Ansoft Delivers Ultra-Wideband Design Library for Multiband OFDM; System Design Kit Provides Bit-Accurate, Multiband OFDM Alliance-Compliant Radio Design Solution

PITTSBURGH--Jan. 2, 20057, 2005--Ansoft Corporation announces the immediate availability of an ultra-wideband (UWB) design library for designers of multiband orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) radio systems. The kit, for use with Ansoft Designer(R), allows engineers to generate and detect Multiband OFDM Alliance (MBOA)-compliant OFDM waveforms for system- and circuit-level simulations.

Using behavioral models for all baseband and nonlinear RF elements, the kit enables the simulation of UWB radio systems. In addition, users can perform dynamic co-simulations with detailed, transistor-level descriptions of analog and mixed-signal blocks using Ansoft's Nexxim(R) circuit simulator.

Multiband OFDM is a new breed of UWB physical layer (PHY) technology that will unlock opportunities in computer networking, home entertainment and media sharing. Perhaps the most exciting is the development of wireless USB devices that eliminate cables used to download and share data, electronic photographs and video. Future electronic devices, such as digital cameras, camcorders, laptop computers and set-top boxes, will have a wireless USB solution. This large market opportunity has spawned numerous design starts for wireless USB chipsets.

"Ansoft developed the MBOA design kit as part of an ongoing project to design and produce a direct-conversion UWB radio reference design with our partner UMC," said Dr. Lawrence Williams, Director of Technical Business Development at Ansoft. "The library allows designers to evaluate radio performance with true MBOA-compliant waveforms."

The library enables Ansoft Designer users to simulate all analog and digital signal processing (DSP) functions in the MBOA transmitter and receiver. Engineers can use the library to generate and detect MBOA-compliant waveforms and apply them at the behavioral level, the transistor circuit level or both. For example, it is possible to predict co-channel and adjacent-channel interference and to compute error vector magnitude (EVM) and bit error rate (BER) at the receiver for any combination of behavioral- and transistor-level blocks. This true co-simulation capability allows users to have the system simulator dynamically drive parametric circuit and electromagnetic simulations.

Extend MATLAB(R) Link Analysis

Many system designers use MATLAB for radio system and link analysis. Ansoft's products directly interface with such simulations. The new UWB design kit enables designers to include detailed simulations of all linear and nonlinear effects including impedance mismatch between radio blocks, gain compression of amplifiers, spurious response of mixers and noise figure of low-noise amplifiers. These higher-order and frequency-domain effects are very challenging to model with other simulators and are easily computed using Ansoft technology.

Bit- and frame-accurate models for DSP blocks like the scrambler, convolutional encoder, puncturer, bit interleaver, constellation mapper and FFT processor, have all been implemented in the library. This and additional features include:

-- Bit- and frame-accurate models for IEEE 802.15.3a Multiband-OFDM UWB

-- Support of all data rates from 53Mbps to 480Mbps in both standard and streaming modes; time and frequency spreading combined with puncturing realize various rates

-- High-level library models for bit- and frame-accurate transmitter for users that do not need to bore into detailed models; bit-accurate, high-level models for transmitter and receiver signal processing

-- Channel models for path loss, multi-path Rayleigh fading (outside) and exponential distributions (indoor)

-- Lower-level transmit/receive library models for the detailed designer: OFDM (IFFT/FFT), gray coded QPSK modulation, scrambler, convolutional coder with puncturing, Viterbi decoder, pilot/guard inclusion, cyclic prefix, preamble/header generation and payload formatting

-- Framing with packet synchronization, frame synchronization, channel estimation, CRC check sequences and alignment

-- Time/frequency hopping patterns for all 5-band groups from 3.1GHz to 10.6GHz

Availability

The Ansoft UWB design kit is available to all Ansoft Designer and Nexxim customers currently on maintenance. Contact your local sales representative for more information.

About the MBOA

Formed in June 2003, the Multiband OFDM Alliance (MBOA) numbers over 170 member companies that support a UWB specification based on an OFDM approach originally introduced by Texas Instruments in March 2003. The specification enables the broadest possible range of applications and satisfies the requirements of consumers and regulatory agencies worldwide. The MBOA has been working closely to leverage its collective expertise in the creation and publication of a Multiband OFDM specification for UWB PHY technology and will work in harmony with other UWB standards bodies, such as IEEE, WiMedia, Wireless USB Promoter Group, 1394 TA, CEA and others as appropriate. See www.multibandofdm.org for more information.

About Ansoft

Ansoft is a leading developer of high-performance electronic design automation (EDA) software. Engineers use Ansoft software to design state-of-the-art electronic products, such as cellular phones, Internet-access devices, broadband networking components and systems, integrated circuits (ICs), printed circuit boards (PCBs), automotive electronic systems and power electronics. Ansoft markets its products worldwide through its own direct sales force and has comprehensive customer-support and training offices throughout North America, Asia and Europe. To learn more, please visit www.ansoft.com.