Genesys Products - Harbec Simulation Module

Japan

Genesys Harbec enables self-supporting RF & microwave circuit designers to dramatically improve the performance and robustness of a wide variety of active components and subsystems. It accounts for nonlinear effects beyond the reach of linear simulators, is orders of magnitude faster than Spice, and provides high-performance at an extremely attractive cost of ownership. Every RF design that uses packaged or diced semiconductors can benefit from Genesys Harbec.

Versatile, high-performance active design

Genesys Harbec is a frequency-domain nonlinear simulator based on the harmonic balance analysis technique. It calculates the steady-state voltage and current spectrums at all nodes in a circuit, re-using industry-standard nonlinear device models and parameters, but working directly in the frequency domain. For the majority of active RF designs, Harbec is orders of magnitude faster than Spice, has higher dynamic range, and uses the most accurate frequency-domain physical models, measurements, and EM results.

Harbec also transcends the limitations of linear simulators, enabling robust designs that account for bias-dependence, distortion, and many other effects show in the table below. When used with 1000's of nonlinear device models already in Genesys libraries, Harbec helps you anticipate and overcome nonlinear design challenges.

Product Overview

Multi-Tone Harmonic Balance Analysis and Optimization

Designers can specify any number of fundamental tones for analysis. Limited only by memory and time, an arbitrarily complex spectrum can be analyzed and optimized.

DC Analysis and Optimization

RF and wireless engineers need to know how a change in the bias voltage affects the response of their designs. With Harbec, you can tune the bias and see almost instantly how it affects the circuit's behavior. You can also use the optimization engine to help you figure out what voltages will give you the best performance.

Real-Time Tuning

Harbec has been optimized for high speed, which enables real-time tuning for many circuits. Designers quickly evaluate circuit sensitivities and make fine adjustments by just clicking the mouse or tapping the keyboard. Component vales are tuned and amplifier distortion graphs update in real-time. This simulation uses accurate EM results of passive matching structures.

Co-Simulation with Empower

Engineers can simulate the non-linear performance of circuits with EM-accurate modeling of distributed components. For the first time, designers can co-simulate harmonic balance with electromagnetic simulation. This takes full advantage of the accuracy of EM simulation and the generality of non-linear simulation.

Using Genesys, EM and circuit co-simulation is nearly transparent. External EM ports are added to the layout and the simulation is run. Behind the scenes, Genesys automatically recognizes the lumped components, removes them, adds internal ports, and runs the EM simulation. Then, the multi-port data is transparently included in a circuit theory simulation. Once the initial design is complete, the lumped components can be interactively tuned or automatically optimized at high speed. Now, with the addition of Harbec, non-linear circuits with embedded lumped components are verified without cumbersome data transfer. Since all of the simulators are integrated into one environment, you can easily manage all data in a single workspace.

Performance Optimization using Artificial Intelligence

In addition to incorporating features learned from practical application, Harbec also includes the latest technologies to ensure accurate, high performance analysis. Based on 1- and n-dimension FFTs and orthogonal APFTs, it allows you to compare the results of the analysis and exclude aliasing effects such as the noise of Fourier Transformations. Harbec uses direct methods for sparse systems and non-sparse systems. Krylov sub-space methods are used to analyze large circuits with many frequencies. This solver algorithm is critical to optimization, as it drastically reduces analysis time and memory requirements.

The most important breakthrough, however, was the application of artificial intelligence techniques to find and use the best convergence strategy. Many techniques are available to solve nonlinear simulation problems. The software can adjust power supply levels, signal levels, number of spectral tones, or even device non-linearities. Depending on the circuit, different techniques will converge faster. In the "learning" mode, the environment explores different approaches and determines which works fastest. This information is stored so that future simulations run quickly.

Automatic Nonlinear Device Linearization

To make it easy to simulate nonlinear and linear (S-parameters) components on the same schematic, Harbec runs a DC analysis on circuits and linearizes any nonlinear devices. The linear model is then used in S-parameter simulation. Now, you can adjust the bias to improve the s-parameter performance and you can study the statistical performance vs. bias. In addition to making the linear/nonlinear simulation easy, automatic linearization makes it easy to verify and optimize nonlinear model parameters to match measured S-parameters.

Available Signals and Sources

To create real-world signals, a wide range of signals can be used to stimulate a circuit. The task of finding the fundamental frequencies for all frequencies of signal sources is completed by HARBEC automatically. In addition to the standard single-frequency voltage, current, and power sources, Harbec includes pulse, periodic piecewise linear, and other user-defined sources.

Available Models

Harbec includes more than 6000 non-linear models for parts from over 25 manufacturers. A large selection of discrete BJTs, MESFETs, MOSFETs, and diodes are available to the user. In addition to included RF and microwave devices, almost any SPICE model can be imported.

Spice Model Import

Long the industry standard of analog simulation, thousands of models and circuits have been developed using Spice netlists. Harbec supports most Spice elements and is able to use circuit netlists directly. This feature gives designers access to a wide range of circuit models available on the web and in literature.

How is Genesys Harbec made available?

Genesys Harbec can be added a module to any Genesys environment. It is also included with the following Genesys bundles:

• Genesys Nonlinear Pro, Genesys Integrated (as well as several older bundles from the Eagleware-Elanix company that are still supported)

Harbec interacts with other Genesys modules

• Harbec has no dependencies other than Genesys Core
• Harbec co-simulates with all EM simulators in the Genesys environment, including Empower, Momentum GX, and the Sonnet Link.
• Harbec (or Cayenne) is required for DC analysis of nonlinear device models, and linear S-parameter simulations of nonlinear device models.
• Custom, user-defined nonlinear device models can be added to Harbec using the Advanced Modeling Kit, an inexpensive Verilog-A capability. This is particularly useful for III-V power devices, diode models, and analog models.

Online Demos and Tutorials

Note: These demos can only be viewed on Internet Explorer

• Harbec Overview - March 2003
• Power Amplifier Design with Genesys - March 2003
• Oscillator synthesis and simulation with Genesys - March 2003
• Low-Noise Amplifier Design with Genesys - March 2003

Publications and Comments

Application Notes

• Using Genesys to Generate Load Pull Data, Eagleware Application Note 23, November 2004. (PDF) (Sample Files)
• Using Genesys to Design Power Amplifiers, Eagleware Application Note 21, August 2003. (PDF)
• Simulating a GaAs FET Power Amplifier with Genesys (PDF, 765 KB), Eagleware Application Note PN 14, March 2002. (PDF)
• Low Noise Amplifier for 1900 MHZ Applications, Eagleware Application Note, February 2001.

Articles

• 2001-2002 CAD Benchmark, Microwave Engineering Europe, March 2002. Additional: Original Benchmark specifications and Eagleware's submitted simulation results (PDF)
• Non-Linear Simulation on Every Desktop, Microwave Journal cover feature, August 2000. (PDF)

Product Literature

• Harbec: Harmonic Balance Simulator. (PDF, 700 KB)