Programmable Analog Design Software

Oct. 21, 2003
New features in Anadigm's programmable analog design software add a higher level of realism to simulations of field programmable analog arrays (FPAAs)
New features in Anadigm's® programmable analog design software add a higher level of realism to simulations of field programmable analog arrays (FPAAs) while providing further safeguards to ensure that designs made in AnadigmDesigner®2 will seamlessly translate into working analog circuits.

Featuring full support for the new entry-level AN221E02 FPAA, the new AnadigmDesigner®2 v2.4 also gives users the ability to add voltage-controlled variable gain stages, low-corner frequency bilinear low-pass filters, sum/difference integrators, and square root functions to their analog circuit designs—simply by dragging and dropping Configurable Analog Modules (CAMs).

AnadigmDesigner®2 v2.4 features extensive improvements to support post-simulation probing of circuits designed in FPAAs, including an enhanced oscilloscope feature that provides a real-time trace display during simulations. All data at all output nodes is now saved after a simulation run, allowing designers to test the simulated circuit with virtual oscilloscope probes. The oscilloscope subsystem further allows users to save probed data to a CSV file. After simulation, probes may be moved about and additional CSV files can be generated as needed.

Complex analog circuits created using AnadigmDesigner®2 are based on prequalified software modules, ensuring that designs are correct by construction, repeatable, and automatically translated into C-code. With AnadigmDesigner®2 v2.4, the correct-by-construction feature is enhanced with additional check sheet coverage, through which visual cues are provided immediately to the user if the software detects a phase mismatch, misconnected wire, or other irregularity. The check sheet function automatically checks for a wide variety of potential circuit design problems and allows the user to correct or ignore them.

Four new CAMs are included with AnadigmDesigner®2 v2.4. A voltage-controlled variable gain stage CAM creates circuitry that alters the gain of a signal path as controlled by an external signal or through closed-loop feedback. A new low-corner frequency bilinear low-pass filter CAM allows designers to implement a filter with a corner frequency that is decades lower than that of the standard bilinear filter CAM, extending the capabilities of the FPAA with the use of external capacitors. A sum/difference integrator CAM acts as an integrator on the sum or difference of up to three input voltages, which can be used to create closed-loop feedback circuits, while a new square root CAM generates the square root of the input voltage and can be used for linearization or RMS calculation.

In addition to these new CAMs, AnadigmDesigner®2 v2.4 includes upgraded versions of the bilinear filter and biquadratic filter CAMs, enabling the creation of noninverting low-pass filters.

For more information, visit www.anadigm.com.

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