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Field Solver for Linux, & Plating Question - RF Cafe Forums
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Quantum
Post subject: Field Solver for Linux, & Plating Question
Unread postPosted: Sat Aug 14, 2004 7:29 pm
Hello, what a great
resource... wish I'd found y'all before.
Designing a microwave
circuit in the 2.4GHz range. Looking for an -accessible- field solver
to lay out PCB, meaning one that doesn't require a PhD in math to use.
I know exactly what components I'll be using, and will design using
co-planar waveguide design, but hope for a precise and easy modelling
and interactive analysis of the layout.
Looked at Ansoft's two
major products, and neither makes sense to me in practice. Word here
seems to be that ADS is also non-intuitive. We run Linux, and the field-solver
would ideally run on OSS platform, but that's not mandatory. It does
though need to be accessible to a reasonably-intelligent but math-challenged
person. For example, if I want to make a 1/4wave lightning bypass which
blocks at freq of interest; to model length, vs copper core and plating
of silver or gold? Or distances between absorptive switch, bandpass,
and poweramp?
Also as to plating; my brother (20 yr TI engineer)
tells me that gold electroplating is not advisable at microwave, as
microscopically it has a surface of 'tiny hairs'. That chemical gold-plating
is better due to large granule size. NE1 heard of this?
If neither
is advisable, how should traces be protected from corrosion and allow
good skin-effect? Silver has good properties, but oxydizes horribly.
Thanks in advance.
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Post subject:
Unread postPosted: Mon Sep 27, 2004 12:31 pm
Hi!
Try
Sonnet Lite (downloadable for *free* from www.sonnetsoftware.com ).
It's limited in capacity for the free version, but still gives you
a good usable program with excellent accuracy.
Good Luck
Posted 11/12/2012
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