Simtek Corp (SMTK)

[SmokingUSA]

Q-DOT, Inc. is a contract research and development (R&D) corporation advancing the state-of-art in data acquisition, signal processing, imaging, and communications for over 23 years. Our work comprises a mix of conventional government and commercial contracts in addition to Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts. The SBIR contracts and other government programs provide both a means to pursue challenging, innovative developments and a door to opportunities for commercialization.

Q-DOT, Inc. was founded in 1977 by Thomas E. Linnenbrink, who is the current President and CEO. While originated in Chicago, Q-DOT was moved to Colorado Springs in 1983 to join in the explosive growth of business in semiconductor technologies taking place in this area. Originally, Q-DOT pursued applications of Charge-Coupled Devices (CCDs) in compact, low-power, low-cost instrumentation. Since moving to Colorado, the company's technological interests have expanded to include data conversion and communications using state-of-the-art processes and concepts. Q-DOT has been developing advanced integrated circuits in SiGe HBT/BiCMOS for over eight years.

In March 2001 Q-DOT was acquired by Simtek Corporation, based in Colorado Springs, CO. Simtek is a publicly traded integrated circuit manufacturer specializing in high performance nonvolatile memory products and application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) built to customer specifications using FPGA designs. Q-Dot, Inc. will continue to support government sponsored R&D projects as a wholly owned subsidiary of Simtek, but with the additional goal of creating commercial products based on the advanced technology capabilities developed within the organization.
Two-IF Delta-Sigma ADDC
Q-DOT, Inc. is developing a bandpass Delta-Sigma (DS) analog-to-digital downconverter (ADDC) to acquire radar and communications channels directly from an IF signal. The ADDC will acquire 60 MHz signals at a high IF frequency (e.g., 500 MHz to 1500 MHz). The signal will be converted to high dynamic range (80 dB SINAD, 100 dB SFDR), output suitable for subsequent digital signal processing. The DS modulator is in development in advanced IBM SiGe BiCMOS technology.

High Speed Nyquist ADC
Q-DOT conceptually designed a wide bandwidth, monolithic, analog-to-digital converter (ADC) using advanced IBM SiGe BiCMOS technology intended for low-IF operation. The 10-bit ADC is designed to operate at 3.2 Gs/s with 3.5 GHz bandwidth. The major applications for a 10-bit, 3.2 Gs/s ADC lie in the next generation of instruments. Digital oscilliscopes (DSO), spectrum analyzers, and mass spectrometers will benefit greatly from the ADC.

High Speed DAC
Realized in IBM SiGe BiCMOS, this DAC is designed to convert 14-bit data at 5 Gs/s. Its algorithmic design promises >80 dB SFDR over its 2 GHz bandwidth. Prototype chips are ready for testing

Low Phase Noise Miniature Oscillator (MINO) for Advanced ADCs
Q-DOT is developing a low-noise (10 fs – 30 fs), miniature (5 x 5 x 12.5 mm3) oscillator (MINO) for use in advanced communications and radar systems. The MINO will provide the low-noise, nominally 3 GHz clock waveform for the next generation of ADCs. These 16-bit ADCs are challenged to achieve 100 MHz bandwidth with 100 dB SNR and 100 dB SFDR. The MINO will be a dramatic advance over the state-of-the-art, rack-mounted clock oscillators available today. The MINO circuitry will be realized in IBM SiGe HBT BiCMOS process.
Q-Dot Selects Sequence's Columbus- AMS For Inductance and Capacitance Extraction

SANTA CLARA - October 8, 2004 - Sequence Design today announced that Q-DOT, a company advancing the state-of-art in data conversion, signal processing, and communications, has selected Sequence's RLC Parasitic Extraction tool - Columbus-AMS - for inductance and capacitance extraction.

"Designing mixed-signal circuits well into the microwave region requires exceptional modeling to ensure first-pass success. Prior to using Columbus-AMS, inductance for critical circuit areas was manually calculated. Other tools did not provide the accuracy or ease-of-use required", said Don Herman, director of engineering for Q-DOT, Inc. "This caused numerous painstaking and time-consuming iterations as we identified and analyzed potential problems one small area at a time. But, with Columbus-AMS, inductance and capacitance are quickly and easily extracted for the entire design. This provides insight into potential oscillation and ringing without having to guess where the problems might originate. Columbus-AMS agrees well with our manual inductance calculations and return path analyses, providing the accuracy we need. And, it integrates cleanly into our design flow. Our engineers were able to get Columbus-AMS running and analyze a thorny mixed-signal circuit problem in a couple of weeks, after months of manual analysis."

Parasitic interconnect inductance becomes more prevalent on complex 130 nm circuits due to tightly packed clock trees and power grids, which in turn affect performance and yields. Even small inductances can cause 100+ GHz devices to oscillate. Sequence's Columbus-AMS inductance-modeling methodology has demonstrated greater success on mixed-signal and high-speed analog designs than traditional inductance parasitic approaches. Sequence's patented technology in this area has delivered unparalleled accuracy for ASIC and mixed-signal design houses worldwide.

"Today's high frequency designs must extract inductance or risk design failure," said Rob Mathews, vice president of product marketing, Sequence Design. "Q-DOT tested the limits of our tool. Their bleeding-edge development gives us a sense of where the future of design is going."

About Columbus-AMS
Columbus-AMS is part of Sequence's ExtractionStage suite, delivering unrivaled speed, accuracy, and capacity for designs below 180 nanometers (nm). Columbus-AMS has been adopted by NEC, Renesas, and Toshiba for their leading-edge designs. ExtractionStage manages the complex process-modeling and electrical-modeling challenges facing designers today.

* Accurate, device-level RLC extraction with NTX technology increases confidence in tapeouts
* Proven inductance extraction lets you meet analog specs and avoid post-tapeout surprises
* Selective parasitic modeling around devices eliminates double counting
* Compact parasitic netlists give efficient circuit simulation
* Graphical interface to Cadence Analog Design Environment™ controls extraction without leaving Virtuoso™
* Smart Probing™ lets you analyze R, C, and L interactively
* Supports popular LVS tools to complement your existing flow without tying you to a specific LVS tool
* Supports a wide variety of analog processes, including IBM 5- through 8-series SiGe and CMOS-RF

About Q-DOT
Q-DOT, Inc., a Simtek company, is a contract research and development (R&D) corporation advancing the state-of-art in data conversion, signal processing, and communications for over 27 years. Its work comprises a mix of conventional government and commercial contracts in addition to Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts. The SBIR contracts and other government programs provide both a means to pursue challenging, innovative developments and a door to opportunities for commercialization. For more information, please visit http://www.qdot.com

About Sequence
Sequence Design, Inc. enables system-on-chip designers to bring higher-performance and lower-power integrated circuits quickly to fabrication. Sequence's power and signal integrity software give its more than 130 customers the competitive advantage they need to excel in aggressive technology markets, despite demanding complexity and time-to-market issues of nanometer design.

Sequence has worldwide development and field service operations. The company was recently named by Reed Electronics as one of the top 10 companies to watch in the electronics industry. Sequence is privately held. Sequence is a member of Cadence Design Systems' Connections™ and Mentor Graphics' Open Door™ partnership programs. Additional information is available at sequencedesign.com.


For more information contact:
Greg Fawcett
Sequence Design Inc.
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