Keysight Technologies (NYSE: KEYS) and Synopsys (Nasdaq: SNPS) have jointly introduced an artificial intelligence-powered radio frequency (RF) design migration flow, aimed at expediting the transition of chip designs from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s (TSMC) N6RF+ process to its more advanced N4P node.
The new solution, announced this week, leverages TSMC’s existing Analog Design Migration (ADM) methodology and integrates tools from both companies to address the increasingly complex performance demands of modern wireless integrated circuits. The flow is designed to help RF circuit designers reuse existing IP while adapting to the N4P node’s stricter performance and layout requirements, significantly improving time-to-market and design efficiency.
As part of the initiative, Synopsys brings its Custom Compiler layout environment and ASO.ai, an AI-driven analog and RF design migration tool, along with its PrimeSim circuit simulation platform. Keysight’s contribution includes RFPro, a platform used for electromagnetic (EM) simulation, passive device parameterization, and automated layout model generation.
“The analog design migration process is traditionally time-consuming and involves significant manual trial and error,” said Sanjay Bali, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Product Management at Synopsys. “By combining AI-powered tools with TSMC’s ADM methodology and collaborating with Keysight, we’re enabling design teams to deliver more efficient RF designs that meet power, performance, and area (PPA) metrics.”
The AI capabilities within Synopsys ASO.ai help optimize critical design parameters, allowing engineers to reconfigure passive devices such as inductors to align with new process specifications. Keysight’s RFPro then facilitates automated EM simulations and parameter fitting, reducing the need for extensive manual adjustments.
According to Niels Faché, Senior Vice President at Keysight’s Design Engineering Software unit, the migration flow is tailored to address common pain points in RF chip design. “Designers are under pressure to meet stringent PPA targets while adapting to next-generation process rules. This collaboration enables them to migrate existing N6RF+ libraries to the N4P node efficiently, without the need for extensive reengineering or specialized handovers between domains.”
TSMC, the world’s leading contract chipmaker, said the collaboration is part of its broader Open Innovation Platform strategy, which encourages integration with ecosystem partners to accelerate semiconductor development.
“We offer a comprehensive combination of logic and mixed-signal/RF technologies to support innovation in wireless connectivity,” said Lipen Yuan, Senior Director of Advanced Technology Business Development at TSMC. “Through this partnership with Synopsys and Keysight, our customers gain access to a highly efficient RF design migration flow, enabling faster adoption of advanced processes and maximizing performance and power efficiency.”
The rollout of the AI-enabled workflow comes as the semiconductor industry faces growing demands for performance, efficiency, and shorter development cycles—particularly in wireless and 5G/6G-related applications. The joint initiative reflects a broader trend toward integrating AI and automation into chip design processes to meet the needs of increasingly complex system-on-chip (SoC) architectures.
The AI-powered migration flow is now available for design teams transitioning RF applications to TSMC’s N4P process.
