EMC Test Software

The model SW1006 is the latest version of the company’s radiated susceptibility, conducted immunity and precompliance emissions software. Model SW1006 automatically performs both calibration and immunity testing in full compliance with IEC 61000-4-3, 4-6, MIL-STD 461/462 RS103, CS114, RTCA/DO160 Section 20 specifications. The software also supplies the user with selectable test parameters and a “thresholding” mode for pre-compliance investigation of equipment susceptibility, as well as closed loop leveling. Pre-compliance emission testing can be done with the use of a spectrum analyzer and either a pre-amp or LISN. The SW1006 software is designed for use with the supplied NI PCI-GPIB interface card for instrument communication.

AR Worldwide RF/Microwave Instrumentation,
Souderton, PA (215) 723-8181, www.ar-worldwide.com.


3D EM Simulator

The Time Domain 3D EM simulator, CST MICROWAVE STUDIO,“ is available in its new release, version 2006. Users can now benefit from a major re-design in the architecture and substantial new functionality. The most significant change is the use of the CST DESIGN ENVIRONMENT™ as a common access point to CST’s solver technology. Structures are presented in 3D and schematic views and the comparison of models and co-simulation has been facilitated by a new multi-document interface.
CST of America Inc.,“
Wellesley Hills, MA (781) 416-2782, www.cst.com.



Material Measurement Software

Cavity™ is a versatile software package for Microsoft Windows and Macintosh OS X that performs all of the major functions associated with collecting and processing data to determine material constitutive properties, such as permeability and permittivity from a variety of cavity types and resonators. The program controls common network analyzers made by Agilent, Anritsu and Rohde & Schwarz; the program leads the user through calibration and measurement steps. A variety of data processing options are available to determine mu, epsilon and other parameters.

Damaskos Inc.,
Concordville, PA (610) 358-0200, www.damaskosinc.com.

Parametric Product Search Tool

The parametric product search tool is designed for the RF engineer to specify important product parameters and view the company’s products that match a specific requirement in a specification-compliance format. Unlike conventional search engines which eliminate products that narrowly fall outside of specification, the parametric product search tool can show these products allowing the engineer to make intelligent design trade-off decisions to “fine tune” the requirement to specific needs. View this and other product software support tools including Product Cross Reference, PLL Phase Noise and Mixer Spur Chart Calculators on the company’s site.

Hittite Microwave Corp.,
Chelmsford, MA (978) 250-3343, www.hittite.com.

EM Design Software

Version 7 of the MicroStripes electromagnetic design simulation software for microwave and antenna design substantially increases the speed with which users can tune their designs. It automatically runs a series of simulations while varying one or more design parameters over a user-specified range. This feature is supplemented by improvements in the accuracy of the automatic meshing algorithm. Also, Version 7 enables users to inspect simulation results quickly by simply running the mouse over the graphical output. It uses the Transmission Line Matrix (TLM) method for solving Maxwell’s equations, which when applied to antenna design solves for all frequencies of interest in a single calculation, capturing the full broadband response of the system in one simulation cycle.

Flomerics Ltd.,
Hampton Court, UK +44 (0) 20 8487 3000, www.flomerics.com.

Design Simulation Software

JTIsoft“ version 1.3 is comprised of two advanced design simulation software programs, MLCsoft“ and MLIsoft“. It provides complete S-parameter and SPICE modeling data on the company’s line of RF multilayer ceramic capacitors and inductors over the frequency range of 1 MHz to 20 GHz. In MLCsoft, the interface allows the user to select one of six MLCC sizes plus other part variables and displays the complete part number for accuracy when ordering. In MLIsoft, the user can select one of three MLCI sizes plus other part variables and display the complete part number for accuracy when ordering.

Johanson Technology Inc.,
Camarillo, CA (805) 389-1166, www.johansontechnology.com.

Pad Scalable Models

The CLR Library 4.0 is a substrate- and part value-scalable surface-mount model library that includes pad scalability on selected components. The company’s Global Model™ has input parameters that allow users to specify custom pad dimensions to meet specific design requirements. The 4.0 version will include 13 new models expanding the total library to 61 Global Models. Additional models include 0201’s, 0402’s, 0603’s, 0805’s and DC blocking capacitors with vertical and horizontal orientation selection.

Modelithics Inc.,
Tampa, FL (813) 866-6335, www.modelithics.com.

Modulation Toolkit

This Modulation Toolkit 3.1 is a flexible, software-defined approach to RF and communication system design and test that builds on the LabVIEW intuitive dataflow-based programming model and transforms modular instruments into communication systems. The LabVIEW add-on includes software for signal generation, analysis, visualization and processing of standard digital and analog modulation formats including bit generation, encoding, interleaving and signal equalization. The toolkit provides ASK, FSK, MSK, PSK, PAM, QAM, AM, FM, PM and many of their derivatives – even generation and analysis of custom modulation formats. The Modulation Toolkit also comes standard with algorithms such as Reed-Solomon, Hamming, Golay and Convolution that improve transmission efficiency and noise immunity to serve countless communications applications.

National Instruments Corp.,
Austin, TX (800) 531-5066, www.ni.com/rf.

Full-wave Electromagnetic Solver

XFDTD, version 6.3, is now released and offers many new features and improvements, including enhanced PML boundary conditions, new multiple plane wave excitation, full 3D far zone plotting with extended data presentation, new CATIA interface, enhanced Pro-E and STEP interfaces, and greater flexibility in the adaptive meshing based on the Remcom FAST MESH algorithm. Further, a new Bio-Heat optional module is available for temperature rise due to SAR. Engineers, designers and scientists use the capabilities of XFDTD, a full-wave 3D electromagnetic simulation, in such applications areas as microwave, RF, antennas, scattering, biological EM, photonics, packaging, EMC and specialized materials.

Remcom,
State College, PA (814) 861-1299, www.remcom.com.

Expanded PXI-based Test Solution

The new version 2.3 of the enhanced generic test software library (EGTSL) for in-circuit tests, expands the company’s Open Test Platform R&S CompactTSVP into a more powerful multi-purpose tester. The software provides a previously unavailable level of openness that lets users expand the test solution at any time by adding further test methods for new components. An automatic test generator and the intuitive graphical user interface enable users to implement error-free in-circuit test applications quickly without requiring much previous experience. Thus, the CompactPCI/PXI-based test platform makes it possible to perform configuration and function tests of electronic modules on one system.

Rohde & Schwarz GmbH,
Munich, Germany +49 89 4129-13779, www.rohde-schwarz.com.

Electromagnetic Software

SONNET“ Software’s interface to the Cadence“ Virtuoso“ environment enables customers to use Sonnet Suites Professional™ completely within the Cadence environment. Sonnet uses layout cells to quickly and seamlessly extract EM analysis projects based on a user’s Cadence technology files and process information. Model data views (including Broadband Spice extraction models) are automatically generated and installed in a library, available with a choice of circuit analysis tool. Sonnet Software Inc. is a member of the Cadence“ Connections Program.

Sonnet Software Inc.,
North Syracuse, NY (877) 776-6638, www.sonnetsoftware.com.

Fast EM Simulation

SEMCAD X Eiger is the latest release of the company’s powerful EM TCAD package. Efficient and user-friendly, it is claimed to be the only one featuring Conformal and ADI in addition to conventional FDTD solvers, providing the right solution for any EM-related requirements. By offering 64-bit support of over one billion voxels and exclusively integrating the aXware hardware accelerators, real problems can be solved within only a few minutes by computing at up to 400 MCells/s. This EM simulation tool is suitable for the most complex EM challenges, including optimization and failure/safety evaluations of sensor systems as well as implants or transmitters operating inside or near the human body.

SPEAG, Schmid & Partner Engineering AG,
Zurich, Switzerland +41 (0) 44 245 9700, www.speag.com.

3D Software

This recent version of the 3D software CONCERTO computes and predicts electromagnetic performance with confidence, giving users the ability to produce competitive and innovative products while keeping costs to a minimum. The diverse range of applications that can be analyzed with CONCERTO include antennas, waveguides, filters and cavities. This latest addition to CONCERTO is a Moment Method module that is ideal for antenna installed performance and radar signature prediction. Using the same geometric modeler, it complements the FDTD module that is recommended for component design.

Vector Fields Inc.,
Aurora, IL (630) 851-1734, www.vectorfields.com.

On-line Configuration Tool

This on-line interactive design guide provides simple step-by-step instructions for configuring GORE™ High Flex Flat Cable or GORE Trackless Cable from standard components, with five-day lead times. This configurator simplifies the cable design process and generates a 3D downloadable CAD model via a quick, streamlined step-by-step procedure. Users can take an interactive tour to learn more about the configurator, and then proceed to design a cable and submit an RFQ using the simple step-by-step configuration tool.

W.L. Gore & Associates Inc.,
Elkton, MD (302) 292-5100, www.gore.com/designacable.