Agilent ADS Tutorial (Project 1)

UNC Charlotte Agilent ADS Tutorial (Project 1)

Overview

First, form project groups for the semester.

The objective of the tutorial is to become familiar with the basics of Agilent ADS software.

NOTE: Use the Project Report Template and keep answers to questions on consecutive sheets of paper with all plots at the end.

IN NO CASE may code or files be exchanged between students, and each student must answer the questions themselves and do their own plots, NO COPYING of any sort! Nevertheless, students are encouraged to collaborate in the lab session.

Only turn in requested plots ( Pxx ) and requested answers to questions ( Qxx ).

Part 1

Start the software:

From a Linux terminal, ADS should be availabe in the menu (Mosaic->Engineering->Electrical->Agilent->ADS)

From a PC terminal, you must first open a remote Linux session, (Start->AllPrograms->Mosaic->LinuxConnect->GraphicalSessAuto->LinuxAuto), then proceed as for a Linux terminal

For snapshots use the Linux menu Graphice::Ksnapshot and select the option to take a legible snapshot of a window rather than full screen

On occasion, HPADS may have an illegible pop-up pane when you first run ADS. The safe way to handle this is to proceed to a Linux workstation and read the message. On PC's the problem is caused by a missing font, and a risky fix is to click the lower left button. In older software versions, this usually results in choosing the default initialization of RF/digital setup.

Note: (this note may not be valid after 2009) If you find that you have printing problem, see if you have a file ".XprinterDefaults" in your home directory. Move this file to ".XprinterDefaultsOld", and restart ADS ... it will write a new copy of this file that should enable printing.
if this does not work, move your current ".XprinterDefaults" file to ".XprinterDefaultsOld", and try downloading .XprinterDefaults to your home directory. (To download you may need to hold down the "shift key" while you click on the link.) Select the LPDEST printer by File-->PrintSetup-->Options and select Default Printer ($LPDEST) on default_queue

Ayfter ADS starts ou should get a starting window similar to this:

Look at the Agilent quick start and read through the on-line manuals (see the help tab in ADS), for particular qestions it is usually best to use the help index from the ADS window MenuBar::Help to search the manuals.

Create a new project "linecalc1" as shown below. Choose the "no help needed" option and click "finish" in the pop-up.

Access the linecalc program from the tools menu as shown below.

The linecalc tool should appear as shown below.

Although we have not yet discussed transmission lines, we will use this as a simple demonstration of ADS tools

Use linecalc to compute the impedance Z0, and the effective dielectric of a microstrip line W=0.125 inch (125 mils) wide on H=1/16 inch (62.5 mils) FR4 substrate with relative dielectric constant Er= 4 and with a 1/2 ounce copper (T=0.7 mils thick) of conductivity 6.0E7 S/m. Set the frequency to 10 GHz, and line length L = 1000 mils (1 inch). A mil is 0.001 inches.

Press the analyze button to compute the line parameters. Note that Z0 gives the line impedance, K_EFF is the effective dielectric constant, and E_EFF is Effective electrical length of line.

Copy the linecalc window and paste it into your report (see template above). Make sure that it is legible in your report! YOU MUST ADD CAPTIONS AND FIGURE NUMBERS TO ALL FIGURES!! ( P1 )

For snapshots use the Linux menu Graphice::Ksnapshot and select the option to take a legible snapshot of a window rather than full screen

Experiment with other types of transmission lines and different parameters.

Exit the program, File->Exit.

Part 2

Start the software:

Download the following tar-file (you may need to hold down the shift key while you click on the link):
tpwx1.tar

When ADS first runs, you should have a new directory apps/agilent/ads (or hpeesof/ads or apps/ads or linux/hpeesof) created in your home directory. Start ADS and find out which directory your version of ADS automatically opens. (Use the "up arrows" in ADS to step up the directory structure to figure out where ADS started.) Move the tar-file into the hpeesof/ads (or apps/agilent/ads or whatever your automatic start-up directory is) directory, and de-tar using the command

    tar -xvf tpwx1.tar

You should find a new directory tpwx1_prj created in hpeesof/ads or linux/hpeesof or apps/ads or whatever your default ADS startup directory is.

Run ADS

Go down through the directory tree to ads/tpwx1_prj/networks/rlc1.dsn, and double click that design file. You should see:

Double-click the schematic in the right half of the window, and the following schematic should appear.

Save a snapshot of the schematic and turn it in. ( P2 )

Double-click the "gear" icon (shown below) in the upper right of the window to simulate.

The data plotting window shown below should appear.

Click the "rectangular plot" icon (shown below) in the left of the window to simulate.

Drop the plotting box in the visible area, and in the pop-up window:

Select DataSet -> S(1,1) -> Add -> dB
Select DataSet -> S(2,1) -> Add -> dB
The screen should appear as:

Click OK, and the following S-parameter plot should appear.

S11 is a measure of the reflected wave as a function of frequency. S21 is a measure of gain. S-parameters will be investigated in greater depth in the next project.

Save a snapshot of this and turn it in. ( P3 )

Part 3

Install Cadence

From a Linux terminal, ADS should be availabe in the menu (Mosaic->Engineering->Electrical->Agilent->ADS)

From a PC terminal, you must first open a remote Linux session, (Start->AllPrograms->Mosaic->LinuxConnect->GraphicalSessAuto->LinuxAuto), then proceed as for a Linux terminal

<><> New Cadence install instructions for Linux, tpw 7/28/09:
See note below if you used cadence before.<>
New users instructions:

on a linux terminal, Mosaic->Engineering->Electrical->Cadence
and it should automatically install Cadence and the NCSU librabries,

Note for previous users of Cadence:
if you were a previous user of cadence on Solaris, you will have to first copy your old cadence/NCSU directory to your linux home directory, then move your old startup files to a safe place (.cdsenv .cdsinit .cdsdoc cds.lib .cdsplotinit cadence_startup). Then run the script above. then, open the new cds.lib file and copy any needed define statements from your old cds.lib file, making proper changes to adjust for the new linux location directory.

If all goes well, you should see something like:

Save a snapshot of your Library manage window as above ( P4 )

Create a new library using MenuBar::File::New::Library from librabry manager menu bar and use the input parameters as shown below to create a 0.5 micron design:

Next create a new cell in cadence using the MenuBar::File::New::CellView from librabry manager menu bar and use the input parameters as shown below to create a 0.5 micron design:

Set all layers to be visible using MenuBar::Options::Display and set display levels to Start=0 Stop=32 in the display options pop-up menu.

Select the poly material in the left side of the screen (see below) and ust the MenuBar::Create::Path command to draw your initials in poly.

Next create a PMOS transistor with the command MenuBar::Create::Instance and select the following parameters

<>Placelace the transistor near your initials as follows:

Using MenuBar::Edit::Properties select the transistor and edit the transistor property (3-finger interdigitated gate) as follows:

Save a snapshot of your first RFIC Chip Layout with your initials and a 3-finger PMOS transistor as above ( P5 )

Finally, run a DRC (Design Rules Check) using MenuBar::Verify::DRC and observe the error summary that appears in the ICFB text window area that opened when you first started Cadence:

Dont worry about any errors, just print whatever errors you have as shown above ( P6 )

More tutorials are at a variety of other websites.see also

http://www.eda.ncsu.edu/wiki/NCSU_EDA_Wiki

http://www.cadence.com/support/university/ww_usp.aspx

http://www.ece.umd.edu/~dilli/research/layout/cadencetutorial/cadencedemo9.html

http://www.coe.uncc.edu/~tpweldon/courses/mixsig/cadence.html

Part 4

Look at the Agilent quick start and read through the on-line manuals (see the help tab in ADS), then answer the following questions and turn them in. It is usually best to use help index accessable from an ADS window to search the manuals.

In what year did Heinrich Hertz demonstrate radio wave propagation? ( Q1 )

In what year did Marconi make the first transatlantic transmission from Glace Bay Nova Scotia? ( Q2 )

In 1971, what did Federico Faggin design for Intel? ( Q3 )

Report

NOTE: Use the Project Report Template and keep answers to questions on consecutive sheets of paper with all plots at the end.

Do not add extraneous pages or put explanations on separate pages unless specifically directed to do so. The instructor will not read extraneous pages!

Only turn in requested plots ( Pxx ) and requested answers to questions ( Qxx ). All plots must be labeled P1, P2, etc. and all questions must be numbered Q1, Q2, etc. YOU MUST ADD CAPTIONS AND FIGURE NUMBERS TO ALL FIGURES!!