RF microwave CAE CAD is

computer-aided design Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers (or ) to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. This software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve c ...

(CAD) using computer technology to aid in the design, modeling, and simulation of an RF (Radio Frequency) or

microwave Microwave is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths shorter than other radio waves but longer than infrared waves. Its wavelength ranges from about one meter to one millimeter, corresponding to frequency, frequencies between 300&n ...

product. It is a visual and symbol-based method of communication whose conventions are particular to RF/microwave engineering.

Scope of design

RF and microwave circuit design and

simulation software Simulation software is based on the process of modeling a real phenomenon with a set of mathematical formulas. It is, essentially, a program that allows the user to observe an operation through simulation without actually performing that operation ...

for the

electronic design automation Electronic design automation (EDA), also referred to as electronic computer-aided design (ECAD), is a category of software tools for designing Electronics, electronic systems such as integrated circuits and printed circuit boards. The tools wo ...

(EDA) marketplace includes but not limited to circuit simulation, analysis,

schematic capture Schematic capture or schematic entry is a step in the design cycle of electronic design automation (EDA) at which the electronic diagram, or electronic schematic of the designed electronic circuit, is created by a designer. This is done interac ...

, and integrated design environment for synthesis tools which automate the design of HF (high frequency) circuits from RF to microwave to millimeter waves. Physical modeling of

stripline In electronics, stripline is a transverse electromagnetic (TEM) transmission line medium invented by Robert M. Barrett of the Air Force Cambridge Research Centre in the 1950s. Stripline is the earliest form of planar transmission line. De ...

and

microstrip Microstrip is a type of electrical transmission line which can be fabricated with any technology where a conductor is separated from a ground plane by a dielectric layer known as ''substrate''. Microstrip lines are used to convey microwave-freq ...

for

transmission line In electrical engineering, a transmission line is a specialized cable or other structure designed to conduct electromagnetic waves in a contained manner. The term applies when the conductors are long enough that the wave nature of the transmis ...

s. A wide range of applications are possible, from analog sub-circuit design to RF circuit design for complex wireless communications systems.

Scope of modeling

There are a vast number of device or component types which can be simulated in computer aided design software. Generally, the degree of complexity for modeling depends on the software package and the synthesis of off-the-shelf models and application-specific custom models. The component types can be categorized as follows:

amplifiers An amplifier, electronic amplifier or (informally) amp is an electronic device that can increase the magnitude of a signal (a time-varying voltage or current). It is a two-port electronic circuit that uses electric power from a power suppl ...

, antennas, attenuators, cabling,

capacitor In electrical engineering, a capacitor is a device that stores electrical energy by accumulating electric charges on two closely spaced surfaces that are insulated from each other. The capacitor was originally known as the condenser, a term st ...

circulator In electrical engineering, a circulator is a passivity (engineering), passive, non-Reciprocity (electrical networks), reciprocal three- or four-port (circuit theory), port device that only allows a microwave or radio frequency, radio-frequency ...

s, combiners, couplers, connectors, DC blocks, delay lines,

detector A sensor is often defined as a device that receives and responds to a signal or stimulus. The stimulus is the quantity, property, or condition that is sensed and converted into electrical signal. In the broadest definition, a sensor is a devi ...

diode A diode is a two-Terminal (electronics), terminal electronic component that conducts electric current primarily in One-way traffic, one direction (asymmetric electrical conductance, conductance). It has low (ideally zero) Electrical resistance ...

dividers Calipers or callipers are an instrument used to Measurement, measure the linear dimensions of an object or hole; namely, the length, width, thickness, diameter or depth of an object or hole. The word "caliper" comes from a corrupt form of calibe ...

ferrites Ferrite may refer to: * Ferrite (iron), one of the allotropes of iron that is stable at room temperature and pressure, α-Fe * Ferrite (magnet), a ferromagnetic ceramic material See also * * Ferrite bead, a component placed on the end of a data c ...

, filters,

inductor An inductor, also called a coil, choke, or reactor, is a Passivity (engineering), passive two-terminal electronic component, electrical component that stores energy in a magnetic field when an electric current flows through it. An inductor typic ...

s, isolators,

limiter In electronics, a limiter is a circuit that allows signals below a specified input power or level to pass unaffected while attenuating (lowering) the peaks of stronger signals that exceed this threshold. Limiting is a type of dynamic range co ...

s, mixers,

oscillator Oscillation is the repetitive or periodic variation, typically in time, of some measure about a central value (often a point of equilibrium) or between two or more different states. Familiar examples of oscillation include a swinging pendulum ...

phase shifter A phase shift module is a microwave network module which provides a controllable phase shift of the RF signal. Phase shifters are used in phased arrays. Classification Active versus passive Active phase shifters provide gain, while passive ...

resistor A resistor is a passive two-terminal electronic component that implements electrical resistance as a circuit element. In electronic circuits, resistors are used to reduce current flow, adjust signal levels, to divide voltages, bias active e ...

s, rotary joints,

switch In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type o ...

es,

transistor A transistor is a semiconductor device used to Electronic amplifier, amplify or electronic switch, switch electrical signals and electric power, power. It is one of the basic building blocks of modern electronics. It is composed of semicondu ...

s, terminators, and waveguides.

Tools

A harmonic-balance and linear microwave analysis tool, named Agile, for microwave circuits is available for download. A parallelized version was also developed, but this version is not available.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rf Microwave Cae Cad Computer-aided design software Computer-aided engineering software