Comprehensive Design Flow of a 61GHz Radar Frontend with CST Studio Suite and Altium Designer
Gabor Vinci – Lead Research Engineer, R&D Industrial Division
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
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1. Introduction
2. Product Development Phases & Tools
4. Geometry, Layout & Numerical 3D EM Simulation
3. Development Process – Design Flow
5. Data Format Exchange and Workflow
6. Data Import/Export from/to Tools
7. Complete Model Full-3D Simulation
8. EM-relevant Mechanics - Example
9. Conclusion
Overview
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
3
Introduction
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
InnoSenT radar sensors Advanced technology for a wide area of applications
distance, speed and position of moving or stationary objects / people
24, 61 and 77 GHz Radar frontends and Systems Mostly based on planar PCB Technology
High level of Integration
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Product Development Phases and Tools
Product Development
& Design
Thermal Simulation
CST Mpysics
Studio
System & Circuit Simulation
Agilent ADS, LT Spice
Analytic System & Signals Simulation
MATLAB
Geometry & Layouting
Altium Designer
3D-EM Simulation CST Microwave
Studio
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
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Product Development Phases and Tools
Product Development
& Design
Thermal Simulation
CST Mpysics
Studio
System & Circuit Simulation
Agilent ADS, LT Spice
Analytic System & Signals Simulation
MATLAB
Geometry & Layouting
Altium Designer
3D-EM Simulation CST Microwave
Studio
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
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Development Process – Design Flow
Analytical System Simulation (MATLAB)
Low-level Hardware System & Circuit Simulation (Agilent ADS)
Analytical Circuit Simulation (LT Spice)
3D-EM Simulation (CST Microwave Studio)
Thermal Simulation (CST Mphysics Studio)
Analytical System Design (handmade functional block diagram)
Product Idea Customer Requests and Specifications
Layouting / Routing (Altium Designer)
LF RF LF
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
Finalized Design
Mechanical (Solid Works)
Analytical
System Design
Analytical
Circuit Design
Geometry, Layout Numerical 3D EM Simulation
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Development Process – Design Flow
Analytical System Simulation (MATLAB)
Low-level Hardware System & Circuit Simulation (Agilent ADS)
Analytical Circuit Simulation (LT Spice)
3D-EM Simulation (CST Microwave Studio)
Thermal Simulation (CST Mphysics Studio)
Analytical System Design (Handmade Functional block diagram)
Product Idea Customer Requests and Specifications
Layouting / Routing (Altium Designer)
LF
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
Finalized Design
Mechanical (Solid Works)
Analytical
System Design
Analytical
Circuit Design
Geometry, Layout Numerical 3D EM Simulation
RF LF
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Geometry, Layout & Numerical 3D EM Simulation
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
CST Microwave Studio
• Design of RF circuit elements • Verification of link-budget • Complex geometry construction • Influence of material tolerances • Influence of geometrical tolerances • Integration of mechanical data
• Optimization process
Mechanical Design (Solid Works)
System requirements
Altium Designer • Circuit diagram & netlist
• Integration of RF circuit elements
• Merging of RF and LF circuit design
• Design-rule check
• Routing
• Multilayer design
• Mechanical overlay
Finalized Design
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Data Format Exchange and Workflow
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
CST Microwave Studio 2013.06
CST PCB Studio 2013.06
Altium Designer 14.1.5 (Build 30772)
Solid Works Premium 2012 x 64 SP5.0
ODB++ Data Archive
3D Model Internal
Link
PCB Dummy IDF (EMN)
Single component geometries DXF Layers
Mechanics SAT V-19
Mechanics SAT V-19
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Data Format Exchange and Workflow
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
CST Microwave Studio 2013.06
Altium Designer 14.1.5 (Build 30772)
Basic DXF geometries with primitives of the microwave planar structures Several structures can be merged in sub-units as well.
• Design of RF circuits
• True 3D-EM simulation • Verification of link-budget
• Yield analysis • Material tolerances • Optimization process
• Influence and Interaction
• Circuit diagram
• Complete routing process
• Multilayer PCB design • Definition of components
• Definition of net-lists
• Solder masks, paste-layers
• Design-rule check
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Data Format Exchange and Workflow
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
CST PCB Studio 2013.06
Altium Designer 14.1.5 (Build 30772)
Solid Works Premium 2012 x 64 SP5.0
ODB++ Data Archive
PCB Dummy IDF (EMN)
• Whole system is exported as an ODB++ archive and imported back in the CST Studio Suite with the help of the PCB Studio module.
• Mechanical PCB dummy is generated in Altium and exported as IDF
(EMN) file for the Mechanical Design Team.
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Data Format Exchange and Workflow
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
CST Microwave Studio 2013.06
CST PCB Studio 2013.06
Solid Works Premium 2012 x 64 SP5.0
3D Model Internal
Link
• A fully detailed 3D model is generated and passed to CST MWS. 3D Models of components are embedded in the ODB++ archive.
• Mechanical data is transferred to CST MWS as SAT File.
• Mechanical data can be transferred back to Solid Works.
Mechanics SAT V-19
Mechanics SAT V-19
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DXF Export from CST Microwave Studio
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
Pick points to define layers
Export DXF
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DXF Export from CST Microwave Studio
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
DXF layers highlighted. Multilayer export.
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DXF import in Altium Designer
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
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ODB++ Export from Altium Designer
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
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ODB++ Import in CST PCB Studio
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
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From PCB Studio to Microwave Studio
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
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Imported Model in CST Microwave Studio
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
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Complete Model Full-3D Simulation
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
• Influence of geometrical tolerances
• Integration of mechanical data
• Optimization process
• Design of RF circuit elements
• Complex geometry construction
• Influence of material tolerances
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Dielectric Lens Antenna Design
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
Lens Diameter: 40 mm
50 mm
50 mm
26.5 mm
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Dielectric Lens Antenna Design
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
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Dielectric Lens Antenna Design
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
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Dielectric Lens Antenna Design
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
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Dielectric Lens Antenna Design
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
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Data Format Exchange and Workflow
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
CST Microwave Studio 2013.06
Solid Works Premium 2012 x 64 SP5.0
Mechanical data from 3D-EM specific geometries can be transferred back to Solid Works for integration with other mechanical features.
Mechanics SAT V-19
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Conclusion
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
Design Iterations Goal Optimization
Hardware Prototype With (nearly) no iterations
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Conclusion
Gabor Vinci – InnoSenT GmbH - CST European User Conference 2014 - Berlin
Thank you for your attention