How good PLAC software is?

[TomAss]

Hi,
could anybody explain me what this
software can do compared to

Serenade
Microwave office
Hfss
Ads

..in what is better/worser ...
Thanks in advance!

Bye
TomAss :smile:

 

[Chinaski]

Well, not so...
Serenade is a system & circuit simulator (linear and nonlinear) It lacks of an integrated full wave pasive structure simulator. You can use Ensemble for planar multilayer structures and HFSS for 3D ones.

Microwave Office is a circuit simulator (pasive, linear active and nonlinear active)
If you want system simulator from AWR you can use Accolade (see their web site)

HFSS is a pasive 3D electromagnetic simulator. HFSS is the name for two distinct products, one from Agilent and another one from Ansoft. In the beginings (long time ago) there was only one from HP.

ADS is a system & circuit simulator with an integrated planar multilayer structure simulator (Momentum). If you need 3D analysis, you can use Agilent's HFSS

Aplac is a system & circuit simulator with an integrated pasive structure simulator very different from Agilent's. Momentum and HFSS use MoM and FEM in the frecuency domain but APLAC uses FDTD (Finite Diferences in Time Domain); something like CST Mwave Studio (not really, only true for the Time Domain part :smile

Both, ADS and APLAC, aren't tools easy to use
For an RFIC or System designer they are really usefull but their learning curve is a bit stepped. Perhaps APLAC is less hard disk hungry but behind ADS are EESOF and Berkeley's PTOLEMY simulator engine.

Buff, I hope this helps...

 

[Chipslicer]

Which proggie would be the best for RF simulations in the area 40-80 MHz.

 

[rf]

ADS is probable the kost powerful of all the tools mentioned, but not the esaiest to use.

ADS is worth learning but if you want a quick answer for you RF simulation 40-80 MHz
try sernade or mwoffice they seem a litlle easier to use.

BTW: I use ADS all the time, it is east once you have put sometime into learning how to use it.

 

[IICCEE]

aplac is simple and beautiful.