Anyone tried SysCalc? - RF Cafe Forums

 Post subject: Anyone tried SysCalc?

Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 10:09 am 

I'm looking at SysCalc by Arden Systems and have the trial version. Looks kind of lame for what they want for it. Maybe the full version is better Any opinions out there?

M. Ingram

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Posted: Fri May 20, 2005 9:22 am 

Never heard of it, who makes it

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Posted: Fri May 20, 2005 11:36 am 

I'm looking at SysCalc by Arden Systems...

God, is it me or is there an unusually high level of people who can't read posting here lately?

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Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 8:51 am 

Sorry, I should have included this before:

http://www.ardentech.com/syscalc.asp

They want $995 for a new license. Seems a little steep to me. What you you think? You can download a demo.

M. Ingram (Ming)

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Posted: Tue May 24, 2005 11:45 am 

I haven't downloaded it (just don't have the time) but I looked at the screenshots. Looks pretty cool But for $995? Hmmm, I don't know. I guess you have to ask yourself how much will you use it? Once or twice and I don't think it would be worth it. Where I am at, an engineer's time costs about $1000/day. So, I would ask myself how much time (i.e. money) would it save if I had this tool vs. not and having to use homebrewed spreadsheets (that are prone to self-inflicted errors).

Personally, I really like Kirt's offerings: RF Workbench and RF Cascade Workbook. I have found them both to be very useful over the years. And the price is a LOT more attractive. True, not all of SysCalc's features are present but again, how much time will it save?

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Posted: Wed May 25, 2005 1:02 pm 

I swear I didn't pay kpainter to write that...but thanks

I am trying to decide whether writing a more extensive and more automated version of RF Cascade Wookbook is worth the trouble. As with writing stand-alone software, there's a lot of work involved in designing and testing it. The nice thing about a spreadsheet format is that the user is free to add or subtract anything he/she needs for his/her particular application. It also accommodates portability between Office applications.

There's a lot of work involved for $35/copy - it doesn't pay the bills, that's for sure! I must be doing it for personal satisfaction.

- Kirt Blattenberger

 Post subject: Still looking for an objective opinion

Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2005 2:17 pm 

Hi

I appreciate the dialog, but I still really would like to get someone's opinion that has used SysCalc. Thanks.

M. Ingram

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Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2005 12:55 pm 

Doesn't look like anyone here has used it. So why don't you download the demo and report back what YOU think about it?

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Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2005 3:49 pm 

Hello kpainter:

Well it turns out the downloadable software is the full version but it has some of the features disabled. It looks like it has a fair amount of functionality, but without being able to explore it all, it's hard to tell. That is why I was hoping for an opinion from a fellow who purchased the software and has access to everything. So I was not being lazy, just cautious. Don't really want to spend $1k without some insider perspective. They do have a satisfactions guarantee, but we all know how hard that can be to collect on.

Ming

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Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2005 6:49 am 

I have used it and I am not impressed! Personally I think it stinks and you would have been better off paying an additional 10 dollars and purchased Kirts RF Cafe, in my opinion it is just as good. Why do think they charge $25 for a trial? They never did before! I will tell you why, because when people who were evaluatng it for free determined that it stunk and did not purchase it! You will be foolish to pay 1K for it.

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Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2005 11:53 am 

Wow, they charge to evaluate it??!!! That definitely says POS to me.

 Post subject: Syscalc

Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 10:12 am 

I've used that software for designing low noise amplifiers.

It's convenient but can easily be replaced using the RF Cascade spreadsheet available at RF cafe.

However, the interface is nice and makes for good presentation which is important.

The freeware version I beleive has been purchased by a company and is no longer offering it for free.

If I remember the freeware version had a problem with calculating P1dB anyway.

Good software to have, but I wouldn't buy it out of my own money that's for sure.