Analog & Mixed-Signal Design

Analog design has always been a unique challenge because the inputs and outputs are continuous, rather than discrete, and it requires careful optimization of parameters from a vast design space to converge on a subset of design specifications. With the advances in semiconductor technology to finfets and nanosheets, the impact of process variations and parasitic effects as well as reliability issues such as aging and electro-migration have become much more significant. Whether it is enhanced parasitic handling or device reliability issues for advanced nodes; thermal analysis, power efficiency or semiconductor process exploration for power devices; AI-based design migration and optimization; or advanced variation analysis for memory characterization, the Synopsys Custom Family offers innovative ways to deal with all of these challenges.

The exponential growth in digital data  demands an increased need to send more data faster.  The latest semiconductor technologies are enabling circuits to perform at faster speeds with lower power consumption. As an example, high speed SerDes (Serializer-Deserializer) circuits enables chip-to-chip communication over a serial link. These incredibly complex circuits include various analog circuits such as bandgaps and regulators but also include high-speed data converters, phase locked loops and wideband amplifiers, all of which require different design and verification techniques. Synopsys is a premier provider of SerDes PHYs and most major SerDes IP providers use Synopsys as their trusted provider of custom and AMS tools.

Integrated silicon photonics technology represents a growing opportunity for designing and manufacturing photonic integrated circuits (PICs) for applications in high-speed data communications, advanced sensing, and imaging. Integrated photonic technologies promise orders-of-magnitude speed improvements with reduced power consumption for data transmission and ultra-sensitive sensing capabilities in multiple domains. Synopsys is accelerating the adoption of photonic IC technologies with a unified electronic and photonic design solution to help IC designers and photonic engineers innovate consumer, health, and industrial applications. Our PIC design automation tools include Synopsys OptoCompiler, Synopsys OptSim, and Synopsys Photonic Device Compiler.

Today’s RFICs are complex chips by themselves and hyperconvergence is combining RF, analog, and digital logic into single devices. With Synopsys Custom Design Family of products, engineers are able to achieve a full design and verification flow for state-of-the-art RF and mm-wave designs. The Synopsys Custom Design Family of products provides support of advanced semiconductor technology node PDKs, including FinFET 16nm~3nm nodes, SOI (Silicon on Insulator), and SiGe (Silicon Germanium) technology nodes, as well as the ability to handle multi-technology designs. The Harmonic Balance and Shooting Newton analyses in PrimeSim provide an efficient solution for simulating RF LNAs, PAs, Mixers, LOs, and for analyzing nonlinear mixer noise and oscillator phase noise.