The Designer's Guide Community Forum

The Designer's Guide Community Forum
https://designers-guide.org/forum/YaBB.pl
Design >> RF Design >> 3D simulator?
https://designers-guide.org/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1190042254

Message started by novice_designer on Sep 17^th, 2007, 8:17am

Title: 3D simulator?
Post by novice_designer on Sep 17^th, 2007, 8:17am

Hi,
Can you please let me know if there are any 3D field simulators out there which I could use? Are there any available free?
If not what would you recommend? I need to study the on-chip inductor behavior in the presence of a metal ground plane.
Thanks.

Title: Re: 3D simulator?
Post by Frank Wiedmann on Sep 17^th, 2007, 8:30am

Take a look at http://www.sonnetsoftware.com/products/lite/.

Title: Re: 3D simulator?
Post by novice_designer on Sep 17^th, 2007, 9:25am

Thanks a lot for that quick response Frank. Will take a loot at it.

Also, I am little confused when they say 3D planar field solver.

Why do they term it planar? Does it mean that structures are planar and the solver is 3D?

Does 3D refer to spatial dimensions? What exactly is the difference between 2D and 3D solvers?

I would really appreciate if you can throw some light on that.

Thanks again.

Title: Re: 3D simulator?
Post by didac on Sep 17^th, 2007, 10:09am

Hi,
Check http://www.designers-guide.org/Forum/YaBB.pl?num=1095265293 where t Frank himself clarifies this issue, basically 3D planar solver (also called as 2.5D solvers) are limited to planar geometries like microstrip,coplanar transmission lines or like your case an integrated inductor, for designing something like a dish antenna or a waveguide it should be used a 3D solver like Ansoft HFSS.
Hope it helps,

Title: Re: 3D simulator?
Post by novice_designer on Sep 17^th, 2007, 10:39am

Thanks for pointing out that link, will read through that. Although i am looking at inductors, I am trying to study the effect of having thick metal strips on the sides of the chip, connecting to ground plane, and its effect on inductors and RF circuits.

Title: Re: 3D simulator?
Post by didac on Sep 18^th, 2007, 11:58am

Hi,
This case of study I think fits right into planar EM, I think that everything that can be view in a cross-section like a "sandwich"-i.e. different layers of metals over dielectrics- can be simulated with programs like Sonnet and Momentum.
Hope it helps,