Wave Photonics extends PIC design access
Wave Photonics has expanded its PDK Management Platform with compatibility for Synopsys OptoCompiler, enabling designers to access and use photonic design kits from multiple foundries within the unified electronic-photonic design environment.
Wave Photonics has announced that all photonic design kits (PDKs) developed or managed through its PDK Management Platform are now compatible with Synopsys OptoCompiler, broadening access to foundry processes for photonic integrated circuit (PIC) designers.
The integration enables designers using Synopsys' unified electronic and photonic design platform to access PDKs spanning multiple material platforms and wavelengths, from blue through to telecom bands.
The PDKs include pre-calculated S-parameters, allowing users to simulate circuits in Synopsys OptSim before tape-out.
The update also simplifies PDK distribution for foundries. Through the platform, foundries can make their process design kits available to OptoCompiler users while reducing the effort required to maintain multiple tool integrations.
The platform also provides version tracking, automated documentation, NDA management and IP protection features.
CORNERSTONE, one of the foundries using the Wave Photonics platform, has already made its open-source PDKs available to OptoCompiler users through the service, extending access to its fabrication processes.
Sander Roosendaal, R&D Engineering Director at Synopsys, said the collaboration makes PDKs from smaller foundries and emerging applications available to designers in "an easy and reliable way."
James Lee, CEO of Wave Photonics, said the integration enables users to access PDKs with leading EDA tools without additional setup, particularly benefiting customers working with smaller foundries and in emerging areas such as quantum photonics, where native support for Synopsys tools has traditionally been limited.
The addition of OptoCompiler compatibility extends the reach of Wave Photonics' PDK Management Platform, helping streamline PIC design workflows while improving connectivity between foundries and designers across the integrated photonics ecosystem.
