Now that the Helic acquisition is finalized, ANSYS users might wonder how it will help them simulate a complex system-on-chip (SoC).
Helic’s software products (VeloceRF, RaptorX, Exalto and Pharos) help engineers analyze and mitigate the risk of on-chip electromagnetic cross talk, which can lead to silicon failure and time to market delays. The first of Helic’s products, VeloceRF, also performs on-chip spiral inductor synthesis.
In other words, Helic’s software can help engineers design SoCs for 5G applications with signal frequencies well above 2 GHz — especially the challenging upper bands at 24 to 28 GHz, 37 to 40 GHz and above 64 GHz.
Helic’s technology complements ANSYS’ electromagnetic solvers (ANSYS HFSS, ANSYS SIwave) as well as its power integrity and reliability solutions (ANSYS RedHawk-SC and ANSYS Totem) to offer a comprehensive, electromagnetic (EM) aware simulation portfolio for 5G and high-speed applications.
The acquisition solidifies ANSYS’ position as a leader in EM simulations. Engineers can now leverage ANSYS' portfolio of EM modeling solutions across chip, package and board. This also addresses the needs of System in Package (SiP) and 3D designs.
Helic’s Technology Offerings to Join the ANSYS Portfolio
Helic software specializes in assessing and mitigating the risk of electromagnetic crosstalk in analog, radio-frequency (RF) and high-frequency integrated circuits.
This will help engineers design devices and SoCs for various applications, like:
- Mobile.
- High-performance computing (HPC).
- Automotive.
- High-speed networking.
- 5G infrastructure.
The Helic products joining the ANSYS family include:
- VeloceRF — an inductive device synthesizer and modeler for geometries as small as 5 nm and frequencies up to 110Ghz.
- RaptorX — an electromagnetic modeling, extraction and analysis tool for chip designs pre-layout-vs-schematic (LVS).
- Exalto — a post-LVS resistance, capacitance, self and mutual inductance (RLCk) extraction tool for electromagnetic coupling.
- Pharos — a tool that identifies wires that are susceptible to EM and substrate crosstalk.
What the Helic Acquisition Means for ANSYS Users
“The need for simulation-based on-chip electromagnetic analysis will become significant over the next five years,” says John Lee, vice president and general manager of the ANSYS Semiconductors Division.
“This acquisition brings a market pioneer into the ANSYS family that is adjacent to the ANSYS electronics and semiconductor businesses we have in place.”
Lee explains that Helic’s technology will help to advance the coverage of ANSYS’ electronics and semiconductor simulation solutions.
This means that ANSYS users will have access to crosstalk analysis software within the ANSYS portfolio. Conversely, Helic customers will benefit from an introduction to the multiphysics capabilities of ANSYS.
Lee also explains that Helic has access to numerous Tier-1 semiconductor companies. This means that the acquisition has a potential to strengthen ANSYS’ presence in the 5G industry.
“With Helic, we have both the products and talented engineering team to address the market needs driven by 5G, artificial intelligence and the cloud,” says Lee.
For more on how ANSYS can help accelerate the development of 5G electronics systems, read the eSilicon success story on Speeding 5G Network Infrastructure Design.