Datasheet

EMX Designer for Passive Component Synthesis and Optimization

The fastest synthesis with utmost PCell flexibility

The Cadence EMX Designer for passives is a fast and accurate synthesis and optimization tool that generates design rule check (DRC)-clean parametric cells (PCells) of various types of passive components, such as inductors, transformers, T-coils, and more. EMX Designer aids both circuit designers and electromagnetic (EM) modeling experts who wish to synthesize optimal passive components quickly and get the most accurate results for the devices they create. EMX Designer not only boosts user confidence with accurate EM models but also safeguards devices from DRC errors. EMX Designer fully automates the synthesis process, increases productivity, and shrinks turnaround times from days to hours.

Drastically Reduce Turnaround Times

Based on user-defined specifications for electrical performance and layout area constraints, EMX Designer will create, in split-seconds, fully flexible PCells of passive components that allow maximum customization. The synthesis engine offers more than 10X faster turnaround times versus competitive solutions. EMX Designer PCells can easily be modified to answer all those “what if” questions, utilizing a long list of options from a user-friendly interface.

3D mesh view of an interleaved transformer with a metal shield
Figure 1: 3D mesh view of an interleaved transformer with a metal shield

Boost Productivity

Today’s wireless and high-speed silicon designs integrate incredible functionality on a tiny piece of silicon. That level of integration requires the synthesis and optimization of dozens of passive components that are tightly placed on a layout. At advanced process nodes, complex design rules render DRC compliance a very complicated process. EMX Designer generates DRC-clean PCells that minimize the risk of DRC-related errors and relieve designers from time-consuming iterations. Furthermore, the unparalleled flexibility of the PCells allows the creation of optimal devices that result in silicon area savings and floorplan efficiency.

Partial view of a layout with multiple passive components
Figure 2: Partial view of a layout with multiple passive components

Ultimate Design Flow Integration

EMX Designer is seamlessly integrated within Cadence’s Virtuoso Design Platform, supported in all releases v20.x ISR 30 and later. Built-in interfaces to the Virtuoso ADE Product Suite ensure the creation and updating of all required views with options for optimization and auto-plotting through Virtuoso Visualization and Analysis. EMX Designer seamlessly interfaces with EMX Solver for EM model creation. S-parameter models from the EMX analysis are attached in the schematic on a per-instance basis, making management and copying of nports, SP files, and views a thing of the past. EMX electromagnetic models are passive and causal and can easily be simulated by Cadence simulators for key types of analyses (noise, harmonic balance, transient, etc.).

Unparalleled Accuracy

EMX Designer utilizes the EMX Solver modeling engine to create all EM models. EMX, the industry’s standard EM engine, warrants the absolute accuracy of the generated models. Powered by EMX technology, PCell options such as metal fill and metal shield can be modeled with accuracy and time efficiency.

The EMX Solver is the EM modeling tool of choice for the world’s largest foundries, and its accuracy has been characterized for a large number of silicon process nodes.

3D mesh view of an inductor with sample fill and shield
Figure 3: 3D mesh view of an inductor with fill and shield

Advanced-Node Support

EMX Designer supports every foundry process and metal option and considers all DRC rules related to passive devices. The support of advanced processes at 3nm and 5nm gives an extra edge to EMX Designer, as it is the only product in the market that can create truly DRC-clean devices for these nodes. Additionally, the EMX Solver processes advanced fabrication effects at model creation, as these effects are described in the EMX’s techfile.

Complete Device Library

EMX Designer supports a complete library of passive components, including inductors, transformers, T-coils, and other structures. All PCells have been designed to be DRC-clean for any process and have been developed to offer maximum flexibility to the circuit designer in combination with the utmost accurate EM models. All these features result in optimal devices for use in circuit designs.

All PCells by EMX Designer have unique features, such as fully parameterized sample metal fill and fully parameterized metal shield patterns.

T-Coil PCells offer maximum flexibility and combinations
Figure 4: T-Coil PCells offer maximum flexibility and combinations

Benefits

  • Synthesize passive components in record times
  • Avoid DRC errors and time-consuming manual corrections
  • Include accurate EM models of passives early in the design flow
  • Optimize devices to meet your exact needs for area and performance
  • Support every foundry process, DRC-clean passives, even for the most advanced nodes
  • Answer all the “what-if” design questions quickly
  • Accurately model the effect of metal shield and sample metal fill
  • Optimize layout floorplans

Specifications

  • Compatible with Virtuoso v20.x ISR 30 and later
  • EMX 3D Solver v6.0 and later
  • Supports any foundry process design kit (PDK)

Cadence Services and Support

  • Cadence application engineers can answer your technical questions by telephone, email, or internet—they can also provide technical assistance and custom training. 
  • Cadence-certified instructors teach more than 70 courses and bring their real-world experience into the classroom. 
  • More than 25 Internet Learning Series (iLS) online courses allow you the flexibility of training at your own computer via the internet. 
  • Cadence Online Support gives you 24x7 online access to a knowledgebase of the latest solutions, technical documentation, software downloads, and more.
  • For more information, please visit support and training