Optenni Ltd has announced the availability of version 4.0 of the Optenni Lab matching circuit optimization software. This version includes numerous new features which make it easy to apply to new application areas, such as mm-wave devices, amplifiers and filters.

This new release is a big leap forward as it expands Optenni Lab application domains in many fronts. Optenni Lab 4.0 is shaped as a result of customer feedback, user requests and the company’s future vision. It has a number of key features.

To better support high frequency and high power matching applications, Optenni Lab now includes a microstrip synthesis capability. It can synthesize both stub matching and stepped impedance matching sections, with automatically inserted discontinuity, T-junction and via models. Circuit export to several third party design platforms streamlines the overall design flow. To help choosing a good topology, a layout view of the microstrip circuit is provided.

Optenni Lab 4.0 includes the often-requested synthesis block. The user simply adds the block anywhere in the matching circuit and chooses the number of components used in the block. Algorithms then replace the block with several optimized topologies using the given number of components. An example of a common application is topology optimization of the matching circuits around impedance tuners. Also, optimization of matching circuit segments in the middle of the RF chain is easy, as synthesis blocks can be inserted between filters, switches and other components.

A special case of the synthesis block is the generic reactance, ‘L or C’, which can be used e.g. in switch branches in tuner design, or to represent a fixed topology shape (e.g. PI or T) but with unknown combination of inductors and capacitors.

Another new feature is the calculation of currents, voltages and component losses in the circuit for a given input power. If component libraries are used, Optenni Lab also warns if the component rating is exceeded.

Optenni Lab also supports multiple impedance data in one shot. This key feature helps finding matching circuits that deliver good performance in several different impedance environments. A typical scenario is a handset antenna that is characterized in free space, with a hand phantom and with a head phantom. Combined with real-time VNA link, impedance data can be collected very quickly, and resulting matching circuits be tested under real test conditions.

As an entirely new functionality in Optenni Lab, impedance targets are helpful in optimizing matching circuits for multiharmonic termination of power amplifiers. Together with the impedance targets, microstrips can be used, or microstrip synthesis blocks and discrete components combined to create hybrid topologies. Impedance targets are also useful in matching LNAs, especially in tricky carrier aggregation applications.