Keysight Delivers Design-to-Test Workflow for High-Speed Digital Designs

Rhea-AI Summary

Keysight Technologies (NYSE: KEYS) has launched its PathWave Advanced Design System (ADS) 2023 software, enhancing high-speed digital design capabilities with new Memory Designer tools for DDR5 and other next-generation memory standards. The software addresses challenges like jitter and crosstalk, aiming to shorten design cycles and improve simulation accuracy. Key features include rapid simulation setup and efficient automation between design and testing workflows, aiming to bolster innovation in memory design.

Positive

• Launch of PathWave ADS 2023 enhances design capabilities for DDR5 and next-gen memory systems.
• Improved simulation speed by up to 80% using cloud-based HPC, enhancing market readiness.
• Automates design-to-test workflows, facilitating easier validation of design performance.

Negative

• None.

New PathWave ADS 2023 software offers modeling and simulation of next-generation memory standards

SANTA ROSA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Keysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: KEYS), a leading technology company that delivers advanced design and validation solutions to help accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world, announced PathWave Advanced Design System (ADS) 2023 for high-speed digital (HSD) design with new Memory Designer capabilities for modeling and simulation of next-generation interface standards such as Double Data Rate 5 (DDR5).

Keysight's PathWave ADS 2023 for HSD includes improvements to Memory Designer for DDR5 simulation (Photo: Business Wire)

As data center throughput climbs, performance expectations of servers and high-performance computing drive the need for new high-density, ultra-fast memory or DDR5 Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM). Operating at twice the data rate of DDR4 memory results in shrinking design margins and makes it difficult for hardware designers to optimize printed circuit boards (PCB) to minimize the effects of reflection, crosstalk and jitter. In addition, lower voltages, higher currents and new requirements for equalization within the DRAM receiver create signal integrity challenges that are difficult and costly to troubleshoot.

Keysight’s PathWave ADS 2023 for HSD ensures rapid simulation setup and advanced measurements while providing designers critical insights to overcome signal integrity challenges. Its new Memory Designer quickly constructs parameterized memory buses using the new pre-layout builder, allowing designers to explore system trade-offs that reduce design time and de-risk product development for DDR5, Low-Power Double Data Rate (LPDDR5 / 5x), and Graphics Double Data Rate (GDDR6 / 7) memory systems.

“The biggest takeaway from our first DDR5 design is just how many aspects there are to consider with simulation,” said Lorenzo Forni, PCB design and SI/PI leader at SECO, an Italian industrial group that designs and produces embedded systems and IoT solutions. “You must combine the stack-up analysis, routing geometry and the AMI models. Fortunately, we used Keysight’s Memory Designer for the DDR5 simulation and it's very automated. The configurations are built-in and it's very easy. The setup of the Memory Designer schematic reduced the amount of time needed, and simulation caught many issues during our design process.”

“Keysight has a long history of being on the forefront of channel simulation technology as well as test leadership in memory industry standards bodies including JEDEC,” said Stephen Slater, director of PathWave HSD product management at Keysight Technologies. “We are committed to building the widest portfolio of products and services for DDR enablement, including a complete design-to-test workflow for DDR5 memory from simulation to probing and fixturing. As a result, our HSD design customers experience a more predictive flow and higher confidence at design signoff.”

Keysight’s PathWave ADS 2023 key customer benefits include:

Accurate Simulation and Modeling

• Supports a broad range of next-generation standards: LPDDR4, LPDDR5, GDDR6, GDDR7, HBM2/2E, HBM3, and NAND
• Accurately predicts the closure and equalization of the Data Eye: minimizes impact of jitter, ISI and crosstalk using single-ended I/O (Input-Output) buffer information specification algorithmic modeling interface (IBIS-AMI) modeling with forwarded clocking, DDR bus simulation and accurate electromagnetic (EM) extraction of PCB signal routing
• Shortens time-to-market with a single design environment that enables pathfinding in pre-silicon digital twins to address current integration requirements such as forwarded clocking and timing, IBIS algorithmic modeling interface (IBIS-AMI) modeling and compliance tests and future challenges like single-ended Pulse Amplitude Modulation 4 level (PAM4), for exploration of DDR6

Rapid Simulation Times

• Rapidly generates buses via a parameterized pre-layout builder which enables designers to quickly generate wide buses of memory signals and easily create flexible schematics to explore trade-offs
• Completes simulation up to 80 percent faster: cloud-based high-performance computing (HPC) utilizes parallel processing to accelerate Memory Designer and EM simulation run times

Linking Simulation to Test

• Automates design-to-test workflows with an easy connection between simulation and measurement domains to enable comparison of the stored data against measured results from physical prototypes

More information about PathWave Design 2023 for HSD can be found on Keysight.com at https://www.keysight.com/us/en/lib/resources/software-releases/whats-new-in-high-speed-digital.html

About Keysight Technologies

Keysight delivers advanced design and validation solutions that help accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world. Keysight’s dedication to speed and precision extends to software-driven insights and analytics that bring tomorrow’s technology products to market faster across the development lifecycle, in design simulation, prototype validation, automated software testing, manufacturing analysis, and network performance optimization and visibility in enterprise, service provider and cloud environments. Our customers span the worldwide communications and industrial ecosystems, aerospace and defense, automotive, energy, semiconductor and general electronics. Keysight generated revenues of $4.9B in fiscal year 2021. For more information about Keysight Technologies (NYSE: KEYS), visit us at www.keysight.com

Additional information about Keysight Technologies is available in the newsroom at https://www.keysight.com/go/news and on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220915005835/en/

Geri Lynne LaCombe, Americas/Europe

+1 303 662 4748

geri_lacombe@keysight.com

Fusako Dohi, Asia

+81 42 660-2162

fusako_dohi@keysight.com

Source: Keysight Technologies, Inc.

FAQ

What is the latest software released by Keysight Technologies?

Keysight Technologies has launched the PathWave Advanced Design System (ADS) 2023.

What are the key features of PathWave ADS 2023?

PathWave ADS 2023 includes Memory Designer capabilities, rapid simulation times, and design-to-test automation.

How does PathWave ADS 2023 improve simulation for DDR5?

It provides accurate modeling for memory buses and reduces design time with automated simulation setups.

What improvements does PathWave ADS 2023 offer for high-speed digital design?

It allows for faster simulation, provides critical insights for signal integrity, and supports various next-generation memory standards.

What performance benefits does the new Memory Designer provide?

The Memory Designer in PathWave ADS 2023 allows for quick construction of memory buses, addressing challenges like jitter, crosstalk, and signal integrity.