RF Designs and Simulations

BGA Package Design and Simulation A BGA package is very popular package style for high speed digital applications due to high density, low thermal resistance, and low inductance leads. In a BGA package, the electrical connections are made of solder balls stuck to the bottom of the package. However as the operating frequency and data rate go up, it is critically important for IC designers to understand the package’s electrical performance because of the parasitics that can come from the package. A package is the second most expensive part next to the silicon and can add 6 to 8 weeks to the cycle time. Given the very tight opportunity window for the majority of digital products, a failure to produce a successful package design can significantly reduce the profit margin or even kill the entire project. Designers are challenged to get the desired package performance right the first time. It requires fast and accurate analysis of BGA packages with EM simulators. A 45 mm pack...

Multi-layer Microstrip Antenna Generally impedance bandwidth of patch antennas varies from 2-3% for single layer direct coupling or probe coupling  and can be further enhanced by coupling the power from the strip line through an aperture (slot) in the ground plane and/or printing patch effectively on the foam material whose dielectric constant is nearly equal to that of air [. In such case the feed network is isolated from the radiating element by a ground plane, which prevents spurious radiation. The resonant or non-resonant slot couples energy from the stripline to the patch. If slot is resonant, it provides another resonance in addition to the patch resonance, resulting in an antenna with 10-15% impedance bandwidth. However, the resonant slot has strong backlobe, which substantially reduces the gain of the antenna. Non-resonant slot has better front to back ratio, which results in improvement in efficiency with narrow bandwidth. Hence multilayer microstrip antennas are di...

Due to project complexity and cost factor, designer first simulates design using commercial EDA tools to get performance data before real production.  Design cycle time plays a big part in determining a product launch schedule. Companies are under enormous pressure to reduce the time and cost of their design cycle.   Simulation tool capability and the way tools are used, plays important role in design cycle time and cost . There are simulation technologies available that can change the way complex integrated array antenna are designed. One solution enables use of different solvers for radiator and 3D feeder networks separately. This hybrid-design technology reduces total design iteration time significantly. Agilent has three most established EM simulation technologies: Method-of-moments (MoM), finite element method (FEM) and finite difference time domain (FDTD). This paper proposes how to use multiple EM simulation solvers along with other techniques thro...

This is my first blog and I am confuse what to write. Without going in deep thinking mode it is better first let me write something about me. My name is Anil working as a R&D Engineer. I am passionate about designing and developing RF and microwave devices and related work. Playing with 3D electromagnetic tool is my one of great day to day life work.