Information about available RF simulators

Hi I´m new in this area and I´d like to hear from you about the softwares.
I ´ve heard about HFSS and CST but I don´t have any guide them.
The HFSS I got the students verson from design, maxwell and simulator, are thise the same of a HFSS SV?

Any help from anywhere will be relly useful.

Thanks

Re: About RF simulators

What are you working on. Be more specific. HFSS is wery good, but can be complicated. Maybe theres something that would work beter for you but you must tell me for what do you need it.

About RF simulators

Ok vfurlan, thaks by the atention!

I´m workingo on a combiners and divisor of signal with 476 Mhz. Its coupled to a Klystron tube. I´m starting on it and would like to start my efforts on the best tool.

If u think HFSS is the best, is what I need, even being complicated!

Re: About RF simulators

I realy don't know how it works for combiners and divisor of signal, I'm working on antennas. But I think it should be ok. It should be even easyer to implement as you won't have some problems you have with antennas (near and far fields, gain and efficiency ...).

About RF simulators

Ok, thanks!
I´ll try it!

best regards!

Added after 3 hours 1 minutes:

Anybody knows the difference between the Ansoft Design and the HFSS? Is the design inside the HFSS, or these are different things?

Thanks again!

Re: About RF simulators

Two different things, but I never used Designer so I don't know how it is!

Re: About RF simulators

HFSS is good for 3D field simulation, and is from Ansoft.
Ansoft has another product suitable for circuit and 2D simulation.

if you are trying to design a 3dB divider ( as I understand) for Clysteron tube, you better use HFSS.

mehdi

Re: About RF simulators

Hi tjunqueira,

you wrote, that you have to simulate a wave combiner in 3D: I think it is better if you use a expilicite method (e.g. FDTD or FITD; -you simulate explicite in the time domain) as an implicite method like HFSS (FEM,... you have to invert the whole system matrix and this costs you much memory space)!!

So for 32bit system a FEM structure with 1e6 nodes is quiet much, but with with an explicite method like e.g. FDTD you can arrive up to 40-50e6 Yee-cells. In the frequency range of 400MHz you will have no problem with your geometry dimensions and the discretisation step. If you go to lower frequencies (<50MHz??) because of the Courant criterion in FDTD you have to use a Adi-FDTD, and for more lower (<1MHz??)you have to turn back to a implicit method as e.g. FEM.

Maybe this program can do what you need:
SEMCAD-X: **broken link removed**
There is also a "Light Version" available with 1e6 Yee-cells for 99USD, and the full competent and quick support!! (-what can be very helpfull at the beginning... ;-) )
I use this program for my PHD tesis, and have made verry good experience with this.

Hope this helps, best: Ricy

About RF simulators

Hey Ricy, Thank you very much by the help.

I’m going to explore what exactly the FDTD can do for me. Maybe it really can help.

I’ll try to compare these different kinds of methods. I really thank for your help. I haven’t heard about this possibilities yet.

Best regards!

About RF simulators

hfss . cst. ADS..........