What Electrical-Optical-Electrical Simulation Means for Designers
Electrical-optical-electrical (EOE) simulation is a design approach that models an entire signal path as it travels from an electrical transmitter, through optical or photonics components, and back into electrical receivers, so engineers can assess signal integrity, nonlinearity, and noise across both domains at the same time within one coherent workflow. Keysight’s latest update to its Advanced Design System, ADS 2026, builds this idea directly into its signal path modeling tools. Instead of treating photonics IC simulation as a separate step, the platform treats electrical and optical behavior as one continuous chain. For teams working on optical electrical simulation of advanced links, this integrated view helps tie architecture decisions to final performance. It also provides a shared environment where SerDes and photonics specialists can evaluate choices together, rather than pushing partial results between disconnected SerDes design tools and optical simulators.
Inside ADS 2026: Integrated Optical Electrical Simulation
ADS 2026 adds an end-to-end EOE channel model that connects Keysight’s High Speed Digital workflow with Keysight Photonic Designer in a single environment. Engineers can now build one schematic that includes high-speed SerDes channels, photonic IC blocks, and optical fiber, then run system-level simulations across the complete chain. According to Keysight Technologies, the new workflow “allows engineers to simulate the full signal path from transmitters through optical and photonic circuits to electrical receivers in one workflow.” This closes the gap between traditional electrical tools and separate photonics IC simulation packages. For optical electrical simulation of next-generation links that must meet tight timing and power budgets, designers can explore options such as modulator types, driver equalization, and receiver architectures without switching tools. The result is fewer manual transfers, fewer modeling inconsistencies, and a clearer view of how every block affects eye diagrams and bit error performance.
Tackling High-Speed SerDes and Multi-Wavelength Links
The new EOE capability is aimed squarely at emerging high-speed systems, where electrical SerDes and optical links are inseparable. By 2029, 87% of hyperscale optical transceivers are expected to operate at 800 Gbps or higher, with 1.6 Tbps and 3.2 Tbps links also emerging. In these architectures, CPUs, GPUs, and high-speed SerDes interfaces are tied together by dense optical fabrics. ADS 2026 lets engineers model SerDes channels and optical paths for such links in one setup, including wavelength division multiplexing for multi-lane interconnects. That means a single project can cover multi-wavelength signal path modeling, evaluate nonlinear effects between channels, and examine how optical impairments interact with equalization strategies in the electrical domain. For SerDes design tools, this is a shift from isolated channel analysis to full photonics-aware system simulation, reducing surprises late in the design flow.
Finding Cross-Domain Issues Before Hardware
One of the most significant ADS 2026 features is the ability to expose problems that only appear when electrical and optical effects combine. The EOE workflow supports bidirectional optical link simulation, so engineers can capture forward and backward propagation within a single channel model. Noise can be modeled consistently across electrical and optical segments, giving a more complete view of system-level signal quality. Designers can study modulator bias-dependent and large-signal nonlinearities alongside high-speed SerDes behavior and assess how they degrade margin well before hardware testing. For multi-wavelength links, nonlinearities such as cross-phase modulation can be evaluated simultaneously with crosstalk in the electrical traces. This integrated optical electrical simulation approach cuts the risk of late-stage respins caused by cross-domain effects that traditional, separate workflows may miss until lab characterization.
From System Architecture to Photonics IC Detail
Beyond system-level EOE simulation, ADS 2026 is designed to span multiple layers of the semiconductor design process. At the system level, architects can compare different electrical-optical topologies and make tradeoffs between SerDes configurations and photonic interfaces in one co-simulation environment. At the circuit level, process design kit (PDK) support enables realistic photonics IC simulation that aligns with foundry processes. Integration with Keysight RSoft at the component level lets specialists refine individual optical elements while staying consistent with the higher-level model. In practice, this means the same project can contain link budgets, driver and receiver circuits, and detailed photonic components. Electrical and optical teams work on shared signal path modeling rather than isolated prototypes. For organizations pushing into 800G, 1.6T, and beyond, this continuity makes it easier to manage growing design complexity without fragmenting tools or workflows.