Issue link: https://resources.pcb.cadence.com/i/1310854
Analog/RF Design Challenges PCB designers face significant challenges in integrating RF circuits on a mixed-signal design. Today's advanced designs are more complex and need to incorporate all design portions such as digital, RF/microwave, and analog circuits on the same board. To deal with this complexity on a PCB, designers must be able to create a mixed-signal design within an integrated, production-ready PCB design environment. RF/microwave modules are different from digital circuits in many respects. For example, distributed RF components are usually parameterized with widths and lengths; RF circuits have symmetric structures, with many large irregular shapes used for RF layout. Designers need a feature-rich, efficient, reliable, and easy-to-use mixed-signal PCB design tool to handle all of these design needs. Analog/RF Option The Allegro PCB Designer Analog/RF Option is the answer. This RF design solution combines the strength of both Cadence Allegro and Agilent ADS design environments for designing and integrating RF circuits on mixed-signal PCBs. The Analog / RF Option provides everything needed to develop complex RF/mixed-signal designs simply and quickly in an integrated environment with Allegro Design Entry-HDL (DE-HDL) and Allegro PCB Editor. The Analog/RF Option provides a robust set of layout functionalities: parameterized etch element generation, quick placement, RF-style routing, editing of RF etch elements, and the ability to place via arrays along user-specified objects such as an RF component, a connect line (cline), or a discrete component. The generated etch elements will be recognized as RF components with parameters. Users can easily change the parameters of the elements after they are placed; the system will re-generate those elements. The Analog/RF Option also supports complex copper shape creation and editing with its Flexible Shape Editor, which is a supplement to the existing shape functionality of Allegro PCB Editor. With the ability to understand RF components in PCB layout, the Analog/RF Option offers the unique capability of layout-driven design, which generates the RF circuit schematic changes in Allegro DE-HDL for new RF elements introduced in PCB design. The Analog/RF Option also supports different design flows working with RF design and analysis tools from Agilent. It provides a bi-directional interface for design data exchange (partial or complete), a discrete component translator, and import of schematics from Agilent ADS. Benefits • Shortens time to integrate RF circuits on a mixed-signal design • Seamlessly integrated with Allegro DE-HDL and Allegro PCB Editor • Provides a complete RF/microwave design solution using a unified design environment and database • Improves design productivity and reduces design time for complex RF shape creation, RF trace routing, and via arrays • Enables designers to use the same front-to-back and backannotation flow for both digital and RF/ mixed-signal designs The Cadence ® Allegro ® PCB Designer Analog/RF Option is a mixed-signal design environment, spanning from schematic to layout with backannotation, and proven to increase RF design productivity up to 50%. It allows engineers to create, integrate, and update RF/microwave circuits with digital/analog circuits in the Allegro PCB Designer environment. With its rich layout capability and powerful interfaces with RF simulation tools, it allows engineers to start RF design from Allegro Design Entry-HDL, Allegro PCB Editor, or Agilent ADS. Allegro PCB Designer Analog/RF Option Integrating RF circuits onto mixed-signal PCB design