It’s Only Common Sense: Selling to Today's Generation of Buyers
Dan’s Biz Bookshelf: ‘Believe in Better'
The Big Picture: Our Big ‘Why’ in the Age of AI
Alps Alpine Selects Siemens’ Symphony Platform to Verify its Newest Mixed-signal Capacitance Detection IC
April 26, 2023 | SiemensEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Siemens Digital Industries Software has announced that Alps Alpine, a leading manufacturer of electronic components and in-vehicle information devices, used Siemens’ Symphony platform for mixed-signal applications when developing and verifying its newest, functionally safe capacitance detection integrated circuit (IC). Alps Alpine’s new offering enables proximity, touch, and spatial gesture detection across a wide range of human-machine interface systems in demanding applications such as the automotive and smart device spaces.
Using Siemens’ Symphony platform, Alps Alpine quickly achieved silicon accurate simulation for its touch detection IC, increasing functional verification productivity by 5x. This reduction of verification cycles facilitated rapid attainment of time-to-market goals for the customer.
"A major feature of our latest IC is the use of absolute self-capacitance detection to achieve outstanding high sensitivity and noise resistance performance," said Akihisa Iikura, IC design manager for Alps Alpine. "As a manufacturer of in-vehicle electrical components, we are required to comply with the ISO26262 functional safety standard, and the semiconductors we use must additionally comply with aggressive Automotive Safety Integrity Level-B (ASIL-B) requirements. Siemens’ Symphony platform helped us to rapidly and successfully design and verify our design’s complex operations and functionality. The Symphony platform’s exceptional performance, together with its user-friendly interface, led to greater adoption among our verification teams, ultimately resulting in a 5x increase in productivity.“
Alps Alpine has a track record of more than 20 years in semiconductor design, and the company has mass-produced billions of units over that timeframe.
Powered by Siemens' Analog FastSPICE platform, the Symphony platform provides a seamless combination of foundry-certified circuit simulators and industry-standard HDL simulators for efficient and precise verification of complex nanometer-scale mixed-signal ICs. Its modular design leverages Siemens’ Analog FastSPICE platform for exceptional speed and accuracy in mixed-signal simulation and its compatibility with leading digital solvers, such as the functional verification engine of Siemens’ Questa™ platform, extends debug productivity.
"The need for high-sensitivity capacitive sensing technology is becoming critical in many human-machine interface applications, and mixed-signal innovations such as Alps Alpine’s capacitance detection solutions are critical to meet those requirements," said Amit Gupta, vice president and general manager for the Custom IC Verification Division at Siemens Digital Industries Software. “We are pleased that our Analog FastSPICE and Symphony platforms played a key role in Alps Alpine’s development of its latest mixed-signal, functional safety standard compliant capacitance detection IC design.”
Share on:
Suggested Items
DownStream Acquisition Fits Siemens’ ‘Left-Shift’ Model
06/26/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007I recently spoke to DownStream Technologies founder Joe Clark about the company’s acquisition by Siemens. We were later joined by A.J. Incorvaia, Siemens’ senior VP of electronic board systems. Joe discussed how he, Rick Almeida, and Ken Tepper launched the company in the months after 9/11 and how the acquisition came about. A.J. provides some background on the acquisition and explains why the companies’ tools are complementary.
Elementary Mr. Watson: Retro Routers vs. Modern Boards—The Silent Struggle on Your Screen
06/26/2025 | John Watson -- Column: Elementary, Mr. WatsonThere's a story about a young woman preparing a holiday ham. Before putting it in the pan, she cuts off the ends. When asked why, she shrugs and says, "That's how my mom always did it." She asks her mother, who gives the same answer. Eventually, the question reaches Grandma, who laughs and says, "Oh, I only cut the ends off because my pan was too small." This story is a powerful analogy for how many PCB designers approach routing today.
Siemens Turbocharges Semiconductor and PCB Design Portfolio with Generative and Agentic AI
06/24/2025 | SiemensAt the 2025 Design Automation Conference, Siemens Digital Industries Software today unveiled its AI-enhanced toolset for the EDA design flow.
Cadence AI Autorouter May Transform the Landscape
06/19/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazinePatrick Davis, product management director with Cadence Design Systems, discusses advancements in autorouting technology, including AI. He emphasizes a holistic approach that enhances placement and power distribution before routing. He points out that younger engineers seem more likely to embrace autorouting, while the veteran designers are still wary of giving up too much control. Will AI help autorouters finally gain industry-wide acceptance?
Beyond Design: The Metamorphosis of the PCB Router
06/18/2025 | Barry Olney -- Column: Beyond DesignThe traditional PCB design process is often time-consuming and labor-intensive. Routing a complex PCB layout can consume up to 30% of a designer’s time, and addressing this issue is not straightforward. We have all encountered this scenario: You spend hours setting the constraints and finally hit the Go button, only to be surprised by the lack of visual appeal and the obvious flaws in the result.