Issue link: https://resources.pcb.cadence.com/i/1310854
www.cadence.com 2 Allegro PCB Designer Analog /RF Option • Integrates with Agilent ADS RF design and analysis environment • Shortens time to update schematics through layout-driven design for RF circuits Features Parameterized etch elements The Analog/RF Option enables creation and editing of RF etch elements that are parameterized to enable their use in RF circuit design creation. There are more than 600 such parameterized elements, from microstrip to stripline to lumped components. RF layout The Analog/RF Option provides a powerful and flexible set of manual and interactive placement, routing, and editing tools within Allegro PCB Editor. Since the Analog/RF Option understands RF etch elements, it provides a very easy mechanism for the creation, placement, and connection of RF components. It easily routes an RF trace with different bend styles such as optimally mitered RF bend, curve, or square. It can also connect two points by a direct RF trace or a meander. Other RF layout features include: • Move, rotate, flip, and copy individual RF components or a selected set of objects (shape, cline, etch elements, vias) • Group copy, flip, and rotate RF components or a selected set of objects • Push RF components or a group of etch objects from one layer to another • Change RF parameters and re-generate RF etch components • Insert an RF component during the RF routing process • Electrical calculation and display for RF trace • Define a custom RF component • Convert RF components to shapes • Convert Allegro clines to transmission line components • Chamfer corners of a RF trace • Variable/expression display and modification • Replicate RF circuits quickly, including flip mode for symmetrical/balanced circuits Flexible Shape Editor (FSE) The FSE module includes a robust set of editing functionality for line, shape edge, vertex, or whole shapes. It enhances the existing Allegro PCB Editor line /shape editing functions; it provides powerful and flexible functions for copper editing, adjustment, and resizing. This capability increases the flexibility to modify RF shapes and is particularly helpful for cases in which irregular shapes are used heavily, such as power amplifier circuits and filter circuits. Allegro DFI from Agilent ADS The Advanced Design System (ADS) from Agilent includes a design flow integration (DFI) for Allegro technology that allows import of traces, vias, lumped elements, bonds wires, and ball grid arrays for analysis using the 3D electromagnetic field simulators in ADS. Besides the multi-port frequency response output data (S-parameters), ADS provides 3D visualization tools for geometry, fields, and currents. This insight into the physical behavior of internal nodes lets engineers adjust the design to meet performance goals. RF schematic import Allegro DE-HDL allows engineers to import RF circuits from the Agilent ADS design environment to integrate with digital/analog portions of the mixed- signal PCB design. The schematic import uses a wizard-driven flow, simplifying the process of symbol creation and schematic update. All parametric RF components are mapped to Allegro RF libraries automatically. A packaged part can be mapped to an existing library using the Universal Component Browser or an Allegro symbol can be created using the information from the imported design. It supports variables/expressions and hierarchical structures. Via arrays RF designers use via arrays on RF circuits to provide good grounding/shielding and to mitigate electromagnetic radiation effects. The Analog/RF Option provides an easy method to instantiate an array of vias. Users can place these vias along the boundaries of RF etch components, any copper shape boundary, or along the discrete components. Layout-driven RF design The Analog/RF Option enables the backannotation process to automatically generate schematics for RF subcircuits that were added to the PCB RF layout. Figure 1: The Analog/RF Option supports creation and editing of complex RF components