Electronic Design Automation (EDA)

Electronic design automation (EDA) is a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) category of software tools for designing electronic circuits and systems. The tools work together in a specific design flow for the physical design of chips, packages, and boards.

EDA software can perform individual device characterization, and the electrical design of the interconnects between active electronics from the component to the system level.

Keysight’s EDA software includes tools for circuit design, physical design, system design, device modeling, signal and power integrity, interconnect design, and data and IP management. Some of the key tools are Advanced Design System (ADS), RFPro, SIPro, PIPro, Chiplet PHY Designer, GoldenGate, and SystemVue.

Virtual prototyping involves building a soft equivalent of a design before investing in hardware prototyping. Statistical studies examine how a design behaves under many operating conditions. Product variations could include high volume or temperature, voltages, and signal environments. Yield analysis examines building the design in single quantities or mass production.

The principal simulation is circuit simulation, which can be performed in both time and frequency domains. A range of additional tools can help optimize a design. Statistical analyses perform optimization and parameter sweeps to improve aspects of a circuit. Electrothermal analysis relates heat impacts to a circuit's electrical characteristics. Electromagnetic analysis describes the electromagnetic effects on a circuit's electrical characteristics.

EDA software enables design confidence by analyzing design performance, catching errors before build-out, and helping to avoid the cost of board respins. EDA software improves and perfects the design performance, reducing the cost of physical materials and improving manufacturability and yield. Described as a Shift Left approach, leveraging EDA software earlier in the design cycle reduces overall design engineering time.

Keysight EDA software improves design accuracy through advanced simulation technologies, including RFIC, EM, and electro-thermal analysis. These technologies, combined with integrated design guidance for the latest high-speed digital standards (UCIeTM, PCIe® 6, USB4v2, and DDR5), provide precise simulations that help validate designs early in the design process.

Ever-increasing substrate layer counts, smaller form factors, complex packaging technologies, and closer design proximities continue to make designs ever more challenging. Keysight ADS is the industry-proven multi-technology 3D layout and integrated EM-circuit co-simulation platform for designing RF modules that contain RFICs, packaging, antennas, and RF Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs).

Keysight infuses our robust, accurate, easy-to-use design and validation solutions with advanced simulation techniques and critical measurement science know-how from over 80 years of test industry experience. For example, shared technology between simulation and test eliminates discrepancies and delays when matching results from complex multi-technology RF modules for 5G, automotive radar, and aerospace applications.

Keysight provides specialized tools like ADS and RFPro, which are tailored for high-speed digital and RF design. These tools offer accurate modeling, simulation, and optimization capabilities essential for designing complex RF and high-speed digital systems.