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Ansoft announces Maxwell Strata, next generation technology for high-frequency, high-speed design; Maxwell Strata's true 3D metallization on planar substrates is an industry first for MMIC, planar antenna and RF IC design

Business Wire, Nov 15, 1995

PITTSBURGH, Penn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 15, 1995--Ansoft Corp., the leading supplier of electromagnetic field simulation-based design tools such as Maxwell Eminence and HFSS (High Frequency Structure Simulator, distributed worldwide by Hewlett Packard), announced the release of Maxwell Strata, a design tool for RF and Microwave designers.

Strata's 3D capabilities and advanced implementation features enable the simulation of larger, denser and more complicated structures than ever before possible, opening the door to highly dense RF circuit and MMIC design.

Maxwell Strata, a planar product based on the space domain Method of Moments (MoM), is able to solve for the s-, y- and z- parameters, and radiation for 2D, 2.5D and true three-dimensional traces and structures. The traces and structures can lie either on or within layered dielectric substrates.

Since all radiation effects are considered, complex antenna geometries such as a multilayer feed circuit plus aperture-coupled spiral can be simulated accurately. Antenna parameters such as gain, directivity, efficiency, input impedance and beamwidth can be calculated.

Unique product features and breakthrough technology allow Strata to offer solutions to designers that have not been previously available with other planar products such as Momentum (HP EEsof), EM (Sonnet Software) and Microwave Explorer (Compact Software).

Maxwell Strata Product Features

Ansoft's Strata is a significant technology advance in the design and analysis of MIC, MMIC, RF IC and planar antennas. Strata combines advanced adaptive meshing, with proprietary technology from Ansoft in the method of moments arena.

Strata features extremely fast solutions with a new iterative matrix solver, fast frequency sweep with ALPS (an advanced proprietary solver), automatic adaptive refinement of mesh and solution convergence indicators. Ansoft's automatic mesh generation and adaptive mesh refinement overcome the inherent deficiency of other planar solvers that give no indication of solution convergence.

The solver refines the triangular surface mesh only where there are rapid fluctuations in the electric current density to find an optimum mesh. Other planar solvers require a highly dense mesh throughout the model thus limiting the size of the problem for a given workstation.

Strata's arbitrary triangular mesh allows the HF designer to evaluate true 3D structures such as circular spirals and tapered vias. Strata has a full 3D Green's function implementation allowing for true 3D currents on circuit traces. Via holes between layers are not restricted to z-directional currents as found in most planar electromagnetic solvers.

Currents which "wrap around" the via are fully accounted for in Strata as well as currents in tapered vias, airbridges, and finite thickness traces. Designers are able to designate zero or finite trace thickness allowing for accurate analysis of coupling that occurs between edges of traces with finite thickness. There are no restrictions on the 2D or 3D circuit topology.

Advanced post processing and field/current visualization are an integral part of Strata. Animated current and field distribution plots, Smith charts and far field plots give the designer valuable tools to visualize and evaluate designs.

Maxwell Strata Seminars

Ansoft will host a series of seminars introducing Maxwell Strata and its next generation technology during the first quarter 1996. Call Ansoft for seminar information or email SIinfo@ansoft.com. Pre-registration at the seminars is required.

Ansoft Products, Pricing and Availability

Maxwell Strata is available on all popular UNIX workstations and on high performance personal computers. Stand alone pricing, including the advanced post processor, for a perpetual license is $29,900. If bundled with another Ansoft product, the price is $19,900.

Ansoft Corp.

Ansoft Corp. has become the leading provider of advanced computational analysis tools for the RF and microwave engineer. Ansoft is the creator of Maxwell Eminence and the High Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS) distributed by Hewlett Packard. -0-

For product information contact Ansoft at:

Four Station Square, Suite 660

Pittsburgh, PA 15219-1119 USA

Phone: 412/261-3200 Fax: 412/471-9427

Email: SIinfo@ansoft.com.

http://www.ansoft.com/$I/Strata/ -0-

Note to Editors: Maxwell is a registered trademark of Ansoft Corp. Other companies and products named are trademarks of their manufacturers.

Prices listed are in U.S. dollars and for U.S. installation.

Transparencies of product available on request.

Application notes are available on request.

3D - Three Dimensional

HF - High Frequency