Pre-installed license for the demo version of Inductor Toolkit was updated, valid until December 2020.

Pre-installed license for the RFIC Inductor Modelfit download was updated, valid until December 2020.

This “quick tour” video gives an overview of Empire XPU for RFIC applications.

In this application note, we will use Empire XPU simulation with time domain results for pulse excitation to understand and optimize the transition from chip to PCB. This method gives detailed insight on the location of discontinuities along the signal path!

Optimize RFIC-PCB transition using Time Domain Analysis

This application note gives some advice on choosing a simulation hardware.

Empire XPU: Choosing a computer hardware

It is easy to find appnotes with PCB antenna examples, but copying an existing design to your own PCB can result in disappointing performance. In this document, we will have a look at some of these external influences, and their effect on antenna performance.

PCB antenna design for real world environments

When I published the appnote on filler and ground effect for a 60GHz balun, there were many comments and questions on the ground cutout. It seems that many designers didn’t realize the possible loss in performance from a ground cutout that is too small.

That’s enough reason to adress the issue and a possible solution again in more detail now!

The new testcase, a 500pH octagon inductor designed for 28 GHz, shows a performance loss of 25% in Q factor and 10% reduction in L when adding a tightly spaced ground frame below. This is caused by eddy currents in the closed ground frame. Countermeasures like slots can reduce that effect.

Two new appnotes discuss the design of a 60GHz on-achip balun with 2:1 turn ratio.

Part 1 investigates the 60 GHz balun shape: Interleaved or overlay?
Interleaved or overlay?

Part 2 of the 60 GHz balun application note investigates effect of dummy metall placement on insertion loss.
Dummy metal fill effect