Best simulator? - RF Cafe Forums

RF Cafe Forums closed its virtual doors in late 2012 mainly due to other social media platforms dominating public commenting venues. RF Cafe Forums began sometime around August of 2003 and was quite well-attended for many years. By 2012, Facebook and Twitter were overwhelmingly dominating online personal interaction, and RF Cafe Forums activity dropped off precipitously. Regardless, there are still lots of great posts in the archive that ware worth looking at. Below are the old forum threads, including responses to the original posts. Here is the full original RF Cafe Forums on Archive.org

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Ahmid

Post subject: Best simulator?

Unread postPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2003 11:09 am

Hi All,

I am a graduate student in USA (born here as citizen, not visa) and want to know what simulators are used by majority of engineers doing defense contractor work; ie, L-Mart, Northrop, etc. I like Eagleware, but want to use what I am likely to use when working in another two years. Any advice? Thanks.

Ahmid :mrgreen:

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James King

Post subject: Re:

Unread postPosted: Sun Aug 31, 2003 3:33 pm

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Lieutenant

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Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2003 3:20 pm

Posts: 3

Location: Midwest

The fact is there are a lot of software packages out there and learning any one package does not guarantee that it will be used in your future place of employment. Agilent's ADS seems to be the big name in RF/microwave simulators.

However, other companies like Eagleware, Applied Wave Research (Microwave Office), Aplac, et al, make very good software and a lot of big name companies use them. I personally don't like the ADS interface - never have liked any of the EESOF/HP/Agilent software interfaces.

I'd say the most improtant thing would be to build proficieny in simulations in general, and the skills will migrate to any platform.

Well, that's my opinion.

- JK

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Livia

Post subject:

Unread postPosted: Sun Aug 31, 2003 8:58 pm

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Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2003 7:06 pm

Posts: 1

For commercial / academic work I think Agilent technologies' ADS is an excellent simulator. I have used it to design circuits up to the 5 GHz.

The "design guides" facility is an incredibly useful tool that speeds up the process. However I would strongly advise anyone to understand throughly what the engine does, whether you are doing steady state/transient/ harmonic balance analysis etc.

The 2.5D EM simulator Momentum is really good, based on integral equations that allow muti layer dielectric problems to be reduced to simpler integral equations and solve by using the method of moments.

I am simply in awe of Agilent Technologies' kit.

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lgibson999

Post subject:

Unread postPosted: Wed Sep 10, 2003 11:25 pm

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Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2003 11:17 pm

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Location: San Diego, CA

Our company is currently using Microwave Office. In the past, we've used the EESof packages (now owned by Agilent). I've worked with EESof quite a bit and Microwave Office a little. We also have Ansoft HFSS for EM simulation.

My recommendation is to go with somehting that you think is straightforward to use, but MAKE SURE that you understand how the simulator works. None of them are perfect and each introduces modeling errors of some type or another.

In summary, I'd say that for most simulation tools, how you use it is more important than the actual choice of software (assuming it works at all).

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JGP

Post subject: Best simulator?

Unread postPosted: Fri Jan 02, 2004 7:52 pm

Welcome to forum!

There are many RF & MW software design tools in the market. Eagleware, Microwave Office, Agilent, Filtronic… etc are reliable and accurate software design tools. They all can be competitor. It all depends on design and applications. I strongly trust that defense contractor companies will NOT disclosure what software design tools they use to simulate their design. They can make their own version and for different applications. This is due to national security issues. Come on, that is a common sense! However, RF circuitry is RF circuitry, electronics is electronics, physics is physics and intelligent one's can always come close or even a match “apples to apples” towards any military hardware or software design and/or applications. If I were you, I wouldn't give too much concern about what type software design tools defense contractor companies can use, but what will benefit your career, dream and happiness in the future. That's my sole opinion. Good luck!

Sincerely,

John Pereira

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Itay

Post subject:

Unread postPosted: Wed Jan 14, 2004 7:18 am

I used 3 types of RF simulators: Microwave Office, Agilent-ADS and Eagleware.

The best performance for Non-Linear applications is the ADS, with superb HB engine and accurate models of Non-Linear devices. I used it to design Analog PD linearizer for Power Amplifiers. It gave excellent results almost the same as measured in the lab.

For EM simulations and linear simulations the best is Microwave Office, because of its more convenient user interface. I hope that Agilent will learn to make theirt use interface a bit more friendly.

Sincerely,

Itay

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kundun

Post subject:

Unread postPosted: Sat May 08, 2004 1:19 am

wow. Sonnet works with 6% error for EM filters.

Microwave office has quite good interface, works nicely. The EM part gives ill-fated results. Software is like food. Good from home, bad from third party.

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Given

Post subject: Where to download ADS kit

Unread postPosted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 7:53 am

There are many recommendation for Agilent ADS. Can I know if they is any ADS kit for download which can be used.

Any URL?

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khouly

Post subject:

Unread postPosted: Thu Nov 04, 2004 5:02 pm

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Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2004 4:48 pm

Posts: 2

i think the most used simulator is ADS , and MWO

but the ADS is the most powerfull as i think

i am using it , and enjoying the use of it , and also i am using MWO , but i donot like it

Posted  11/12/2012