New statistical mode channel simulator from Agilent for testing digital systems

Agilent has introduced a new statistical mode Channel Simulator as part of its Advanced Design System (ADS) 2009 Update 1, and is suitable for design and verification of high-speed, chip-to-chip data links found in consumer and enterprise digital products such as laptop computers, data center servers, telecommunication switching centers and Internet routers.

The new Channel Simulator mode eliminates the need for cost and time-consuming prototype iterations, and improving time-to-market.

Agilent's Channel Simulator provides simulations using circuit-level models that can be verified against measured data and EM simulation of the layout artwork. In order to select the optimum set of characteristics for a transmitter, channel and receiver determines the ultralow bit-error-rate (BER) contours for thousands of points in the design space.

The key features of Agilent's ADS 2009 Update 1, include,

A BER contour and bathtub display
Equalizer support with automatic tap optimization
An eye mask utility with automatic violation checking
The ability to check cross talk with aggressors at different data rates
A memory bus compliance tool for the DDR3 standard
Emitter-coupled logic models that comply with the IBIS standard
A time-domain reflectometry tool

"The new statistical mode in our Channel Simulator eliminates the need for long, multimillion-bit simulations," said Colin Warwick, signal integrity product manager in Agilent's EEsof EDA organization. "Now engineers can generate eye diagrams with ultralow BER contours in just a few seconds, enabling very rapid and complete 'what if' design space exploration."

"While we've used the sophisticated Transient Simulator for some time to calculate an accurate step response from distributed elements, combining it with the Channel Simulator's new statistical mode provides us with an even more powerful solution," said Chad Morgan, principal engineer at Tyco Electronics. "We use it for noise calculations, jitter injection and equalization optimization. Having all of these capabilities in one easy-to-use environment is exciting and allows us to quickly and easily analyze channels and push them to new speeds."

Price: Signal integrity bundles at a starting price of $28,000
Availability: From this month
For more details visit www.agilent.com

Editorial Product Rating: Average