Design software is easier to use, delivers data faster

24th June 2015

Mick Elliott

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Designers of monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs), radio-frequency printed circuit boards (RF PCBs) and modules will be the target audience for the V12 NI AWR Design Environment. V12 was previewed for the first time at International Microwave Symposium 2015 (IMS2015) in May 2015, creating significant interest. Feedback from early-access customers has been positive.

This latest release boasts new load-pull and antenna- and radar-specific features, as well as ease-of-use improvements, speed enhancements and third-party integration flows for improved stability analysis and design rule checking/layout versus schematic.

Features include Microwave Office/ Analog Office, the ability to view measured data and design matching networks using swept load-pull files, APLAC tuning and optimisation speed enhancements , improved simulation control and schematic editing, layout viewing and layout editing improvements.

Analyst and AXIEM enable an easier 3D EM setup and an improved 3D editor experience; geometry cleanup and standard for the exchange of product model data (STEP) import for Analyst . There is anisotropic dielectric materials support for AXIEM .

Faster and more accurate simulation results are delivered due to threading, frequency sweep algorithm improvements, meshing options/refinement enhancements and a remote simulation option. Visualisation of the impact of circuits on antenna patterns is also avaiulable.

A Visual System Simulator (VSS) offers an enhanced phased-array block and simplified Microwave Office consistent VSS sources, bidirectional blocks for more readily managing both transmit and receive systems. There is a RF models auto-configuration option for phased-array block, WLAN 802.11ac library, enhanced radar library and more.