which CAD tool is good for RF system design

cad tool+rf system

hi,
which CAD tool is good for RF system design....can anyone suggest me

what is a cad is good for

For system design, I think that ADS is a good tool. I know lots of people who used it and thought it was very good.

I and my University use Microwave office. This is very popular scientific and industrial tool. For example it uses ROHDE&SCHWARZ and other company.

ADS and MWO are widely used in industry and universities

khouly

ADS is very good and friendly tool but very costly to get it. With this you can perform system ,cicuit level simulation, co simulation.
Genesys 2007 is also very goood tool to learn and its easy and not costly.

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can somebody comment on comparison between CST and ADS?

I'm particular to using Excel and Matlab. I haven't looked at Genesys.

Using ADS(Ptolomey) for system budgeting was pretty useless. It assumed that all the blocks were 50 ohm in and out, and it wouldn't calculate harmonic content, or use any non sinusoidal signals. You might as well save a ton of money and use a spreadsheet.

Genesys may be useful, but I haven't looked at it. I haven't looked at MWO either. A key issue for RFIC work is the ability to use non 50 ohm terminations accuratly, and the ability to use protocol compliant waveforms.

Dave

use ads for system level and for circuit level simulation use cadence alongwith agilent golden gate

What is ADS golden gate?
Can we do do circuit level simulation on ADS..if yes then can any one give comment on performance comparison

golden gate is a harmonic balanced simulation engine , from agilent , it is for RFIC design

khouly

Hi,
Try Ansoft's tools. You candownload evaluation versions here.
**broken link removed**
Hope ihelped

It's hard to beat a spread sheet for link budgets and cascades, especially since you write it yourself thus you re-learn lot's of concepts. I will usually do a spread sheet then compare that to results from AWR VSS, where things like VSWR, ripple, and compression point are easy to handle.

VSS is pretty slick (the RFA is a sub-set of it). It's main features are:
1) RF Budget analysis with swept frequency, mismatches, nonlinearities.
2) Distortion analysis that shows spur levels and sources.
3) Time domain simulator with real and complex envelope representation. I have used this to model PSK up and down conversion chains with PLL and AGC settling transients, and effects of phase noise.

Of course it links into MWO so you can include your mixers, oscillators, and amps. I have also used it to drive time-domain simulations in MWO via PWL source files.

All in all a very nice package:

https://web.awrcorp.com/Products/VSS_Simulator/Overview.php