Cadence Extends Spectre XPS to Support Mixed-Signal Designs

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- May 20, 2014 -- Cadence Design Systems, Inc., a leader in global electronic design innovation, today announced that its high-performance FastSPICE simulator, Spectre® XPS (eXtensive Partitioning Simulator) now supports transistor-level mixed-signal design. Delivering up to 10X faster throughput versus previous advanced-SPICE solutions, Spectre XPS enables faster and more comprehensive simulation for large, complex designs including mixed-signal designs.

Built on the leading Cadence® Spectre simulation platform, Spectre XPS enables the easy re-use of models, stimulus, analysis and overall methodology, thereby reducing support costs while improving time to production. The unified Spectre simulation platform spans SPICE, advanced SPICE, RF and FastSPICE technologies, enabling easy transition across analysis and flows. Spectre XPS is integrated into the Cadence Liberate™ MX memory characterization tool for SRAM designs, and the Cadence Virtuoso® Analog Design Environment for mixed-signal designs.

Time-to-market pressures, as well as the increasing design size and complexity of automotive, power management and consumer and other mixed-signal designs, require solutions with greater transistor-level throughput with the same predictability of a SPICE simulator. The proprietary partitioning technology of Spectre XPS improves performance while maintaining the accuracy required. Spectre XPS automatically solves the sensitive blocks of the circuit with a higher level of accuracy while accelerating the less sensitive areas, thereby optimizing performance and accuracy. For mixed-signal circuits, Spectre XPS enables multi-core simulation, thereby providing the additional performance scalability required by today’s large complex mixed-signal designs.

“We have worked closely with our analog/mixed-signal customers to understand the complexities and verification challenges they are experiencing in order to develop a solution that meets their needs,” said Tom Beckley, senior vice president, Custom IC and PCB Group at Cadence. “Our customers will now be able to move seamlessly from our leading Spectre APS solution to Spectre XPS and achieve greater throughput while maintaining the quality and accuracy they have come to expect.”

Spectre XPS with mixed signal support is currently available in limited production and is scheduled to be in full production in Q4 2014. For more information on Spectre XPS and Liberate MX solutions, visit www.cadence.com/news/spectrexps.

About Cadence
Cadence (NASDAQ: CDNS) enables global electronic design innovation and plays an essential role in the creation of today’s integrated circuits and electronics. Customers use Cadence software, hardware, IP, and services to design and verify advanced semiconductors, consumer electronics, networking and telecommunications equipment, and computer systems. The company is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., with sales offices, design centers, and research facilities around the world to serve the global electronics industry. More information about the company, its products, and services is available here.