except for the reputation of HFSS, I think that you should focus mainly on the numerical techniques they use. HFSS uses FEM and EMPIRE uses FDTD. FEM is known of its ability to tackle strongly resonant structures. whereas FDTD is very good for large open structures
I agree with irfan1 in parts. HFSS and Empire interfaces are both non-intuitive. I used both software packages. However there is a significant difference: After a week or so you can handle HFSS and generate reliable results. After 4 weeks with Empire you are still left in the dark. The most intuitive interface has CST MWS. That is my experience.
It really depends on your application (as suggested above) HFSS is very memory hungry as you increase the mesh size, time domain codes such as Empire increase linearly with number of cells.
Cost is also something to look at (although I suspect many people here aren't using licenced copies, judging by some questions), HFSS is very expensive, EMpire is not.
Also to emphasise other people, if you're looking for an intuitive easy to use interface, MWS is your only real option (now with 4 solvers in one interface)
as an alternative, you may want to give a look to MICROSTRIPES, 3D EM Solution, using Transmission Line Matrix (TLM) method to solve Maxwell’s equations in the time domain!
as an alternative, you may want to give a look to MICROSTRIPES, 3D EM Solution, using Transmission Line Matrix (TLM) method to solve Maxwell’s equations in the time domain!
their GUI is pretty stright forward and is appreciated to be fast and very accurate thanks to their solver. h**p://www.flomerics.com/microstripes
I agree with you. Microstripes by flomerics is more userfriendly than HFSS. The need of memory is less than HFSS, so microstripes can run faster than HFSS for the same design. I used microstripes to design my microstrip antenna. Anyone have suggest for other simulator that is more efficient than microstripes?