Plextek RFIC designers choose simulation software from Agilent to fine-tune circuit designs

SANTA CLARA, Calif., 28 March 2013. Designers at RF and microwave integrated circuit specialist Plextek RF Integration in Great Chesterford, England, needed simulation software for their high-frequency circuit and monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) designs They found their solution from test & measurement expert Agilent Technologies Inc. in Santa Clara, Calif.

After an evaluation of available 3-D planar electromagnetic software tools, Plextek experts chose Agilent's Momentum simulator for its performance and flexibility, Agilent officials say. Plextek designs and develops radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs), MMICs and microwave/millimeter-wave modules.

Accurate electromagnetic simulation enables designers to improve the performance of their designs, while increasing confidence that the manufactured product will meet specifications, Agilent officials say. Momentum is integrated with Agilent's Advanced Design System and Genesys RF and microwave design software.

In their evaluation, Plextek designers used Momentum to simulate the performance of a 57-to-64 GHz amplifier integrated circuit. They also used Momentum to develop several Ka-band ICs.

"Designing advanced, high-frequency circuits and MMICs requires access to the industry's most advanced modeling and simulation tools," says Liam Devlin, chief executive officer at Plextek RFI. "The performance and flexible features of Agilent's Momentum software provides us the functionality we need to maintain a leading edge in the highly competitive wireless, microwave, and millimeter-wave markets in which we compete. Because of this, we plan to leverage this solution on future design projects, including our current development of an LNA covering the full 71- to 86-GHz range of E-band."

For more information contact Agilent online at www.agilent.com.