Defense Speak Interpreted: JADC2—Why It’s More Relevant Than Ever in Drone Warfare
Beyond the Board: Orbital High Ground—Why Space Superiority Is Slipping Away
The Government Circuit: Trump’s Trade War Disrupts the Electronics Ecosystem
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:
Testimonial
"The I-Connect007 team is outstanding—kind, responsive, and a true marketing partner. Their design team created fresh, eye-catching ads, and their editorial support polished our content to let our brand shine. Thank you all! "
Sweeney Ng - CEE PCBSuggested Items
Global PCB Connections: Understanding the General Fabrication Process—A Designer’s Hidden Advantage
08/14/2025 | Markus Voeltz -- Column: Global PCB ConnectionsDesigners don’t need to become fabricators, but understanding the basics of PCB fabrication can save you time, money, and frustration. The more you understand what’s happening on the shop floor, the better you’ll be able to prevent downstream issues. As you move into more advanced designs like HDI, flex circuits, stacked vias, and embedded components, this foundational knowledge becomes even more critical. Remember: the fabricator is your partner.
The Art and Science of PCB Floor Planning: A Comprehensive Guide
08/14/2025 | Cory Grunwald and Jeff Reinhold, Monsoon SolutionsPCB design is an intricate and crucial part of developing electronic products. One of the foundational stages of PCB design is floor planning, a phase where the placement of components and the flow of signals are meticulously mapped out. A good floor plan ensures that the PCB performs well, is easy to manufacture, and meets all mechanical and electrical requirements. We’ll explore the essential aspects of floor planning, from its objectives and process to the challenges that designers face.
EnSilica Establishes New EU Mixed-Signal Design Centre in Budapest, Hungary
08/12/2025 | EnSilicaThe facility strengthens EnSilica’s presence in the European Union and taps into Budapest’s deep technology ecosystem, which hosts numerous leading automotive and industrial multinationals. This expansion will increase the Group’s global headcount to around 210 employees.
Happy’s Tech Talk #41: Sustainability and Circularity for Electronics Manufacturing
08/13/2025 | Happy Holden -- Column: Happy’s Tech TalkI attended INEMI’s June 12 online seminar, “Sustainable Electronics Tech Topic Series: PCBs and Sustainability.” Dr. Maarten Cauwe of imec spoke on “Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) Models for Assessing and Improving the Environmental Impact of PCB Assemblies,” and Jack Herring of Jiva Materials Ltd. spoke on “Transforming Electronics with Recyclable PCB Technology.” This column will review information and provide analysis from both presentations.
Elementary, Mr. Watson: Why Your PCB Looks Like a Studio Apartment
08/13/2025 | John Watson -- Column: Elementary, Mr. WatsonIn November 2022, I wrote a column called "Is Your Bathroom in the Kitchen?" This piece related a bizarre real estate listing that emerged out of St. Louis that had architects scratching their heads and interior designers cringing. Nestled in the historic Central West End sat a 200-square-foot apartment that completely defied logic. It wasn't the size that raised eyebrows, it was the layout. Here's the kicker: While that's rare in real estate, it's shockingly common in PCB design.