Software support for packaging design of wireless equipment (SPEC-a simulator for RF active, passive devices, and interconnections)

Design time constrains and high quality standards in manufacturing contemporary wireless products as well as their complexity create a need for computer tools helping to meet these conditions. This paper reports the development of a new software system for Computer Aided Design of microelectronic circuits in wireless hardware. The major part of the system consists of a quick simulator which performs transient analysis using a spectral technique. The other components of the system allow for automation of analyses and postprocessing of data from a simulation. The entire system forms a flexible and portable framework which fills gaps between existing applications. An example of using the system to generate design curves for antenna amplifiers will be presented. RF circuits working at high frequencies exhibit sometimes chaotic behavior. Analysing that behavior using traditional approaches is inefficient and sometimes even impossible. Applying new mathematical tools like Lyapunov Exponents, Surfaces of Section, etc. simplifies the analysis and opens new possibilities for automation design procedures.