High frequency EDA firm Applied Wave Research has released the latest version of its Microwave Office design suite.

The 2006 edition includes an RF simulator from Finnish firm APLAC Solutions, acquired last month by AWR, and the second generation of AWR’s EM Socket interface, which allows third party EM simulators to be visualised through Microwave Office.

AWR executive v-p Ted Miracco said that feature effectively gave the company “an arsenal of EM technologies” with which to compete with Agilent.

The APLAC acquisition was crucial for AWR, giving it a direct sales presence in Europe, and access to European foundries because Nokia, which makes extensive use of APLAC, has insisted they provide process design kits for the firm’s tools.

Microwave Office 2006 also includes an integrated EM and layout editor; integrated filter synthesis from Nuhertz Technologies; and provision to generate AWR’s fast-running ‘Xmodels’ from third party EM analysis tools.

EM performance updated

Electromagnetic performance of specific components can be viewed in a 3D representation (pictured left), thanks to a collaboration between AWR and Flomerics.

The EM socket interface from AWR has been combined with the MicroStripes 3D solver electromagnetic analysis from Flomerics, to produce software which allows antennas, filters, couplers, interconnects, planar structures and packaging to be modelled.

Flomerics has recently announced Version 7 of MicroStripes, which auto-runs a series of simulations while varying one or more design parameters over a user-specified range.

www.appwave.com