Ghent, Belgium - June 18, 2025
Luceda Photonics is proud to announce the release of the Luceda Photonics Design Platform 2025.06. This release introduces a brand-new layout visualizer, simplified layout generation syntax, advanced path length tracing, deeper integration of variability analysis in IPKISS Canvas, easier Circuit Analyzer configuration, and enhancements to the Luceda Control Center, such as improved design kit and license version management, as well as easier access to resources to help you get started.
Key Highlights of the Release:
1. New IPKISS Layout Visualizer: More Interactive and Immersive Design Experience
A new layout visualization tool replaces the previous matplotlib-based version. Built from the ground up, it offers major performance and usability improvements:
- Easier design inspection, iteration, and navigation
- Faster loading and better performance
- Layer table to show/hide layers
- Grid toggle and snap-to-grid
- Show/hide ports and labels
- Improved zoom and pan controls
- Runs in a separate process, so it stays open after script execution
Packaged four-lane Mach-Zehnder modulator and single MZM in the new IPKISS Layout visualizer.
2. New Length Tracing Method: Analyze and Optimize Path Lengths
The new length tracing method, “i3.PathLength,” enables designers to calculate the length of all optical path between any pair of ports across their circuits. This feature helps designers verify total path length in their designs and makes the design of optical routes with specific path length differences easier.
- Analyze optical path lengths
- Measure routing distances in your designs
- Create routes with a specific length
New path length tracing feature applied on an MZI.
3. Enhanced Functional Verification through Simulation
Designers can now simulate circuits directly from layouts exported to IPKISS Canvas using the "to_canvas" method. Simulation and analysis workflows have been fully centralized through codelets, enabling the same simulations to be launched either from IPKISS Canvas or directly from code. A set of standard simulation and analysis codelets is provided out-of-the-box:
- SMatrixSweepCodelet – computes the S-matrix of the circuit.
- TimeDomainSimulationCodelet – computes the time-domain response of the circuit.
- CornerAnalysisCodelet – performs corner analysis using Luceda Circuit Analyzer.
Codelets are fully parametric and can be completely customized, allowing designers to define their own simulation flows, parameter sweeps, and analysis procedures tailored to their specific needs.
Configuring Luceda Circuit Analyzer simulations has also become easier, even in the absence of models in the PDK. Designers can specify variations through simple YAML configuration files, extending PDK models to perform comprehensive tolerance analyses.
Running corner analysis on an existing design (subcircuit of a programmable PIC)
4. Simplified Layout Syntax: Define Your PCell Layouts More Efficiently
Say goodbye to separate “_generate_elements,” “_generate_instances,” and “_generate_ports” methods. With the introduction of the unified “def generate(self, layout)” method:
- All layout definitions in one place
- Improve time by writing less code
- Onboarding is smoother for new users
- Enables more advanced placement and routing features
- Full backwards compatible
Side-by-side comparison of the layout syntax before and after Luceda 2025.06.
5. Enhanced Luceda Control Center Features
The Luceda Control Center gains new productivity features:
- Design Kit version selection: Efficiently manage your design kit versions! Design kits are now grouped by version number, allowing you to select from installed versions. PYTHONPATH is updated automatically.
- License expiration checks: View expiration dates directly in the Product Licenses tab for better license management.
- New Getting Started section: Easily access all resources to help you get started designing PICs.
New features in the Luceda Control Center’s Design Kits and Product Licenses tabs.
Download Luceda Photonics Design Platform 2025.06 from your Luceda Customer Portal and start benefiting from the upgraded PIC design experience!