Siemens' state-of-the-art Symphony Pro platform expands mixed signal IC verification capabilities

Plano, Texas, USA -- July 11, 2022 -- To address the design verification challenges of the world’s most complex mixed-signal systems-on-chip (SoCs), Siemens Digital Industries Software today introduces the new Symphony™ Pro platform. This next generation solution extends the robust mixed-signal verification capabilities of Siemens’ proven Symphony platform to support new and advanced Accellera standardized verification methodologies with a powerful, comprehensive and intuitive visual debug cockpit, resulting in productivity improvements of up to 10X compared to legacy solutions.

Next-generation automotive, imaging, IoT, 5G, computing and storage applications are driving strong demand for greater analog and mixed-signal content in next-generation SoCs. Mixed-signal circuits are increasingly ubiquitous -- whether it is integrating the analog signal chain with the digital-front end (DFE) in 5G massive-MIMO radios, digital RF-sampling data converters in radar systems, image sensors combining analog pixel read-out circuits with digital image signal processing or feeding datacenter computing resources with ever more data using advanced mixed-signal circuits to deliver PAM4 signaling. For these and other highly advanced applications, mixed-signal circuits enable lower power, area, and cost while delivering ever-improving performance figures.

“Mixed-Signal functional verification is increasingly vital for our sophisticated designs targeted for the imaging and automotive industries. We've participated in the early access program for Symphony Pro and have seen significant productivity gains thanks to advanced debugging capabilities and seamless support for multi-layer sandwich configurations in Symphony Pro,” said Stephane Vivien, senior CAD manager, Imaging Division, STMicroelectronics. “We look forward to using Symphony Pro as our sign-off solution for present and future mixed-signal verification projects.”

Increased application of digital control, digital calibration, and digital signal processing techniques in modern mixed-signal chip architectures is driving a paradigm shift in mixed-signal verification methodologies toward more digital-centric approaches. Siemens’s new Symphony Pro platform -- built on the proven performance of Siemens’ Symphony and Questa™ Visualizer platforms -- extends the rapid deployment of industry-standard Universal Verification Methodology (UVM) and Unified Power Format (UPF) driven low-power techniques into the mixed signal domain by offering fast simulation performance in a unified environment for exceptional throughput and capacity.

Modern mixed-signal SoCs integrate analog circuits with logic gates operating at very high clock speeds. This high frequency bi-directional signal flow at the boundary of analog and digital pushes the limit of manual debug methodologies impacting the overall time-to-results. Symphony Pro Visualizer MS environment offers a seamless debug experience across the entire mixed-signal design hierarchy with comprehensive analysis, automation, and ease-of-use for increased productivity.

“Our high-performance, energy-efficient chips designed for the IoT are analog intensive and mixed-signal in nature. To ensure high quality, we expanded our digital verification methodology to enable effective regression of our mixed-signal designs,” said Jayanth Shreedhara, senior CAD manager at Silicon Labs. “Symphony Pro Visualizer mixed-signal technology accelerated debug turn-around time for our digital on top UVM test suites, enhancing our verification productivity from days to hours and dramatically improving our coverage closure.”

“Our customers are rapidly advancing the state-of-the-art in mixed-signal SoC design across a wide range of applications, and in the process, they are driving the requirements for new innovations in the EDA tools required to design, verify, and validate these chips,” said Ravi Subramanian, senior vice president of IC Verification at Siemens Digital Industries Software. “We are excited to deliver Symphony Pro, which combines our proven AFS, Questa and Visualizer technologies, to our customers, enabling the potential for them to realize key competitive advantages with a unified mixed-signal verification solution.“

For more information about the Symphony Pro Mixed-Signal Platform, please visit https://sie.ag/3MmqYgC

Siemens Digital Industries Software is driving transformation to enable a digital enterprise where engineering, manufacturing and electronics design meet tomorrow. The Xcelerator portfolio helps companies of all sizes create and leverage digital twins that provide organizations with new insights, opportunities and levels of automation to drive innovation. For more information on Siemens Digital Industries Software products and services, visit siemens.com/software

Siemens Digital Industries (DI) is an innovation leader in automation and digitalization. Closely collaborating with partners and customers, DI drives the digital transformation in the process and discrete industries. With its Digital Enterprise portfolio, DI provides companies of all sizes with an end-to-end set of products, solutions and services to integrate and digitalize the entire value chain. Optimized for the specific needs of each industry, DI’s unique portfolio supports customers to achieve greater productivity and flexibility. DI is constantly adding innovations to its portfolio to integrate cutting-edge future technologies. Siemens Digital Industries has its global headquarters in Nuremberg, Germany, and has around 76,000 employees internationally.

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, transport, and healthcare. From more resource-efficient factories, resilient supply chains, and smarter buildings and grids, to cleaner and more comfortable transportation as well as advanced healthcare, the company creates technology with purpose adding real value for customers. By combining the real and the digital worlds, Siemens empowers its customers to transform their industries and markets, helping them to transform the everyday for billions of people. Siemens also owns a majority stake in the publicly listed company Siemens Healthineers, a globally leading medical technology provider shaping the future of healthcare. In addition, Siemens holds a minority stake in Siemens Energy, a global leader in the transmission and generation of electrical power.

In fiscal 2021, which ended on September 30, 2021, the Siemens Group generated revenue of €62.3 billion and net income of €6.7 billion. As of September 30, 2021, the company had around 303,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.