Articles
MTT-S 2007: CST Previews Upcoming Release Of CST Studio Suite 2008
June 6, 2007
Design engineers will experience a multitude of enhancements when switching to version 2008 of CST STUDIO SUITE. Additions and features include: project management facilities, structural parts' availability via copy/paste or sub-model imports, and automatic software updates.
Workflow Integration
Two new interfaces have been introduced which can streamline the design workflow, particularly for engineers involved in Signal Integrity. The first of these is a new native interface to Mentor Graphics Expedition, which uses COM/DCOM to exchange data of entire layouts, areas or nets. The second, an ODB++ interface, enables the access to layouts from a large variety of tools such as Mentor Graphics Board Station, and Zuken CR5000. To round the interoperability improvements off, users of CST MICROWAVE STUDIO (CST MWS) can now utilize Sigrity current distributions as field sources, and export HSPICE models.
Performance Optimization
Performance optimization has been a key concern for this release. User will benefit from the improved parallelization of transient and frequency domain solvers, and ongoing code optimization projects with Intel ensure that the latest and upcoming generation of processors and technologies are exploited to the full. Furthermore, dedicated hardware acceleration boards are now available for the transient solver. The direct frequency domain solver on tetrahedral grids has also been focused on, and has experienced vast improvements in memory usage and speed.
"We believe that CST MICROWAVE STUDIO 2008 will mark a key breakthrough in simulation technology. It promises significant simulation performance augmentation and will re-define the standards for workflow integration" said Martin Timm, Product Marketing Manager, CST. "An unrivalled time domain solver, a cutting-edge frequency domain solver and an even more powerful CAD interface combine to increase the design throughput of Microwave, RF, SI and EMC Engineers."
Integral Equation Solver
Engineers working on RCS or antenna placement may want to try CST MWS' Integral Equation Solver for electrically large structures. New functionality enables the excitation of fields through waveguide ports or via preloaded farfields, e.g. from transient simulations. Models can now also include lossy metals (skin effect) or impedance sheets.
CST DESIGN STUDIO
Using CST DESIGN STUDIO 2008 (CST DS), layouts can be created from schematic blocks, for use directly in CST MWS. With Signal Integrity engineers in mind, IBIS and Berkeley spice models can now be included in CST DS simulations.
Charged Particle Dynamics
Last but not least, another premiere for those involved in the design of electron guns and traveling wave tubes. A new particle-in-cell (PIC) solver will be introduced with CST PARTICLE STUDIO 2008 (CST PS). This is capable of the fully consistent simulation of charged particle dynamics in the presence of external and space charge fields.
Availability
The beta testing phase for the CST STUDIO SUITE 2008 is about to start, the new version can be previewed at MTT-S IMS 2007, Honolulu, Hawaii, booth #735.
SOURCE: CST of America®, Inc.
