Berkeley Design Automation, Inc. announced Analog FastSPICE RF (AFS RF. Available immediately, AFS RF analyzes nanometer-scale device noise impact for all types of pre-layout and post-layout circuits, ensuring early insight into its impact on performance, power, and area.

Utilizing the industry’s first full-spectrum device noise analysis engine, Analog FastSPICE RF provides true SPICE accuracy every run. AFS RF key features include:

• Device Noise Analysis Advisor (DNA Advisor) to characterize DNA requirements
• High-capacity periodic steady state (PSS) for >100K-element post-layout circuits
• Full-spectrum periodic noise analysis (pnoise) that provides true SPICE accuracy
• Full-spectrum total oscillator device noise analysis with phase and amplitude noise
• Harmonic balance (HB) for fast single-tone analysis of moderately nonlinear circuits

Berkeley Design claims that for complex circuits the new tool is 5 to 10 times faster than traditional RF tools that can only approximate device noise effects. Device noise impact on RF circuits is growing as geometries are shrinking. Particularly sensitive are circuits with sharp transitions (e.g., switched-capacitor filters, charge pumps, and dividers), high-frequency circuits (e.g., RF front-end blocks), and oscillators. Without accurate analysis, designers have to include expensive design margin or risk missing specifications in silicon.