videos

Featured Resources

See what you may have missed in previous releases.

RF/Microwave Design 2024

RF/Microwave Design 2023

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