AWR, a leader in high-frequency electronic design automation (EDA), and Anritsu Co., a global provider of test and measurement solutions, announced AWR Connected™ for Anritsu, which makes Microwave Office high-frequency design software a standard component of Anritsu's new VectorStar MS4640A vector network analyzer (VNA). AWR Connected for Anritsu makes the MS4640A the first microwave instrument in the world to physically integrate a full suite of design tools within its firmware. Microwave Office software provides all the tools necessary for high-frequency IC, printed circuit board and module design, including linear circuit simulators, electromagnetic (EM) analysis tools and integrated schematic and layout – without leaving the measurement environment.
The VectorStar MS4640A delivers best-in-class frequency coverage of 70 kHz to 70 GHz, dynamic range of 100 dB at 70 GHz, and measurement speed of 20 ms/point, establishing a new performance benchmark for S-parameter measurements on RF, microwave and millimeter-wave devices. VectorStar brings superior performance to traditional VNA markets, including aerospace/defense, satellite, commercial microwave communications, materials measurement and advanced research.
Microwave Office is the industry's fastest growing RF and microwave design platform, and integrates the most powerful, innovative tools available to allow users to create designs in the shortest time with the greatest flexibility. From design capture and synthesis to simulation, optimization, layout, extraction and verification, the Microwave Office design environment delivers the highest levels of accuracy and speed, along with the unique ability to seamlessly integrate third-party tools.
Until now, simulation and measurement were discrete environments, although they are complementary functions that can reduce design time when used together. Adding high-frequency design software directly within the VectorStar MS4640A allows measured data to be easily embedded into the simulated design to accurately guide changes required in measurements and test fixtures or vice versa. The measurement effectively becomes a model within the circuit simulation, and the designer can quickly validate the measured results and either accept them and move on to another measurement or make changes to the design.
"VectorStar is raising the bar for all VNAs, just as Microwave Office software has raised the bar for EDA software," said Sherry Hess, vice president of marketing at AWR. "Integration of Microwave Office software as a standard feature in the VectorStar MS4640A complements this unique instrument's performance and brings an innovative paradigm to the world of microwave simulation and measurement."
"The collaboration between Anritsu and AWR brings together a groundbreaking test instrument with one of the most widely used simulation tools in the industry. We believe the integration of Microwave Office software into VectorStar will help engineers improve the time to market of their designs," said Harry Momjian, product manager at Anritsu.
Microwave Office software is a standard feature in the base model of the VectorStar MS4640A, which is available now. VectorStar customers are encouraged to register the AWR Connected for Anritsu software at www.awrcorp.com/Anritsu/VectorStar to receive upgrades, support and an additional one year desktop seat of the software.
