Keysight Technologies (NYSE: KEYS) has expanded its photonics design ecosystem through support for GlobalFoundries’ silicon photonics process technology in its Advanced Design System (ADS) Photonic Designer platform, enabling engineers to design and validate photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and full electro-optical-electrical (EOE) systems within a single environment.
The announcement comes as silicon photonics gains momentum across AI infrastructure, data centers, and high-speed optical communications, where demand for faster and more efficient optical interconnects continues to rise.
Traditionally, engineers have relied on separate tools for PIC design and system-level simulation. This approach often requires multiple design iterations and can delay performance validation until later stages of development.
Keysight said its new process design kit (PDK) for ADS Photonic Designer addresses this challenge by linking photonic circuit design directly with EOE system simulation. Engineers can design PICs using GlobalFoundries’ silicon photonics platform and evaluate optical link performance before tapeout without moving between different software environments.
The integrated workflow allows designers to perform eye diagram analysis and assess signal integrity metrics, including transmission dispersion eye closure quaternary (TDECQ), during the design phase. The PDK is built on physics-based models aligned with GlobalFoundries’ silicon photonics manufacturing process, helping ensure simulation results closely match fabricated devices.
The capability is expected to be particularly valuable for developers of optical transceivers, co-packaged optics, and next-generation optical interconnect architectures. Engineers can also leverage Keysight’s FlexDCA oscilloscope software during development to improve correlation between simulation and physical measurements.
According to Keysight, the new offering provides several benefits, including faster project startup through ready-to-use foundry-aligned models, earlier visibility into system-level performance, and improved compliance verification before tapeout. The company said these capabilities can help reduce design risk, minimize development cycles, and accelerate time to market.
“As silicon photonics moves into broader deployment for AI infrastructure and high-speed optical communications, designers need workflows that connect device innovation with system-level performance from the start,” said Vikas Gupta, Senior Fellow for the Silicon Photonics Product Line at GlobalFoundries. He added that the collaboration is intended to help customers accelerate development and scale optical interconnect solutions more effectively.
Niels Faché, Senior Vice President of Design Engineering Software at Keysight, said the industry has reached a point where photonic circuit design and system validation must work together. “Engineers building for AI and data center infrastructure need to see system-level link performance from day one, not after fabrication,” he said.
