Best IC Design Software with a Free Trial of 2025

Altium's PDN Analyzer tool integrates with Altium Designer. This allows you to easily troubleshoot issues such as insufficient or excessive copper or uncontrolled voltage drops. You can also detect marginal voltage at critical power points, copper islands or peninsulas, and other issues that could be present in your PCB power system. PDN is the power system for active circuits on printed circuit boards. This includes all interconnections between the voltage regulator module, the metallization pads and die on integrated devices that are used for supply and return power. The entire length of the power delivery network must meet the IC supply voltage limits. Validating your power budget accurately means taking into account the minimum and maximum device limits, worst case voltage drops, combined return-path currents, and other factors. PDN Analyzer will show you exactly where these problems are.

Advance your approach to RF simulation by focusing on the comprehensive design, analysis, and verification of radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs). Gain assurance through the use of steady-state and nonlinear solvers for both design and verification processes. The availability of wireless standard libraries expedites the validation of intricate RFICs. Prior to finalizing an RFIC, it is essential to confirm IC specifications through RF simulation. These simulations take into account various factors such as layout parasitics, intricate modulated signals, and digital control circuitry. With PathWave RFIC Design, you can perform simulations in both frequency and time domains, facilitating seamless transitions between your designs and Cadence Virtuoso. Achieve accurate modeling of components on silicon chips, and enhance your designs using optimization techniques like sweeps and load-pull analysis. Integration of RF designs into the Cadence Virtuoso environment is streamlined, while the implementation of Monte Carlo and yield analysis can significantly boost performance. Additionally, debugging is made easier with safe operating area alerts, allowing for immediate utilization of cutting-edge foundry technology to stay at the forefront of innovation. This holistic approach to RFIC design not only improves efficiency but also elevates the overall quality and reliability of the final products.

Ansys Exalto serves as a post-LVS RLCk extraction software tool designed to assist IC designers in precisely identifying unknown crosstalk across various design hierarchy blocks by extracting lumped-element parasitics and creating an accurate model for electrical, magnetic, and substrate interactions. The software is compatible with most LVS tools and can enhance the RC extraction tool of your preference. By utilizing Ansys Exalto's post-LVS RLCk extraction capabilities, IC designers can effectively forecast electromagnetic and substrate coupling phenomena, enabling signoff on circuits that were previously deemed "too large to analyze." The models generated are back-annotated to the schematic or netlist and are compatible with all circuit simulators. With the rise of RF and high-speed circuits in contemporary silicon systems, accurately modeling electromagnetic coupling has become critical, as it significantly impacts the success of silicon implementations. Thus, Ansys Exalto is an essential asset for designers aiming to navigate the complexities of modern circuit design with precision.

Ansys Maxwell serves as an electromagnetic field solver tailored for applications involving electric machines, transformers, wireless charging systems, permanent magnet latches, actuators, and various electromechanical devices. It effectively analyzes static, frequency-domain, and time-varying electric and magnetic fields. The software also provides specialized design tools specifically for electric machines and power converters. With Maxwell, users can accurately assess the nonlinear and transient behavior of electromechanical elements and their impacts on drive circuits and control system architectures. By utilizing Maxwell’s sophisticated electromagnetic field solvers and integrating them with circuit and systems simulation technologies, users can gain insights into the performance of electromechanical systems prior to constructing a physical prototype. Additionally, Maxwell is recognized for delivering reliable simulations of low-frequency electromagnetic fields found in industrial applications, ensuring optimal design and functionality in real-world scenarios. This capability makes it an essential tool for engineers looking to refine their designs and improve overall system performance.

Ansys Icepak serves as a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tool specifically designed for managing thermal aspects of electronics. This software effectively forecasts airflow, temperature distributions, and heat transfer within integrated circuit (IC) packages, printed circuit boards (PCBs), electronic assemblies, and power electronics. Utilizing the renowned Ansys Fluent CFD solver, Ansys Icepak offers robust solutions for electronic cooling, facilitating thorough thermal and fluid flow evaluations of various electronic components. The software is integrated with the Ansys Electronics Desktop (AEDT), which features a user-friendly graphical interface for enhanced usability. Users can conduct comprehensive analyses of conduction, convection, and radiation, benefiting from advanced functions that enable modeling of both laminar and turbulent flows, as well as species transport involving radiation and convection. Furthermore, Ansys provides a holistic PCB design solution that allows for the simulation of PCBs, ICs, and packages, leading to precise assessments of entire electronic systems. This capability empowers engineers to optimize thermal management strategies effectively, ensuring reliable and efficient performance of electronic devices.

Utilizing the Ansys Electronics solution suite significantly reduces testing expenses, guarantees adherence to regulatory standards, enhances reliability, and greatly shortens your product development timeline. This approach not only facilitates the creation of top-tier and innovative products but also empowers you to address the most crucial elements of your designs through advanced simulation capabilities. Whether you're involved in antenna, RF, microwave, PCB, package, IC design, or electromechanical devices, our industry-leading simulators are at your disposal. These tools effectively tackle challenges related to electromagnetic interference, thermal management, signal integrity, power integrity, parasitic effects, cabling, and vibrations within your designs. Moreover, our comprehensive product simulation offers you the opportunity to achieve first-pass success in designing various systems, including airplanes, vehicles, smartphones, laptops, wireless chargers, and more, ensuring that your projects are not only successful but also innovative. As a result, you can confidently bring your ideas to fruition with efficiency and accuracy.