Sigrity's 9.0 Beta Release Information

May 8, 2009

The 9.0 beta release is available for immediate download for Windows and Linux customers. Prominent in this release are capabilities to enhance user productivity and further simplify design flow integration. As always, Sigrity continues to refine simulation accuracy and increase simulation speed in this release. Users will see enhancements to SPEED2000, PowerSI, Broadband SPICE, PowerDC and Channel Designer with 9.0. We are a few weeks away from new releases for XtractIM, OptimizePI and UPD.

9.0 is a particularly important release for SPEED2000 users. Just one of the new capabilities to try is Sigrity's unique approach to obtaining location-specific detail while looking at 3D simulation results. Users can dynamically examine any design location without the need to pre-specify the locations in advance. The technology Sigrity uses for this accommodates the massive data in an extremely efficient way.

Voltage vs. time observed post-simulation for any location

Users will also want to check out the compact file sizes and greater accuracy enabled by Sigrity's Broadband Network Parameter (BNP) format which is alternative to Touchstone. In recent months, Synopsys has added BNP model support with HSPICE. BNP files are a small fraction of the size of comparable Touchstone files and yet they include more data for additional simulation accuracy. This Sigrity developed breakthrough enables many advanced simulations that would have been practically impossible otherwise. The BNP format is supported across the Sigrity product line and a free BNP viewer is available from Sigrity for use by design partners. BNP files can also be saved as Touchstone at any time.

If you are connecting multiple models in your design for to support multi-board simulations or chip / package / board analysis, you will benefit from further flow simplifications enabled with Sigrity's Model Connection Protocol (MCP) which is also supported across our product line. We've made the MCP standard completely open and available without license or NDA restrictions. MCP consists of targeted model file header information that automates connections between structures.

ENHANCEMENT SUMMARY

Following is a quick feature summary. 9.0 Beta software is available for electronic download at Sigrity's Customer Sign-In area (SPDNet). Primary user contacts have account user name and password information. Password retrieval is available at the site. The production version of 9.0 will be available in approximately 6 weeks. Those in the midst of critical projects may want to hold back for that.

SpeedXP (9.0 Beta Release)

Overall SpeedXP capability:

• Advanced flow automation ... support for Tool Command Language (TCL) scripting with a targeted GUI and automation for immediate success and no learning curve
• Simplified connections for physical structures ... easily insert a SPICE model between two structures and reduce the effort required to map connections
• Client-server installation ... support for an additional method IT and CAD teams can use to manage tool deployment
• Accuracy refinements ... detect additional coupled trace segments with specified thresholds of under <1%, tapered traces are now supported and hollow via pads more clearly represented
• Usability options ... integrated file browser pane, toolbar customization plus simplified circuit and net selection options in the 2D layer view
• Stackup layer swapping ... simplifies what-if analysis while handling the complexities associated with the detailed via mapping involved in the change

SPEED2000 capability:

• Pure circuit simulation ... directly simulates SPICE files for transient and AC simulations
• Quick-estimate simulation ... provides sanity check assuming "ideal" power/ground which is also useful to determine design-specific power/ground structure sensitivity
• Study specific locations in post simulation spatial results ... observe voltage vs. time for any location without setting up specific ports or rerunning simulations
• Random bit waveform functions ... enables user specified bit period, data rate, PRBS as well as supporting deterministic management of jitter and noise levels
• Quick-estimate simulation ... fast time and frequency domain sanity checks assuming "ideal" power/ground which also shows design-specific power/ground structure sensitivity

PowerSI capability:

• Smith Chart reporting ... view network parameters with user control of curve properties along with pan and zoom functions
• W Element support ... provides support for HSPICE W element format useful in multi-model simulations
• Accuracy refinements ... pad-trace overlapping area is better handled for inductive effect, pad and antipad capacitance handling is also enhanced in the special void area

PowerDC capability:

• Parameter sweeping ... automation to determine a design's sensitivity to variances in conductivity, layer thickness and via plating thickness
• Power loss display ... identifies locations with the most power loss to enable targeted power efficiency improvements
• Line width calculation ... automatic calculations for voltage drop based on power line widths
• Usability options ... additional modeling flexibility, support for unequal current SINK loading and enhanced via and pin current export

Broadband SPICE capability:

• Updated math library ... enabling more robust performance for users running on Linux platforms
• Accuracy refinements ... curve fitting optimizations for specific design implementations that had been tricky to handle

Channel Designer capability:

• S-parameter extraction ... visualization for single ended-ended and mixed mode S-parameters for complete or any part of the channel
• Adjacent channel crosstalk detection ... supports efficient analysis of multi-channel designs with flexible user control and simplified identification of the worst aggressor nets
• More parameter sweeping options ... provides flexibility to select from a growing list of options to assess and maximize channel performance
• Additional 2D/3D Eye assessment options ... location specific error probability, eye height and width plus information on ISI and jitter eye closure impacts
• More model connection automation ... additional flexibility and model hook-up automation with extensions to Sigrity's open MCP format
• 64-bit Windows and Linux support ... adds to previous support for users with 32-bit Windows platforms

XtractIM / SpeedPKG Suite (2.1 Production)

Improvements to XtractIM in the most recent production release:

• Package performance assessment ... streamlined power/ground analysis, reporting and intuitive visualization
• Power loop inductances ... capability to help find ground return current problems
• Per-pin inductance and resistance analysis ... a novel approach to quickly and reliably identify package design defects

OptimizePI / SpeedPCB Suite (1.2 Production)

Improvements to OptimizePI in the most recent production release:

• Optimization targeting ... single click targeting for performance, decap count, area or cost
• Decap visualization ... removed decaps, location specific loop inductance and capacitance spread around devices can be observed
• Impedance targeting ... users can specify frequency specific impedance levels and define other "hard constraints" to meet objectives
• Peak resonance handling ... new linear-based approach in addition to logarithm based method for reducing peaks
• Usability options ... automated pre-checks for open and short conditions before simulation starts

Unified Package Designer (8.1 Production)

Improvements to UPD in the newest production release:

• Interactive editing enhancements ... streamlined push and shove of traces and vias
• Figure editing enhancements ... simplified handling of multiple arcs
• High speed design ... skew monitoring enhancements
• Package extraction link ... automated XtractIM launch from inside UPD