Automating Intelligence Enables Switch-Maker’s First-to-Market Innovation

Introduction

A leading technology company that uses advances in material science to develop microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switches sought to bring an entirely new category of switches to market. The next-generation switches yielded a 99 percent reduction in size, weight, power consumption, and cost over similar products. In addition, the company’s new RF switches achieved an insertion loss performance of less than 0.2 dB at 6 GHz. However, demonstrating this level of performance to customers and prospects with respect to design, measurement, and verification posed a challenge.

The company needed to demonstrate accuracy and precision across its design, test, and measurement workflows to bring the innovative product to market successfully. It turned to Keysight’s automating intelligence software model for a future-proof approach to end-to-end automation. The model became integral to the manufacturer’s go-to-market plan, and a requirement to prove the product’s performance and capabilities to customers and prospects.

Organization

• RF switch manufacturer

Challenges

• Accurate electromagnetic (EM) simulation and integrated design, test, and measurement workflow

• Printed circuit board (PCB) module de-embedding for device performance validation

Solutions

• PathWave Advanced Design System (ADS)

• PathWave EM Design (EMPro and RFPro)

• Keysight vector network analyzer (VNA) with automatic fixture removal

Results

• First-pass micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) switch design success

• Close correlation between simulation and measured data

• Reduced design cycle time by 65 percent

Challenge

To show customers that its new product performed as described, the company needed to be able to create 3D EM simulations to demonstrate how the product would perform at each stage with exacting precision. This represented a significant challenge due to the unique material set the manufacturer uses — MEMS and PCBs. The manufacturer makes simulations in order to develop device prototypes. Then, it conducts wafer probing measurements to validate first-pass manufacturing success.

To provide its customers with a robust proof-of-concept, the company’s engineering team used a Keysight VNA to benchmark the simulation results against actual de-embedded device measurements. Due to the different dimensions of the MEMS and PCB used in the EM simulation, the company anticipated meshing issues in a 3D space. The company needed the simulator to slice the 3D space into a precise number of smaller tetrahedra to resolve the 3D structural issues without overloading the EM simulator.

By working with Keysight and automating intelligence across the design and test workflow, the company was able to address its challenges while also reducing the cost, time, and resources required to build a compelling proof of concept that validated its new product.

Solutions

Automating intelligence enabled the RF switch manufacturer to successfully develop accurate simulations and demonstrate first-pass success early in a shortened design cycle. The company turned to Keysight PathWave ADS for a complete desktop workflow and integration with design tools like EMPro and RFPro, tools its design team already uses. PathWave ADS provided the flexibility the team needed to change and adjust layouts multiple times within the system. The flexibility contributed to streamlining the workflow from circuit layout and EM simulation, to proof of concept.

To compare the simulations and de-embedded devices, the manufacturer's lab setup included a Keysight VNA which provided automatic fixture removal techniques as a core part of the  de-embedding process. Using the VNA also enabled the manufacturer to respond to customer requests for highly specific evaluation data.

Keysight’s expert evaluation services and technical support enhanced the application-specific,  end-to-end hardware- and software solution for this RF switch manufacturer. Automating intelligence with Keysight enabled this manufacturer to bring ground-breaking innovation to market quickly and with reduced risk.