What's New in this Release?
Several bugs have been fixed in 17.56
Below is a summary of the new features that are now available in version 17.54 of Sonnet.
Error message "Unable to completely unpack project file"
The Print command is not functional in the response viewer or the 3D view in the project editor.
When editing in the project editor, moving a selected point using the Shift+Arrow keys is not working.
Hover over pops up info for polygons on other levels, instead of just the metal level being presently viewed.
In Edit Points mode, Allow adding points checkbox does not allow you to add points when selected.
PI Model output file formats are incorrect.
The following known bugs are fixed in version 17.52.1:
This version includes a number of other bug fixes; please see the Release Notes for details.
Below is a summary of the major new features in version 17.52 of Sonnet. Some features are only available in the Sonnet Professional Suite.
New Re-designed Interface: Release 17 introduces a new, even more intuitive interface for Sonnet Software, with windows that provide almost infinite flexibility. You can now configure your design environment to suit your way of working, placing controls anywhere in the Sonnet window or in separate windows. For more information on configuring your Sonnet windows, please see Reconfiguring Sonnet Windows.
Sonnet tabbed window: The Sonnet window now contains all running modules which appear in separate tabs, allowing the user to quickly move through different parts of their design process. Tabs may be rearranged or moved into their own windows as needed and then added back to the main window at the user's discretion.
Session Manager: Release 17 introduces the Sonnet session. The Sonnet session window allows you to access all the modules in Sonnet Software, manage your project files, access help and Sonnet example files and access various administrative tasks. The main session tab contains a session manager which displays everything presently open in your session which can be used to easily manage elements of your session and move between modules. The session manager is displayed by default within every module in Sonnet.
A session is automatically saved when you exit Sonnet so that all of the open tabs reappear the next time you run the software. You may also choose to manually save and load a session configuration; see File - Session for more information.
Performance Improvement: The thread count for the Desktop Solver (DTS) has been increased to 8 and the thread count for the High Performance Solver (HPS) has been increased to 64.
Sonnet EM Co-Simulation (SEC): Release 17 introduces Sonnet's EM Co-Simulation (SEC) for ADS which allows you to perform EM Co-simulation from within the ADS Analog/RF simulation engine. An SEC component placed within the ADS schematic can invoke Sonnet EM simulations and allows the user to tune or optimize a parameterized Sonnet project from the ADS design environment. For a tutorial on using an SEC component, see Sonnet EM Co-Simulation (SEC) Tutorial.
Sonnet Technology File (STF): Release 17 introduces the Sonnet technology file for Sonnet interfaces and translators which stores all the information needed for the stackup. This file is intended to replace the Sonnet substrate file (*.matl). Both file formats are supported in this release, but the older substrate file will be slowly phased out in upcoming releases.
Metal Bias:The new Sonnet Technology File (STF) has been used in the development of PDK models for specific commercially available technologies. The new STF file format along with enhancements to the analysis engine, em, allows for the inclusion of metal bias data from foundries to account for fabrication effects during analysis. To find out if your process is currently supported or to request support for one, please contact info@sonnetsoftware.com.
Port Enhancements: Improvements in creating and modeling ports have been made in Release 17. The port type is automatically assigned based on the placement of the port in the circuit with immediate feedback on correct port placement. A new type of port, the delta gap port is introduced in this release. A delta gap port has the same functionality as a version 16 standard port placed between two adjacent polygons. Several capabilities have been added to ports including assigning a local ground polygon, assigning multiple numbers to a single port and controlling the polarity of ports. For more information, see Ports in the Sonnet User's Guide.
When you are adding ports to your circuit, the appearance of the cursor changes based on the type of port that would be added at the present location of the cursor. New port symbols are also being used to represent the ports in your circuit. For more information, please see Insert - Port.
Sweeps: There is a new implementation for setting up your analysis sweeps that is more powerful and efficient. Please see the Sweeps page of the Circuit Settings dialog box for more information.
New Measurements and Equations in the response viewer: There are a number of new measurements and pre-defined equations available in the response viewer combined with a new interface for managing your curves. Please see Graph - Manage Curves for more information.
Tuning in the response viewer: You may now interactively change the value of variables in your project and see the effect on your response. Please see Graph - Tune for more information.
Job Queues: The new Job Queue tab has replaced the analysis monitor to control and monitor your analyses. The Job Queue can be used to set up jobs for later analysis, or to run analysis jobs immediately. You may define multiple job queues in your session.
Remote Server Setup: Setting up remote servers has been streamlined and simplified with an intuitive interface. Please see the Remote em Computing manual for information on setting up remote servers.